diff --git a/django/db/transaction.py b/django/db/transaction.py
index ae009a40b48..921affc2d8b 100644
--- a/django/db/transaction.py
+++ b/django/db/transaction.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from functools import wraps
 
 from django.db import (
         connections, DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS,
-        DatabaseError, ProgrammingError)
+        DatabaseError, Error, ProgrammingError)
 from django.utils.decorators import available_attrs
 
 
@@ -309,7 +309,12 @@ class Atomic(object):
                     try:
                         connection.commit()
                     except DatabaseError:
-                        connection.rollback()
+                        try:
+                            connection.rollback()
+                        except Error:
+                            # Error during rollback means the connection was
+                            # closed. Clean up in case the server dropped it.
+                            connection.close()
                         raise
             else:
                 # This flag will be set to True again if there isn't a savepoint
@@ -330,7 +335,12 @@ class Atomic(object):
                             connection.needs_rollback = True
                 else:
                     # Roll back transaction
-                    connection.rollback()
+                    try:
+                        connection.rollback()
+                    except Error:
+                        # Error during rollback means the connection was
+                        # closed. Clean up in case the server dropped it.
+                        connection.close()
 
         finally:
             # Outermost block exit when autocommit was enabled.
diff --git a/tests/backends/tests.py b/tests/backends/tests.py
index 0da5cb85e20..e62f5648513 100644
--- a/tests/backends/tests.py
+++ b/tests/backends/tests.py
@@ -611,13 +611,6 @@ class BackendTestCase(TestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(DatabaseError):
             cursor.execute(query)
 
-
-class IsUsableTests(TransactionTestCase):
-    # Avoid using a regular TestCase because Django really dislikes closing
-    # the database connection inside a transaction at this point (#21202).
-
-    available_apps = []
-
     # Unfortunately with sqlite3 the in-memory test database cannot be closed.
     @skipUnlessDBFeature('test_db_allows_multiple_connections')
     def test_is_usable_after_database_disconnects(self):