diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/jedis/JedisConnectionFactory.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/jedis/JedisConnectionFactory.java
index ddd826acd..d65f8ca09 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/jedis/JedisConnectionFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/jedis/JedisConnectionFactory.java
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ import org.springframework.util.CollectionUtils;
  * @author Christoph Strobl
  * @author Mark Paluch
  * @author Fu Jian
+ * @author Ajith Kumar
  * @see JedisClientConfiguration
  * @see Jedis
  */
@@ -855,10 +856,14 @@ public class JedisConnectionFactory implements InitializingBean, DisposableBean,
 
 			Jedis jedis = new Jedis(node.getHost(), node.getPort(), getConnectTimeout(), getReadTimeout());
 
-			if (jedis.ping().equalsIgnoreCase("pong")) {
+			try {
+				if (jedis.ping().equalsIgnoreCase("pong")) {
 
-				potentiallySetClientName(jedis);
-				return jedis;
+					potentiallySetClientName(jedis);
+					return jedis;
+				}
+			} catch (Exception ex) {
+				log.warn(String.format("Ping failed for sentinel host:%s", node.getHost()), ex);
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/jedis/JedisConnectionFactorySentinelIntegrationTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/jedis/JedisConnectionFactorySentinelIntegrationTests.java
index 48c020fdc..612d0af2e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/jedis/JedisConnectionFactorySentinelIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/jedis/JedisConnectionFactorySentinelIntegrationTests.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import org.springframework.data.redis.test.util.RedisSentinelRule;
  * @author Christoph Strobl
  * @author Fu Jian
  * @author Mark Paluch
+ * @author Ajith Kumar
  */
 public class JedisConnectionFactorySentinelIntegrationTests {
 
@@ -82,4 +83,14 @@ public class JedisConnectionFactorySentinelIntegrationTests {
 
 		assertThat(factory.getConnection().getClientName()).isEqualTo("clientName");
 	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void shouldNotFailOnFirstSentinelDown() {
+
+		final RedisSentinelConfiguration multiSentinelConfig = new RedisSentinelConfiguration()
+				.master("mymaster").sentinel("any.unavailable.host",26379).sentinel("127.0.0.1", 26379);
+
+		factory = new JedisConnectionFactory(multiSentinelConfig);
+		assertThat(factory.getSentinelConnection().isOpen()).isTrue();
+	}
 }