diff --git a/activemq-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/failover/FailoverTransport.java b/activemq-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/failover/FailoverTransport.java
index 49db5e2c11..64d407d537 100755
--- a/activemq-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/failover/FailoverTransport.java
+++ b/activemq-client/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/failover/FailoverTransport.java
@@ -1156,9 +1156,13 @@ public class FailoverTransport implements CompositeTransport {
         return maxReconnectValue;
     }
 
+    private boolean shouldBuildBackups() {
+       return (backup && backups.size() < backupPoolSize) || (priorityBackup && !(priorityBackupAvailable || connectedToPriority));
+    }
+
     final boolean buildBackups() {
         synchronized (backupMutex) {
-            if (!disposed && (backup || priorityBackup) && backups.size() < backupPoolSize) {
+            if (!disposed && shouldBuildBackups()) {
                 ArrayList<URI> backupList = new ArrayList<URI>(priorityList);
                 List<URI> connectList = getConnectList();
                 for (URI uri: connectList) {
@@ -1175,7 +1179,7 @@ public class FailoverTransport implements CompositeTransport {
                 }
                 backups.removeAll(disposedList);
                 disposedList.clear();
-                for (Iterator<URI> iter = backupList.iterator(); !disposed && iter.hasNext() && backups.size() < backupPoolSize; ) {
+                for (Iterator<URI> iter = backupList.iterator(); !disposed && iter.hasNext() && shouldBuildBackups(); ) {
                     URI uri = iter.next();
                     if (connectedTransportURI != null && !connectedTransportURI.equals(uri)) {
                         try {
@@ -1190,6 +1194,17 @@ public class FailoverTransport implements CompositeTransport {
                                 if (priorityBackup && isPriority(uri)) {
                                    priorityBackupAvailable = true;
                                    backups.add(0, bt);
+                                   // if this priority backup overflows the pool
+                                   // remove the backup with the lowest priority
+                                   if (backups.size() > backupPoolSize) {
+                                       BackupTransport disposeTransport = backups.remove(backups.size() - 1);
+                                       disposeTransport.setDisposed(true);
+                                       Transport transport = disposeTransport.getTransport();
+                                       if (transport != null) {
+                                           transport.setTransportListener(disposedListener);
+                                           disposeTransport(transport);
+                                       }
+                                   }
                                 } else {
                                     backups.add(bt);
                                 }
diff --git a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/failover/FailoverPriorityTest.java b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/failover/FailoverPriorityTest.java
index 0176a8fad3..bed51830d0 100644
--- a/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/failover/FailoverPriorityTest.java
+++ b/activemq-unit-tests/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/failover/FailoverPriorityTest.java
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ public class FailoverPriorityTest extends FailoverClusterTestSupport {
         getBroker(BROKER_C_NAME).waitUntilStarted();
         Thread.sleep(1000);
 
-        setClientUrl("failover:(" + BROKER_A_CLIENT_TC_ADDRESS + "," + BROKER_B_CLIENT_TC_ADDRESS + "," + BROKER_C_CLIENT_TC_ADDRESS + ")?randomize=false&priorityBackup=true&initialReconnectDelay=1000&useExponentialBackOff=false&backupPoolSize=2");
+        setClientUrl("failover:(" + BROKER_A_CLIENT_TC_ADDRESS + "," + BROKER_B_CLIENT_TC_ADDRESS + "," + BROKER_C_CLIENT_TC_ADDRESS + ")?randomize=false&priorityBackup=true&initialReconnectDelay=1000&useExponentialBackOff=false");
 
         createClients(5);