diff --git a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/TransportConnection.java b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/TransportConnection.java
index 977e30a2d4..e832acbef3 100755
--- a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/TransportConnection.java
+++ b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/broker/TransportConnection.java
@@ -889,10 +889,11 @@ public class TransportConnection implements Connection, Task, CommandVisitor {
             new Thread("ActiveMQ Transport Stopper: "+ transport.getRemoteAddress()) {
                 @Override
                 public void run() {
+                    boolean locked = false;
                     // make sure we are not servicing client requests while we are shutting down.
                     try {
                         //we could be waiting a long time if the network has gone - so only wait 1 second
-                        serviceLock.writeLock().tryLock(1,TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+                        locked =  serviceLock.writeLock().tryLock(1,TimeUnit.SECONDS);
                     } catch (InterruptedException e) {
                        LOG.debug("Try get writeLock interrupted ",e);
                     }
@@ -903,7 +904,9 @@ public class TransportConnection implements Connection, Task, CommandVisitor {
                         LOG.debug("Error occured while shutting down a connection to '" + transport.getRemoteAddress()+ "': ", e);
                     } finally {
                         stopped.countDown();
-                        serviceLock.writeLock().unlock();
+                        if (locked) {
+                            serviceLock.writeLock().unlock();
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }.start();