diff --git a/artemis-protocols/artemis-amqp-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/protocol/amqp/proton/handler/ProtonHandler.java b/artemis-protocols/artemis-amqp-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/protocol/amqp/proton/handler/ProtonHandler.java
index e3cb730d80..eb95decf87 100644
--- a/artemis-protocols/artemis-amqp-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/protocol/amqp/proton/handler/ProtonHandler.java
+++ b/artemis-protocols/artemis-amqp-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/artemis/protocol/amqp/proton/handler/ProtonHandler.java
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@ import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantLock;
 
-import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
-import io.netty.buffer.PooledByteBufAllocator;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.protocol.amqp.proton.ProtonInitializable;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.protocol.amqp.sasl.SASLResult;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.protocol.amqp.sasl.ServerSASL;
@@ -34,6 +32,7 @@ import org.apache.activemq.artemis.spi.core.remoting.ReadyListener;
 import org.apache.activemq.artemis.utils.ByteUtil;
 import org.apache.qpid.proton.Proton;
 import org.apache.qpid.proton.amqp.Symbol;
+import org.apache.qpid.proton.amqp.transport.AmqpError;
 import org.apache.qpid.proton.amqp.transport.ErrorCondition;
 import org.apache.qpid.proton.engine.Collector;
 import org.apache.qpid.proton.engine.Connection;
@@ -43,6 +42,9 @@ import org.apache.qpid.proton.engine.Sasl;
 import org.apache.qpid.proton.engine.Transport;
 import org.jboss.logging.Logger;
 
+import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
+import io.netty.buffer.PooledByteBufAllocator;
+
 public class ProtonHandler extends ProtonInitializable {
 
    private static final Logger log = Logger.getLogger(ProtonHandler.class);
@@ -89,7 +91,6 @@ public class ProtonHandler extends ProtonInitializable {
       connection.collect(collector);
    }
 
-
    public long tick(boolean firstTick) {
       lock.lock();
       try {
@@ -141,7 +142,6 @@ public class ProtonHandler extends ProtonInitializable {
          Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
          return false;
       }
-
    }
 
    public Transport getTransport() {
@@ -168,7 +168,6 @@ public class ProtonHandler extends ProtonInitializable {
       }
       this.serverSasl.server();
       serverSasl.setMechanisms(names);
-
    }
 
    public void flushBytes() {
@@ -348,7 +347,12 @@ public class ProtonHandler extends ProtonInitializable {
                      Events.dispatch(ev, h);
                   } catch (Exception e) {
                      log.warn(e.getMessage(), e);
-                     connection.setCondition(new ErrorCondition());
+                     ErrorCondition error = new ErrorCondition();
+                     error.setCondition(AmqpError.INTERNAL_ERROR);
+                     error.setDescription("Unrecoverable error: " +
+                        (e.getMessage() == null ? e.getClass().getSimpleName() : e.getMessage()));
+                     connection.setCondition(error);
+                     connection.close();
                   }
                }