ChangeState doesn't try to reconnect when connection failed in init.
At the time of ChangeState initialization, if couchdb is not available.
It doesn't crash but set to none but it never get tried.
https://github.com/dmwm/WMCore/blob/master/src/python/WMCore/JobStateMachine/ChangeState.py#L74

I think the best behavior is that it need to retry to connect couchdb when
self.jobsdatabase == None
self.fwjrdatabase == None
self.jsumdatabase == None

at the time of actual call happens. 
https://github.com/dmwm/WMCore/blob/master/src/python/WMCore/JobStateMachine/ChangeState.py#L151
https://github.com/dmwm/WMCore/blob/master/src/python/WMCore/JobStateMachine/ChangeState.py#L498

The same for the dashboard connection
https://github.com/dmwm/WMCore/blob/master/src/python/WMCore/JobStateMachine/ChangeState.py#L85

diff --git a/src/python/WMCore/JobStateMachine/ChangeState.py b/src/python/WMCore/JobStateMachine/ChangeState.py
index 603d02c74..2202b7672 100644
--- a/src/python/WMCore/JobStateMachine/ChangeState.py
+++ b/src/python/WMCore/JobStateMachine/ChangeState.py
@@ -70,22 +70,15 @@ class ChangeState(WMObject, WMConnectionBase):
         else:
             self.dbname = couchDbName
 
-        try:
-            self.couchdb = CouchServer(self.config.JobStateMachine.couchurl)
-            self.jobsdatabase = self.couchdb.connectDatabase("%s/jobs" % self.dbname, size = 250)
-            self.fwjrdatabase = self.couchdb.connectDatabase("%s/fwjrs" % self.dbname, size = 250)
-            self.jsumdatabase = self.couchdb.connectDatabase( getattr(self.config.JobStateMachine, 'jobSummaryDBName'), size = 250 )
-        except Exception, ex:
-            logging.error("Error connecting to couch: %s" % str(ex))
-            self.jobsdatabase = None
-            self.fwjrdatabase = None
-            self.jsumdatabase = None
+        self.couchdb = CouchServer(self.config.JobStateMachine.couchurl)
+        self._connectDatabases()
 
         try:
             self.dashboardReporter = DashboardReporter(config)
         except Exception, ex:
             logging.error("Error setting up the \\
-                          dashboard reporter: %s" % str(ex))
+-                          dashboard reporter: %s" % str(ex))
+            raise
 
         self.getCouchDAO = self.daofactory("Jobs.GetCouchID")
         self.setCouchDAO = self.daofactory("Jobs.SetCouchID")
@@ -97,6 +90,37 @@ class ChangeState(WMObject, WMConnectionBase):
         self.maxUploadedInputFiles = getattr(self.config.JobStateMachine, 'maxFWJRInputFiles', 1000)
         return
 
+    def _connectDatabases(self):
+        """
+        Try connecting to the couchdbs
+        """
+        if not hasattr(self, 'jobsdatabase') or self.jobsdatabase is None:
+            try:
+                self.jobsdatabase = self.couchdb.connectDatabase("%s/jobs" % self.dbname, size = 250)
+            except Exception, ex:
+                logging.error("Error connecting to couch db '%s/jobs': %s" % (self.dbname, str(ex)))
+                self.jobsdatabase = None
+                return False
+
+        if not hasattr(self, 'fwjrdatabase') or self.fwjrdatabase is None:
+            try:
+                self.fwjrdatabase = self.couchdb.connectDatabase("%s/fwjrs" % self.dbname, size = 250)
+            except Exception, ex:
+                logging.error("Error connecting to couch db '%s/fwjrs': %s" % (self.dbname, str(ex)))
+                self.fwjrdatabase = None
+                return False
+
+        if not hasattr(self, 'jsumdatabase') or self.jsumdatabase is None:
+            dbname = getattr(self.config.JobStateMachine, 'jobSummaryDBName')
+            try:
+                self.jsumdatabase = self.couchdb.connectDatabase( dbname, size = 250 )
+            except Exception, ex:
+                logging.error("Error connecting to couch db '%s': %s" % (dbname, str(ex)))
+                self.jsumdatabase = None
+                return False
+
+        return True
+    
     def propagate(self, jobs, newstate, oldstate, updatesummary = False):
         """
         Move the job from a state to another. Book keep the change to CouchDB.
@@ -156,7 +180,8 @@ class ChangeState(WMObject, WMConnectionBase):
         in couch it will be saved as a seperate document.  If the job has a FWJR
         attached that will be saved as a seperate document.
         """
-        if not self.jobsdatabase or not self.fwjrdatabase:
+        if not self._connectDatabases():
+            logging.error('Databases not connected properly')
             return
 
         timestamp = int(time.time())
@@ -504,6 +529,10 @@ class ChangeState(WMObject, WMConnectionBase):
         jobid and location keys which represent
         the job id in WMBS and new location respectively.
         """
+        if not self._connectDatabases():
+            logging.error('Databases not connected properly')
+            return
+
         # First update safely in WMBS
         self.updateLocationDAO.execute(jobs, conn = self.getDBConn(),
                                        transaction = self.existingTransaction())
['src/python/WMCore/JobStateMachine/ChangeState.py']