diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 73cd5bdf4e..d92670096a 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+7.2.1-1 | 2025-07-14 14:18:30 -0700
+
+  * Redis: bump version of hiredis required (Tim Wojtulewicz, Corelight)
+
+    (cherry picked from commit f996f661b66ac5c0236203a54a79ce898531ac67)
+
+  * Redis: return proper error if connection fails (Tim Wojtulewicz, Corelight)
+
+    (cherry picked from commit f996f661b66ac5c0236203a54a79ce898531ac67)
+
 7.2.1 | 2025-05-20 09:12:46 -0700
 
   * Update CHANGES, VERSION, and NEWS for 7.2.1 release (Tim Wojtulewicz, Corelight)
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index b26a34e470..940e96d77a 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-7.2.1
+7.2.1-1
diff --git a/src/storage/backend/redis/Redis.cc b/src/storage/backend/redis/Redis.cc
index d048816efa..588f8f628c 100644
--- a/src/storage/backend/redis/Redis.cc
+++ b/src/storage/backend/redis/Redis.cc
@@ -628,7 +628,7 @@ void Redis::HandleInfoResult(redisReply* reply) {
 }
 
 void Redis::OnConnect(int status) {
-    DBG_LOG(DBG_STORAGE, "Redis backend: connection event");
+    DBG_LOG(DBG_STORAGE, "Redis backend: connection event, status=%d", status);
     --active_ops;
 
     connected = false;
@@ -638,7 +638,7 @@ void Redis::OnConnect(int status) {
 
         if ( status == REDIS_ERR ) {
             // TODO: do something with the error?
-            DBG_LOG(DBG_STORAGE, "INFO command failed: %s", async_ctx->errstr);
+            DBG_LOG(DBG_STORAGE, "INFO command failed: %s err=%d", async_ctx->errstr, async_ctx->err);
             CompleteCallback(open_cb,
                              {ReturnCode::OPERATION_FAILED,
                               util::fmt("INFO command failed to retrieve server info: %s", async_ctx->errstr)});
@@ -647,12 +647,17 @@ void Redis::OnConnect(int status) {
 
         ++active_ops;
     }
+    else {
+        DBG_LOG(DBG_STORAGE, "Redis backend: connection failed: %s err=%d", async_ctx->errstr, async_ctx->err);
+        CompleteCallback(open_cb,
+                         {ReturnCode::CONNECTION_FAILED, util::fmt("Connection failed: %s", async_ctx->errstr)});
+    }
 
     // TODO: we could attempt to reconnect here
 }
 
 void Redis::OnDisconnect(int status) {
-    DBG_LOG(DBG_STORAGE, "Redis backend: disconnection event");
+    DBG_LOG(DBG_STORAGE, "Redis backend: disconnection event, status=%d", status);
 
     connected = false;
     if ( status == REDIS_ERR ) {
diff --git a/src/storage/backend/redis/cmake/FindHiredis.cmake b/src/storage/backend/redis/cmake/FindHiredis.cmake
index fa3b71e5a1..422f9c46d1 100644
--- a/src/storage/backend/redis/cmake/FindHiredis.cmake
+++ b/src/storage/backend/redis/cmake/FindHiredis.cmake
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ if (HIREDIS_FOUND)
     set(HIREDIS_VERSION
         "${HIREDIS_MAJOR_VERSION}.${HIREDIS_MINOR_VERSION}.${HIREDIS_PATCH_VERSION}")
 
-    if (HIREDIS_VERSION VERSION_LESS "1.0.0")
+    if (HIREDIS_VERSION VERSION_LESS "1.1.0")
         message(
-            STATUS "Hiredis library version ${HIREDIS_VERSION} is too old, need v1.0.0 or later.")
+            STATUS "Hiredis library version ${HIREDIS_VERSION} is too old, need v1.1.0 or later.")
         unset(HIREDIS_FOUND)
 
     else ()
diff --git a/testing/btest/Baseline/scripts.base.frameworks.storage.redis-error-handling/.stderr b/testing/btest/Baseline/scripts.base.frameworks.storage.redis-error-handling/.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..49d861c74c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/btest/Baseline/scripts.base.frameworks.storage.redis-error-handling/.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+### BTest baseline data generated by btest-diff. Do not edit. Use "btest -U/-u" to update. Requires BTest >= 0.63.
diff --git a/testing/btest/Baseline/scripts.base.frameworks.storage.redis-error-handling/out b/testing/btest/Baseline/scripts.base.frameworks.storage.redis-error-handling/out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..65f26adc87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/btest/Baseline/scripts.base.frameworks.storage.redis-error-handling/out
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+### BTest baseline data generated by btest-diff. Do not edit. Use "btest -U/-u" to update. Requires BTest >= 0.63.
+Failed to connect
diff --git a/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/storage/redis-error-handling.zeek b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/storage/redis-error-handling.zeek
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..47c8244a9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/btest/scripts/base/frameworks/storage/redis-error-handling.zeek
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# @TEST-DOC: Tests various error handling scenarios for the storage framework
+
+# @TEST-REQUIRES: have-redis
+# @TEST-PORT: REDIS_PORT
+
+# @TEST-EXEC: zeek -b %INPUT > out
+# @TEST-EXEC: TEST_DIFF_CANONIFIER=$SCRIPTS/diff-remove-abspath btest-diff out
+# @TEST-EXEC: TEST_DIFF_CANONIFIER=$SCRIPTS/diff-remove-abspath btest-diff .stderr
+
+@load base/frameworks/storage/sync
+@load base/frameworks/reporter
+@load policy/frameworks/storage/backend/redis
+
+event zeek_init() {
+	# Test failing to connect to a server
+	local opts : Storage::BackendOptions;
+	opts$redis = [ $server_host="127.0.0.1", $server_port=to_port(getenv(
+	    "REDIS_PORT")), $key_prefix="testing" ];
+
+	local res = Storage::Sync::open_backend(Storage::STORAGE_BACKEND_REDIS, opts, string, string);
+
+	# macOS says this is a timeout, but linux says it's a connection refused. The
+	# error string in the record contains the full reason, so don't print out the full
+	# record in the interest of test determinism.
+	if ( res$code == Storage::CONNECTION_FAILED )
+		print "Failed to connect";
+}