diff --git a/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/RingHashLoadBalancer.java b/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/RingHashLoadBalancer.java
index 21ee914ff8f..513f4d643ea 100644
--- a/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/RingHashLoadBalancer.java
+++ b/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/RingHashLoadBalancer.java
@@ -214,12 +214,32 @@ protected void updateOverallBalancingState() {
       overallState = TRANSIENT_FAILURE;
     }
 
+    // gRFC A61: if the aggregated connectivity state is TRANSIENT_FAILURE or CONNECTING and
+    // there are no endpoints in CONNECTING state, the ring_hash policy will choose one of
+    // the endpoints in IDLE state (if any) to trigger a connection attempt on
+    if (numReady == 0 && numTF > 0 && numConnecting == 0 && numIdle > 0) {
+      triggerIdleChildConnection();
+    }
+
     RingHashPicker picker =
         new RingHashPicker(syncContext, ring, getChildLbStates(), requestHashHeaderKey, random);
     getHelper().updateBalancingState(overallState, picker);
     this.currentConnectivityState = overallState;
   }
 
+
+  /**
+   * Triggers a connection attempt for the first IDLE child load balancer.
+   */
+  private void triggerIdleChildConnection() {
+    for (ChildLbState child : getChildLbStates()) {
+      if (child.getCurrentState() == ConnectivityState.IDLE) {
+        child.getLb().requestConnection();
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   @Override
   protected ChildLbState createChildLbState(Object key) {
     return new ChildLbState(key, lazyLbFactory);
diff --git a/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/RingHashLoadBalancerTest.java b/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/RingHashLoadBalancerTest.java
index d65cf96c00d..b515ed81158 100644
--- a/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/RingHashLoadBalancerTest.java
+++ b/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/RingHashLoadBalancerTest.java
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ public void aggregateSubchannelStates_connectingReadyIdleFailure() {
       inOrder.verify(helper).refreshNameResolution();
       inOrder.verify(helper).updateBalancingState(eq(CONNECTING), any());
     }
-    verifyConnection(0);
+    verifyConnection(1);
   }
 
   private void verifyConnection(int times) {
@@ -537,7 +537,7 @@ public void pickWithRandomHash_firstSubchannelInTransientFailure_remainingSubcha
     // Bring one subchannel to TRANSIENT_FAILURE.
     deliverSubchannelUnreachable(getSubChannel(servers.get(0)));
     verify(helper).updateBalancingState(eq(CONNECTING), pickerCaptor.capture());
-    verifyConnection(0);
+    verifyConnection(1);
 
     // Pick subchannel with random hash does trigger connection by walking the ring
     // and choosing the first (at most one) IDLE subchannel along the way.
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ public void skipFailingHosts_pickNextNonFailingHost() {
         getSubChannel(servers.get(0)),
         ConnectivityStateInfo.forTransientFailure(
             Status.UNAVAILABLE.withDescription("unreachable")));
-    verify(helper).updateBalancingState(eq(CONNECTING), pickerCaptor.capture());
+    verify(helper, atLeastOnce()).updateBalancingState(eq(CONNECTING), pickerCaptor.capture());
 
     PickResult result = pickerCaptor.getValue().pickSubchannel(args);
     assertThat(result.getStatus().isOk()).isTrue();
@@ -649,7 +649,7 @@ public void skipFailingHosts_firstTwoHostsFailed_pickNextFirstReady() {
         ConnectivityStateInfo.forTransientFailure(
             Status.PERMISSION_DENIED.withDescription("permission denied")));
     verify(helper).updateBalancingState(eq(TRANSIENT_FAILURE), pickerCaptor.capture());
-    verifyConnection(0);
+    verifyConnection(2);
     PickResult result = pickerCaptor.getValue().pickSubchannel(args); // activate last subchannel
     assertThat(result.getStatus().isOk()).isTrue();
     int expectedCount = PickFirstLoadBalancerProvider.isEnabledNewPickFirst() ? 0 : 1;
@@ -721,7 +721,7 @@ public void allSubchannelsInTransientFailure() {
     }
     verify(helper, atLeastOnce())
         .updateBalancingState(eq(TRANSIENT_FAILURE), pickerCaptor.capture());
-    verifyConnection(0);
+    verifyConnection(2);
 
     // Picking subchannel triggers connection. RPC hash hits server0.
     PickSubchannelArgs args = getDefaultPickSubchannelArgsForServer(0);
@@ -740,12 +740,13 @@ public void firstSubchannelIdle() {
     List<EquivalentAddressGroup> servers = createWeightedServerAddrs(1, 1, 1);
     initializeLbSubchannels(config, servers);
 
-    // Go to TF does nothing, though PF will try to reconnect after backoff
+    // As per gRFC A61, entering TF triggers a proactive connection attempt
+    // on an IDLE subchannel because no other subchannel is currently CONNECTING.
     deliverSubchannelState(getSubchannel(servers, 1),
         ConnectivityStateInfo.forTransientFailure(
         Status.UNAVAILABLE.withDescription("unreachable")));
     verify(helper).updateBalancingState(eq(CONNECTING), pickerCaptor.capture());
-    verifyConnection(0);
+    verifyConnection(1);
 
     // Picking subchannel triggers connection. RPC hash hits server0.
     PickSubchannelArgs args = getDefaultPickSubchannelArgs(hashFunc.hashVoid());
@@ -796,7 +797,7 @@ public void firstSubchannelFailure() {
         ConnectivityStateInfo.forTransientFailure(
             Status.UNAVAILABLE.withDescription("unreachable")));
     verify(helper).updateBalancingState(eq(CONNECTING), pickerCaptor.capture());
-    verifyConnection(0);
+    verifyConnection(1);
 
     // Per GRFC A61 Picking subchannel should no longer request connections that were failing
     PickSubchannelArgs args = getDefaultPickSubchannelArgs(hashFunc.hashVoid());
@@ -824,7 +825,7 @@ public void secondSubchannelConnecting() {
 
     Subchannel firstSubchannel = getSubchannel(servers, 0);
     deliverSubchannelUnreachable(firstSubchannel);
-    verifyConnection(0);
+    verifyConnection(1);
 
     deliverSubchannelState(getSubchannel(servers, 2), CSI_CONNECTING);
     verify(helper, times(2)).updateBalancingState(eq(CONNECTING), pickerCaptor.capture());
@@ -833,7 +834,7 @@ public void secondSubchannelConnecting() {
     // Picking subchannel when idle triggers connection.
     deliverSubchannelState(getSubchannel(servers, 2),
         ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(IDLE));
-    verifyConnection(0);
+    verifyConnection(1);
     PickSubchannelArgs args = getDefaultPickSubchannelArgs(hashFunc.hashVoid());
     PickResult result = pickerCaptor.getValue().pickSubchannel(args);
     assertThat(result.getStatus().isOk()).isTrue();
@@ -857,7 +858,7 @@ public void secondSubchannelFailure() {
     deliverSubchannelUnreachable(firstSubchannel);
     deliverSubchannelUnreachable(getSubchannel(servers, 2));
     verify(helper).updateBalancingState(eq(TRANSIENT_FAILURE), pickerCaptor.capture());
-    verifyConnection(0);
+    verifyConnection(2);
 
     // Picking subchannel triggers connection.
     PickSubchannelArgs args = getDefaultPickSubchannelArgs(hashFunc.hashVoid());
@@ -887,7 +888,7 @@ public void thirdSubchannelConnecting() {
     deliverSubchannelState(getSubchannel(servers, 1), CSI_CONNECTING);
     verify(helper, atLeastOnce())
         .updateBalancingState(eq(TRANSIENT_FAILURE), pickerCaptor.capture());
-    verifyConnection(0);
+    verifyConnection(2);
 
     // Picking subchannel should not trigger connection per gRFC A61.
     PickSubchannelArgs args = getDefaultPickSubchannelArgs(hashFunc.hashVoid());
@@ -909,7 +910,7 @@ public void stickyTransientFailure() {
     deliverSubchannelUnreachable(firstSubchannel);
 
     verify(helper).updateBalancingState(eq(CONNECTING), pickerCaptor.capture());
-    verifyConnection(0);
+    verifyConnection(1);
 
     reset(helper);
     deliverSubchannelState(firstSubchannel, ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(IDLE));
@@ -1127,6 +1128,39 @@ public void config_equalsTester() {
         .testEquals();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void tfWithoutConnectingChild_triggersIdleChildConnection() {
+    RingHashConfig config = new RingHashConfig(10, 100, "");
+    List<EquivalentAddressGroup> servers = createWeightedServerAddrs(1, 1);
+
+    initializeLbSubchannels(config, servers);
+
+    Subchannel tfSubchannel = getSubchannel(servers, 0);
+    Subchannel idleSubchannel = getSubchannel(servers, 1);
+
+    deliverSubchannelUnreachable(tfSubchannel);
+
+    Subchannel requested = connectionRequestedQueue.poll();
+    assertThat(requested).isSameInstanceAs(idleSubchannel);
+    assertThat(connectionRequestedQueue.poll()).isNull();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void tfWithReadyChild_doesNotTriggerIdleChildConnection() {
+    RingHashConfig config = new RingHashConfig(10, 100, "");
+    List<EquivalentAddressGroup> servers = createWeightedServerAddrs(1, 1, 1);
+
+    initializeLbSubchannels(config, servers);
+
+    Subchannel tfSubchannel = getSubchannel(servers, 0);
+    Subchannel readySubchannel = getSubchannel(servers, 1);
+
+    deliverSubchannelState(readySubchannel, ConnectivityStateInfo.forNonError(READY));
+    deliverSubchannelUnreachable(tfSubchannel);
+
+    assertThat(connectionRequestedQueue.poll()).isNull();
+  }
+
   private List<Subchannel> initializeLbSubchannels(RingHashConfig config,
       List<EquivalentAddressGroup> servers, InitializationFlags... initFlags) {