diff --git a/solr/CHANGES.txt b/solr/CHANGES.txt
index 38cd54529cc..1129ff12f92 100644
--- a/solr/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/solr/CHANGES.txt
@@ -228,6 +228,8 @@ Bug Fixes
 
 * SOLR-12355: Fixes hash conflict in HashJoinStream and OuterHashJoinStream (Dennis Gove)
 
+* SOLR-12377: Don't spin off overseer when Zk controller is closed (Mikhail Khludnev)
+
 Optimizations
 ----------------------
 
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ElectionContext.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ElectionContext.java
index ae5c452bed1..5ee5bdd2c5f 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ElectionContext.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/cloud/ElectionContext.java
@@ -847,7 +847,7 @@ final class OverseerElectionContext extends ElectionContext {
         log.warn("Wait interrupted ", e);
       }
     }
-    if (overseer.getZkController() == null || overseer.getZkController().getCoreContainer() == null || !overseer.getZkController().getCoreContainer().isShutDown()) {
+    if (!overseer.getZkController().isClosed() && !overseer.getZkController().getCoreContainer().isShutDown()) {
       overseer.start(id);
     }
   }
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/TestLeaderElectionZkExpiry.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/TestLeaderElectionZkExpiry.java
index 17cfbe30f6c..b890777437b 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/TestLeaderElectionZkExpiry.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/TestLeaderElectionZkExpiry.java
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ public class TestLeaderElectionZkExpiry extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
   private static final int MIN_NODES = 4;
 
   @Test
-  @BadApple(bugUrl="https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/SOLR-12028") // 17-Mar-2018
   public void testLeaderElectionWithZkExpiry() throws Exception {
     String zkDir = createTempDir("zkData").toFile().getAbsolutePath();
     Path ccDir = createTempDir("testLeaderElectionWithZkExpiry-solr");