diff --git a/idl/mdsconnect.pro b/idl/mdsconnect.pro
index 77e5fea488..f62c0d1cb5 100644
--- a/idl/mdsconnect.pro
+++ b/idl/mdsconnect.pro
@@ -153,8 +153,12 @@ end
 
 pro mdsconnect,host,status=status,quiet=quiet,port=port,socket=socket
   on_error,2
-  if (not keyword_set(socket)) then $
-    mdsdisconnect,/quiet
+  ; if (not keyword_set(socket)) then $
+  ;  mdsdisconnect,/quiet
+  defsysv, "!MDS_SOCKET", exists=has_mds_socket
+  if (not has_mds_socket) then begin
+    defsysv, "!MDS_SOCKET", -1
+  endif
   if n_elements(port) ne 0 then begin
     setenv_,'mdsip='+strtrim(port,2)
   endif else if getenv('mdsip') eq '' then begin
diff --git a/idl/mdsisclient.pro b/idl/mdsisclient.pro
index 198d2a303d..e1fad85085 100644
--- a/idl/mdsisclient.pro
+++ b/idl/mdsisclient.pro
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 function mdsisclient,socket=socket
-if (keyword_set(socket)) then $
+if (keyword_set(socket)) then $   ; Fails if socket = 0 (see issue 2625)
   if (socket ge 0) then $
     return, 1 $
   else $
diff --git a/idl/set_database.pro b/idl/set_database.pro
index ee4a16c41f..4c96c7d6f4 100644
--- a/idl/set_database.pro
+++ b/idl/set_database.pro
@@ -438,7 +438,26 @@ pro set_database, dbname, status=status, quiet=quiet,debug=debug, reset=reset, f
   status = dbinfo(dbname, mdshost, host, name, user, pass, reset=reset, file=file)
   if (status eq 0) then $
     return
-  MDSDbconnect, mdshost
+
+  ; For issue 2625, must ensure connection ID is greater than zero.
+  ; Most robust solution is to open an extraneous connection if needed.
+  ; Don't disconnect because resets !MDS_SOCKET to -1 (triggers 2625).
+  defsysv, "!MDS_SOCKET", exists=has_mds_socket
+  if (not has_mds_socket) then begin
+    mdsconnect, mdshost
+  endif
+
+  ; The global !MDS_SOCKET should now definitely exist.
+  if (!MDS_SOCKET lt 0) then begin
+    if not (keyword_set(quiet)) then begin
+      Message, "Error connecting to MDSplus host "+mdshost, /continue
+    endif else begin
+      Message, "Error connecting to MDSplus host "+mdshost, /continue, /noprint
+    endelse
+    return
+  endif
+  
+  MDSDbconnect, mdshost   ; increments the socket
   status = mdsvalue("dblogin($, $, $)", host, user, pass, socket=!MDSDB_SOCKET)
   if (not status) then begin
       if not (keyword_set(quiet)) then begin
diff --git a/python/MDSplus/connection.py b/python/MDSplus/connection.py
index 4e4c367bc1..8599ccf9cd 100644
--- a/python/MDSplus/connection.py
+++ b/python/MDSplus/connection.py
@@ -205,16 +205,12 @@ def get(self, exp, *args, **kwargs):
             args = kwargs['arglist']
         timeout = kwargs.get('timeout', -1)
         num = len(args)+1
-        
-        exp = 'serializeout(`('+exp+'))'
-        
         exp = _ver.tobytes(exp)
         _exc.checkStatus(_SendArg(self.conid, 0, 14, num,
                                   len(exp), 0, 0, ctypes.c_char_p(exp)))
         for i, arg in enumerate(args):
             self._send_arg(arg, i+1, num)
-        retSerialized = self._get_answer(timeout)
-        return retSerialized.deserialize()
+        return self._get_answer(timeout)
 
 
 class Connection(object):