diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 9bf1533..e27e73b 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -47,6 +47,13 @@ Links
 Changes
 -------
 
+v1.6.2
+~~~~~~
+
+* **ADD** ``save_data_on_error`` param to ``VerticaBatch``. This option,
+  when set, will save all uncommitted lines to a file.
+
+
 v1.6.1
 ~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/pyvertica/__init__.py b/pyvertica/__init__.py
index bb64aa4..4a9b978 100644
--- a/pyvertica/__init__.py
+++ b/pyvertica/__init__.py
@@ -1 +1 @@
-__version__ = '1.6.1'
+__version__ = '1.6.2'
diff --git a/pyvertica/batch.py b/pyvertica/batch.py
index 573a51c..df05e8d 100644
--- a/pyvertica/batch.py
+++ b/pyvertica/batch.py
@@ -54,6 +54,15 @@ class Query(object):
     :param exc_queue:
         An instance of class:`Queue.Queue` instance to put exceptions in.
 
+    :param drain_to_file:
+        A ``bolean``. This indicates whether or not data in the fifo should
+        be saved to  a file if an error occurs. If false, all data in the
+        fifo when an exception occurs will bediscarded. If true, data will
+        be saved to a random directory in /tmp, and recover_dir on the
+        :py:class:`Query` instance with contain the full path to the
+        directory. It is possible that the contents of the fifo will overload
+        the disk. If that is the case, the data will be discarded.
+        Default: ``False``.
     """
 
     daemon = True
@@ -62,13 +71,15 @@ class Query(object):
     if only those are left.
     """
 
-    def __init__(
-            self, cursor, sql_query_str, fifo_path, exc_queue):
+    def __init__(self, cursor, sql_query_str, fifo_path, exc_queue,
+                 drain_to_file=False):
         super(Query, self).__init__()
         self.cursor = cursor
         self.sql_query_str = sql_query_str
         self.exc_queue = exc_queue
         self.fifo_path = fifo_path
+        self.drain_to_file = drain_to_file
+        self.recover_file = None
 
     def run_query(self):
         """
@@ -89,11 +100,39 @@ def run_query(self):
 
             # we need to consume the fifo, to make sure it isn't blocking the
             # write (and thus hanging forever).
-            for line in codecs.open(self.fifo_path, 'r', 'utf-8'):
-                pass
+            fifo = codecs.open(self.fifo_path, 'r', 'utf-8')
+            if self.drain_to_file:
+                self._drain_to_file(fifo)
+            else:
+                self._drain(fifo)
 
         logger.debug('Query done')
 
+    def _drain_to_file(self, fifo_obj):
+        """
+        Pulls all data out of the fifo and saves it to a tmp file.
+        If an exception is thrown while saving data to the file,
+        it simply discards the data and removes the file.
+        """
+        self.recover_file = os.path.join(tempfile.mkdtemp(), 'saved_inserts')
+        file = open(self.recover_file, 'w')
+        try:
+            for line in fifo_obj:
+                file.write(line)
+            logger.info("Insert data saved to file %s" % self.recover_file)
+        except IOError, ex:
+            logger.error("Error saving data to file: %s" % ex)
+            self._drain(fifo_obj)
+            os.remove(self.recover_file)
+            self.recover_file = None
+
+    def _drain(self, fifo_obj):
+        """
+        Discards all data in the fifo.
+        """
+        for line in fifo_obj:
+            pass
+
 
 class VerticaBatch(object):
     """
@@ -194,6 +233,15 @@ class VerticaBatch(object):
         closing all of its resources.
         Default: ``False``. *Optional*.
 
+    :param save_data_on_error:
+        A ``boolean``. If true, when an error occurs, uncommitted data will
+        be saved to a file. The file path will be accessible via
+        ``VerticaBatch.recover_file`` if an error occurred
+        after calling ``commit_batch``.
+        Default: ``False``. If the disk fills up while saving data,
+        the recovery will be marked as failed and the recovery
+        file will be removed.
+
     """
     copy_options_dict = {
         'DELIMITER': ';',
@@ -223,7 +271,8 @@ def __init__(
             column_list=[],
             copy_options={},
             connection=None,
-            multi_batch=False):
+            multi_batch=False,
+            save_data_on_error=False):
 
         if connection and odbc_kwargs:
             raise ValueError("May only specify one of "
@@ -363,6 +412,7 @@ def close_batch(self):
         logger.debug('Batch ended')
 
         if not self._query_exc_queue.empty():
+            self.recover_file = self._query.recover_file
             raise self._query_exc_queue.get()
 
         self._batch_initialized = False
diff --git a/pyvertica/tests/unit/test_batch.py b/pyvertica/tests/unit/test_batch.py
index 334b2f4..231ed59 100644
--- a/pyvertica/tests/unit/test_batch.py
+++ b/pyvertica/tests/unit/test_batch.py
@@ -102,6 +102,77 @@ def test_run_raising_exception(self):
         os.remove(file_obj.name)
         self.assertTrue(isinstance(exc_queue.get(), Exception))
 
+    def test_run_raising_exception_saving_data(self):
+        """
+        Test :py:meth:`.QueryThread.run` raising an exception.
+        """
+        file_obj = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(bufsize=0, delete=False)
+        file_obj.write('foo\nbar\n')
+        file_obj.close()
+        cursor = Mock()
+        cursor.execute.side_effect = Exception('boom!')
+        exc_queue = Queue()
+
+        query = Query(cursor, Mock(), file_obj.name, exc_queue,
+                      drain_to_file=True)
+
+        task_thread = TaskThread(query.run_query)
+        task_thread.start()
+        task_thread.run_task()
+        task_thread.join_task(2)
+        task_thread.join(2)
+
+        os.remove(file_obj.name)
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(exc_queue.get(), Exception))
+        self.assertIsNotNone(query.recover_file)
+        lines = open(query.recover_file).readlines()
+        self.assertEqual(2, len(lines))
+        os.remove(query.recover_file)
+
+    def test__drain(self):
+        file_mock = Mock()
+        file_mock.__iter__ = Mock(return_value=iter([1, 2]))
+        query = Query(None, None, None, None)
+        query._drain(file_mock)
+        file_mock.__iter__.assert_called_once_with()
+
+    @patch('os.path.join')
+    @patch('__builtin__.open')
+    @patch('tempfile.mkdtemp')
+    def test__drain_to_file(self, mkdtemp_mock, open_mock, join):
+        join.return_value = "/tmp/fake/saved_inserts"
+        fifo_mock = Mock()
+        fifo_mock.__iter__ = Mock(return_value=iter([1]))
+        mkdtemp_mock.mk.return_value = "/tmp/fake"
+        file_obj = Mock()
+        open_mock.return_value = file_obj
+        query = Query(None, None, None, None)
+        query._drain_to_file(fifo_mock)
+        file_obj.write.assert_called_once_with(1)
+        fifo_mock.__iter__.assert_called_once_with()
+        self.assertEqual('/tmp/fake/saved_inserts',
+                         query.recover_file)
+
+    @patch('os.remove')
+    @patch('os.path.join')
+    @patch('__builtin__.open')
+    @patch('tempfile.mkdtemp')
+    def test__drain_to_file_throws(self, mkdtemp_mock, open_mock, join,
+                                   remove):
+        join.return_value = "/tmp/fake/saved_inserts"
+        fifo_mock = Mock()
+        fifo_mock.__iter__ = Mock(return_value=iter([1]))
+        mkdtemp_mock.mk.return_value = "/tmp/fake"
+        file_obj = Mock()
+        file_obj.write.side_effect = IOError
+        open_mock.return_value = file_obj
+        query = Query(None, None, None, None)
+        query._drain_to_file(fifo_mock)
+        file_obj.write.assert_called_once_with(1)
+        self.assertEqual(1, file_obj.write.call_count)
+        self.assertEqual(None, query.recover_file)
+        self.assertEqual(1, remove.call_count)
+
 
 class VerticaBatchTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
     """