diff --git a/pkg/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/BUILD.bazel
index a00894355d73..7b9b93b7d672 100644
--- a/pkg/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/BUILD.bazel
@@ -367,6 +367,7 @@ ALL_TESTS = [
     "//pkg/util/metric:metric_test",
     "//pkg/util/mon:mon_test",
     "//pkg/util/netutil/addr:addr_test",
+    "//pkg/util/netutil:netutil_test",
     "//pkg/util/optional:optional_test",
     "//pkg/util/pretty:pretty_test",
     "//pkg/util/protoutil:protoutil_test",
diff --git a/pkg/sql/pgwire/conn.go b/pkg/sql/pgwire/conn.go
index 7ea89d543978..c4600b690417 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/pgwire/conn.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/pgwire/conn.go
@@ -341,8 +341,8 @@ func (c *conn) serveImpl(
 	}
 
 	var terminateSeen bool
-
 	var authDone, ignoreUntilSync bool
+	var repeatedErrorCount int
 	for {
 		breakLoop, err := func() (bool, error) {
 			typ, n, err := c.readBuf.ReadTypedMsg(&c.rd)
@@ -482,11 +482,20 @@ func (c *conn) serveImpl(
 		if err != nil {
 			log.VEventf(ctx, 1, "pgwire: error processing message: %s", err)
 			ignoreUntilSync = true
-			// If we can't read data because the connection was closed or the context
-			// was canceled (e.g. during authentication), then we should break.
-			if netutil.IsClosedConnection(err) || errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+			repeatedErrorCount++
+			const maxRepeatedErrorCount = 1 << 15
+			// If we can't read data because of any one of the following conditions,
+			// then we should break:
+			// 1. the connection was closed.
+			// 2. the context was canceled (e.g. during authentication).
+			// 3. we reached an arbitrary threshold of repeated errors.
+			if netutil.IsClosedConnection(err) ||
+				errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) ||
+				repeatedErrorCount > maxRepeatedErrorCount {
 				break
 			}
+		} else {
+			repeatedErrorCount = 0
 		}
 		if breakLoop {
 			break
diff --git a/pkg/util/netutil/BUILD.bazel b/pkg/util/netutil/BUILD.bazel
index 450929af3977..5f7333e95997 100644
--- a/pkg/util/netutil/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pkg/util/netutil/BUILD.bazel
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:def.bzl", "go_library")
+load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:def.bzl", "go_library", "go_test")
 
 go_library(
     name = "netutil",
@@ -16,3 +16,15 @@ go_library(
         "@org_golang_x_net//http2",
     ],
 )
+
+go_test(
+    name = "netutil_test",
+    srcs = ["net_test.go"],
+    embed = [":netutil"],
+    deps = [
+        "//pkg/util/contextutil",
+        "@com_github_cockroachdb_cmux//:cmux",
+        "@com_github_stretchr_testify//assert",
+        "@org_golang_google_grpc//:go_default_library",
+    ],
+)
diff --git a/pkg/util/netutil/net.go b/pkg/util/netutil/net.go
index ffdfbb09323d..f729dee7d110 100644
--- a/pkg/util/netutil/net.go
+++ b/pkg/util/netutil/net.go
@@ -159,10 +159,13 @@ func (s *Server) ServeWith(
 	}
 }
 
-// IsClosedConnection returns true if err is cmux.ErrListenerClosed,
-// grpc.ErrServerStopped, io.EOF, or the net package's errClosed.
+// IsClosedConnection returns true if err is a non-temporary net.Error or is
+// cmux.ErrListenerClosed, grpc.ErrServerStopped, io.EOF, or net.ErrClosed.
 func IsClosedConnection(err error) bool {
-	return errors.IsAny(err, cmux.ErrListenerClosed, grpc.ErrServerStopped, io.EOF) ||
+	if netError := net.Error(nil); errors.As(err, &netError) {
+		return !netError.Temporary()
+	}
+	return errors.IsAny(err, cmux.ErrListenerClosed, grpc.ErrServerStopped, io.EOF, net.ErrClosed) ||
 		strings.Contains(err.Error(), "use of closed network connection")
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/util/netutil/net_test.go b/pkg/util/netutil/net_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2cc492689313
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/util/netutil/net_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+// Copyright 2021 The Cockroach Authors.
+//
+// Use of this software is governed by the Business Source License
+// included in the file licenses/BSL.txt.
+//
+// As of the Change Date specified in that file, in accordance with
+// the Business Source License, use of this software will be governed
+// by the Apache License, Version 2.0, included in the file
+// licenses/APL.txt.
+
+package netutil
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"net"
+	"syscall"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cmux"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/contextutil"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc"
+)
+
+func TestIsClosedConnection(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		err           error
+		isClosedError bool
+	}{
+		{
+			fmt.Errorf("an error"),
+			false,
+		},
+		{
+			net.ErrClosed,
+			true,
+		},
+		{
+			cmux.ErrListenerClosed,
+			true,
+		},
+		{
+			grpc.ErrServerStopped,
+			true,
+		},
+		{
+			io.EOF,
+			true,
+		},
+		{
+			// TODO(rafi): should this be treated the same as EOF?
+			io.ErrUnexpectedEOF,
+			false,
+		},
+		{
+			&net.AddrError{Err: "addr", Addr: "err"},
+			true,
+		},
+		{
+			syscall.ECONNRESET,
+			true,
+		},
+		{
+			syscall.EADDRINUSE,
+			true,
+		},
+		{
+			syscall.ECONNABORTED,
+			true,
+		},
+		{
+			syscall.ECONNREFUSED,
+			true,
+		},
+		{
+			syscall.EBADMSG,
+			true,
+		},
+		{
+			syscall.EINTR,
+			false,
+		},
+		{
+			&contextutil.TimeoutError{},
+			false,
+		},
+	} {
+		assert.Equalf(t, tc.isClosedError, IsClosedConnection(tc.err),
+			"expected %q to be evaluated as %v", tc.err, tc.isClosedError,
+		)
+	}
+}