diff --git a/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/ClusterCoordinator.java b/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/ClusterCoordinator.java
index a27dac332e..f6ad8454f7 100644
--- a/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/ClusterCoordinator.java
+++ b/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster-protocol/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/ClusterCoordinator.java
@@ -161,6 +161,14 @@ public interface ClusterCoordinator {
      */
     boolean isBlockedByFirewall(Set<String> nodeIdentities);
 
+    /**
+     * Checks if the API of the given node is reachable.
+     *
+     * @param nodeId the node id to check
+     * @return true if the API is reachable, false otherwise
+     */
+    boolean isApiReachable(NodeIdentifier nodeId);
+
     /**
      * Reports that some event occurred that is relevant to the cluster
      *
diff --git a/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/heartbeat/AbstractHeartbeatMonitor.java b/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/heartbeat/AbstractHeartbeatMonitor.java
index c700453a1b..d154e07e45 100644
--- a/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/heartbeat/AbstractHeartbeatMonitor.java
+++ b/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/heartbeat/AbstractHeartbeatMonitor.java
@@ -288,6 +288,11 @@ public abstract class AbstractHeartbeatMonitor implements HeartbeatMonitor {
                 return;
             }
 
+            if (!clusterCoordinator.isApiReachable(nodeId)) {
+                logger.info("Node API Address [{}] not reachable: cluster connection request deferred pending successful network connection", nodeId);
+                return;
+            }
+
             // connection complete
             clusterCoordinator.finishNodeConnection(nodeId);
             clusterCoordinator.reportEvent(nodeId, Severity.INFO, "Received first heartbeat from connecting node. Node connected.");
diff --git a/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/node/NodeClusterCoordinator.java b/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/node/NodeClusterCoordinator.java
index 18651939fb..d74b5a1a60 100644
--- a/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/node/NodeClusterCoordinator.java
+++ b/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/node/NodeClusterCoordinator.java
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.StringWriter;
+import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
+import java.net.Socket;
+import java.time.Duration;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
@@ -97,6 +100,7 @@ public class NodeClusterCoordinator implements ClusterCoordinator, ProtocolHandl
 
     private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(NodeClusterCoordinator.class);
     private static final String EVENT_CATEGORY = "Clustering";
+    private static final Duration NODE_API_TIMEOUT = Duration.ofSeconds(10);
 
     private static final Pattern COUNTER_URI_PATTERN = Pattern.compile("/nifi-api/counters/[a-f0-9\\-]{36}");
 
@@ -676,6 +680,21 @@ public class NodeClusterCoordinator implements ClusterCoordinator, ProtocolHandl
         return true;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public boolean isApiReachable(final NodeIdentifier nodeId) {
+        final String apiAddress = nodeId.getApiAddress();
+        final int apiPort = nodeId.getApiPort();
+        try {
+            try (final Socket soc = new Socket()) {
+                soc.connect(new InetSocketAddress(apiAddress, apiPort), (int) NODE_API_TIMEOUT.toMillis());
+            }
+            return true;
+        } catch (final Exception e) {
+            logger.debug("Node is not reachable at API address {} and port {}", apiAddress, apiPort, e);
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void reportEvent(final NodeIdentifier nodeId, final Severity severity, final String event) {
         eventReporter.reportEvent(severity, EVENT_CATEGORY, nodeId == null ? event : "Event Reported for " + nodeId + " -- " + event);
diff --git a/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/heartbeat/TestAbstractHeartbeatMonitor.java b/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/heartbeat/TestAbstractHeartbeatMonitor.java
index f90e039129..45cbf391ae 100644
--- a/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/heartbeat/TestAbstractHeartbeatMonitor.java
+++ b/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-cluster/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/cluster/coordination/heartbeat/TestAbstractHeartbeatMonitor.java
@@ -173,6 +173,39 @@ public class TestAbstractHeartbeatMonitor {
         assertTrue(requestedToConnect.isEmpty());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testConnectingNodeNotMarkedConnectedWhenHeartbeatReceivedAndApiUnreachable() throws InterruptedException {
+        final Set<NodeIdentifier> requestedToConnect = Collections.synchronizedSet(new HashSet<>());
+        final Set<NodeIdentifier> connected = Collections.synchronizedSet(new HashSet<>());
+        final ClusterCoordinatorAdapter adapter = new ClusterCoordinatorAdapter() {
+            @Override
+            public synchronized void requestNodeConnect(final NodeIdentifier nodeId) {
+                super.requestNodeConnect(nodeId);
+                requestedToConnect.add(nodeId);
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public synchronized void finishNodeConnection(final NodeIdentifier nodeId) {
+                super.finishNodeConnection(nodeId);
+                connected.add(nodeId);
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public boolean isApiReachable(final NodeIdentifier nodeId) {
+                return false;
+            }
+        };
+
+        final TestFriendlyHeartbeatMonitor monitor = createMonitor(adapter);
+
+        adapter.requestNodeConnect(nodeId); // set state to 'connecting'
+        requestedToConnect.clear();
+
+        monitor.addHeartbeat(createHeartbeat(nodeId, NodeConnectionState.CONNECTED));
+        monitor.waitForProcessed();
+
+        assertEquals(0, connected.size());
+    }
 
     private NodeHeartbeat createHeartbeat(final NodeIdentifier nodeId, final NodeConnectionState state) {
         final NodeConnectionStatus status = new NodeConnectionStatus(nodeId, state);
@@ -259,6 +292,11 @@ public class TestAbstractHeartbeatMonitor {
             return false;
         }
 
+        @Override
+        public boolean isApiReachable(final NodeIdentifier nodeId) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
         @Override
         public synchronized void reportEvent(NodeIdentifier nodeId, Severity severity, String event) {
             events.add(new ReportedEvent(nodeId, severity, event));
diff --git a/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/BootstrapListener.java b/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/BootstrapListener.java
index 55a5207d6d..d6537603d7 100644
--- a/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/BootstrapListener.java
+++ b/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/BootstrapListener.java
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ public class BootstrapListener {
                                     case CLUSTER_STATUS:
                                         logger.info("Received CLUSTER_STATUS request from Bootstrap");
                                         final String clusterStatus = getClusterStatus();
+                                        logger.debug("Responding to CLUSTER_STATUS request from Bootstrap with {}", clusterStatus);
                                         sendAnswer(socket.getOutputStream(), clusterStatus);
                                         break;
                                     case DECOMMISSION:
diff --git a/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-web/nifi-web-api/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/web/api/ApplicationResource.java b/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-web/nifi-web-api/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/web/api/ApplicationResource.java
index 6f22cd7454..dbc539014e 100644
--- a/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-web/nifi-web-api/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/web/api/ApplicationResource.java
+++ b/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-web/nifi-web-api/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/web/api/ApplicationResource.java
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ import org.apache.nifi.authorization.user.NiFiUser;
 import org.apache.nifi.authorization.user.NiFiUserUtils;
 import org.apache.nifi.cluster.coordination.ClusterCoordinator;
 import org.apache.nifi.cluster.coordination.http.replication.RequestReplicator;
+import org.apache.nifi.cluster.coordination.node.NodeConnectionState;
+import org.apache.nifi.cluster.coordination.node.NodeConnectionStatus;
 import org.apache.nifi.cluster.exception.NoClusterCoordinatorException;
 import org.apache.nifi.cluster.manager.NodeResponse;
 import org.apache.nifi.cluster.manager.exception.IllegalClusterStateException;
@@ -398,8 +400,8 @@ public abstract class ApplicationResource {
 
         ensureFlowInitialized();
 
-        // If not connected to the cluster, we do not replicate
-        if (!isConnectedToCluster()) {
+        // If not connected or not connecting to the cluster, we do not replicate
+        if (!isConnectedToCluster() && !isConnectingToCluster()) {
             return false;
         }
 
@@ -1054,6 +1056,16 @@ public abstract class ApplicationResource {
         return isClustered() && clusterCoordinator.isConnected();
     }
 
+    boolean isConnectingToCluster() {
+        if (!isClustered()) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        final NodeIdentifier nodeId = clusterCoordinator.getLocalNodeIdentifier();
+        final NodeConnectionStatus nodeConnectionStatus = clusterCoordinator.getConnectionStatus(nodeId);
+        return nodeConnectionStatus != null && nodeConnectionStatus.getState() == NodeConnectionState.CONNECTING;
+    }
+
     boolean isClustered() {
         return clusterCoordinator != null;
     }