diff --git a/meshmode/discretization/connection/chained.py b/meshmode/discretization/connection/chained.py
index 13a70e004e7f8e6b2535266dfab21615e296c0af..13a098d3a51afa34a6a2b9f11f1227560097ddb5 100644
--- a/meshmode/discretization/connection/chained.py
+++ b/meshmode/discretization/connection/chained.py
@@ -158,10 +158,10 @@ def flatten_chained_connection(queue, connection):
             DiscretizationConnectionElementGroup,
             make_same_mesh_connection)
 
-    if isinstance(connection, DirectDiscretizationConnection):
+    if not hasattr(connection, 'connections'):
         return connection
 
-    if not hasattr(connection, 'connections') or not connection.connections:
+    if not connection.connections:
         return make_same_mesh_connection(connection.to_discr,
                                          connection.from_discr)
 
diff --git a/test/test_chained.py b/test/test_chained.py
index 450a76ecb09993261db82c2dfe3e2513f5d2b76a..112e1c6e27405eea0d6d9573fb74b3405aa77dbb 100644
--- a/test/test_chained.py
+++ b/test/test_chained.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def create_discretization(queue, ndim,
                           discr_order=5):
     ctx = queue.context
 
-    # construct base mesh
+    # construct mesh
     if ndim == 2:
         from functools import partial
         from meshmode.mesh.generation import make_curve_mesh, ellipse
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def create_discretization(queue, ndim,
     else:
         raise ValueError("Unsupported dimension: {}".format(ndim))
 
-    # create base discretization
+    # create discretization
     from meshmode.discretization import Discretization
     from meshmode.discretization.poly_element import \
             InterpolatoryQuadratureSimplexGroupFactory
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ def create_face_connection(queue, discr):
     return connection
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip(reason='implementation detail')
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("ndim", [2, 3])
 def test_chained_batch_table(ctx_factory, ndim, visualize=False):
     from meshmode.discretization.connection.chained import \
@@ -129,6 +130,7 @@ def test_chained_batch_table(ctx_factory, ndim, visualize=False):
             assert k == batch.from_element_indices[i]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skip(reason='implementation detail')
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("ndim", [2, 3])
 def test_chained_new_group_table(ctx_factory, ndim, visualize=False):
     from meshmode.discretization.connection.chained import \
@@ -178,6 +180,38 @@ def test_chained_new_group_table(ctx_factory, ndim, visualize=False):
             pt.clf()
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("ndim", [2, 3])
+def test_chained_connection(ctx_factory, ndim, visualize=False):
+    ctx = ctx_factory()
+    queue = cl.CommandQueue(ctx)
+
+    discr = create_discretization(queue, ndim,
+                                  nelements=10,
+                                  mesh_order=5,
+                                  discr_order=5)
+    connections = []
+    conn = create_refined_connection(queue, discr, threshold=np.inf)
+    connections.append(conn)
+    conn = create_refined_connection(queue, conn.to_discr, threshold=np.inf)
+    connections.append(conn)
+
+    from meshmode.discretization.connection import \
+            ChainedDiscretizationConnection
+    chained = ChainedDiscretizationConnection(connections)
+
+    def f(x):
+        from six.moves import reduce
+        return 0.1 * reduce(lambda x, y: x * cl.clmath.sin(5 * y), x)
+
+    x = connections[0].from_discr.nodes().with_queue(queue)
+    fx = f(x)
+    f1 = chained(queue, fx).get(queue)
+    f2 = connections[1](queue, connections[0](queue, fx)).get(queue)
+
+    assert np.allclose(f1, f2)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.slowtest
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("ndim", [2, 3])
 def test_chained_full_resample_matrix(ctx_factory, ndim, visualize=False):
     from meshmode.discretization.connection.chained import \
@@ -195,7 +229,8 @@ def test_chained_full_resample_matrix(ctx_factory, ndim, visualize=False):
     conn = create_refined_connection(queue, conn.to_discr)
     connections.append(conn)
 
-    from meshmode.discretization.connection import ChainedDiscretizationConnection
+    from meshmode.discretization.connection import \
+            ChainedDiscretizationConnection
     chained = ChainedDiscretizationConnection(connections)
 
     def f(x):
@@ -246,7 +281,8 @@ def test_chained_to_direct(ctx_factory, ndim, chain_type, visualize=False):
     else:
         raise ValueError('unknown test case')
 
-    from meshmode.discretization.connection import ChainedDiscretizationConnection
+    from meshmode.discretization.connection import \
+            ChainedDiscretizationConnection
     chained = ChainedDiscretizationConnection(connections)
     direct = flatten_chained_connection(queue, chained)
 
diff --git a/test/test_meshmode.py b/test/test_meshmode.py
index 7173fc29d359b9a6e7ef65f889f819e3290a455a..29dc2ed1075aa31621e9d4d5ac1578c9732f8bd8 100644
--- a/test/test_meshmode.py
+++ b/test/test_meshmode.py
@@ -1039,65 +1039,6 @@ def test_quad_multi_element():
         plt.show()
 
 
-# {{{ ChainedDiscretizationConnection
-
-def test_ChainedDiscretizationConnection(ctx_getter):  # noqa
-    mesh_order = 5
-    order = 5
-    npanels = 10
-    group_factory = InterpolatoryQuadratureSimplexGroupFactory
-
-    def refine_flags(mesh):
-        return np.ones(mesh.nelements)
-
-    cl_ctx = ctx_getter()
-    queue = cl.CommandQueue(cl_ctx)
-
-    from functools import partial
-    from meshmode.discretization import Discretization
-    from meshmode.discretization.connection import make_refinement_connection
-    from meshmode.mesh.generation import make_curve_mesh, ellipse
-
-    mesh = make_curve_mesh(
-            partial(ellipse, 1), np.linspace(0, 1, npanels + 1),
-            order=mesh_order)
-
-    discr = Discretization(cl_ctx, mesh, group_factory(order))
-
-    connections = []
-
-    from meshmode.mesh.refinement import Refiner
-    refiner = Refiner(mesh)
-
-    def refine_discr(discr):
-        mesh = discr.mesh
-        flags = refine_flags(mesh)
-        refiner.refine(flags)
-        connections.append(
-                make_refinement_connection(refiner, discr, group_factory(order)))
-        return connections[-1].to_discr
-
-    discr = refine_discr(discr)
-    refine_discr(discr)
-
-    from meshmode.discretization.connection import (
-        ChainedDiscretizationConnection)
-
-    chained_conn = ChainedDiscretizationConnection(connections)
-
-    def f(x):
-        from six.moves import reduce
-        return 0.1 * reduce(lambda x, y: x * cl.clmath.sin(5 * y), x)
-
-    x = connections[0].from_discr.nodes().with_queue(queue)
-
-    assert np.allclose(
-            chained_conn(queue, f(x)).get(queue),
-            connections[1](queue, connections[0](queue, f(x))).get(queue))
-
-# }}}
-
-
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     import sys
     if len(sys.argv) > 1: