A smart switch allows distributed generators to “ride through” non-three-phase faults by very quickly detecting a non-three-phase phase fault, locating the fault, identifying the “responsive sectionalizer switches” that will be involved in clearing or isolating the fault, and selecting one of the responsive sectionalizer switches to direct back-feed tie switch operations. The responsive sectionalizer switches trip only the faulted phase(s), and the selected sectionalizer switch instructs a back-feed tie switch to close to back-feed the distributed generators prior to conducting the typical fault response operation. This typically occurs within about three cycles, and is completed before the normal fault clearing and isolation procedures, which momentarily disconnect all three phases to the distributed generators from the normally connected feeder breaker. The looped connection to an alternate feeder breaker during these operations allows the distributed generators to “ride through” the normal fault clearing and isolation procedures.