diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/flush/TransportShardFlushAction.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/flush/TransportShardFlushAction.java
index 1ec7186393f..b04bb86a63c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/flush/TransportShardFlushAction.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/flush/TransportShardFlushAction.java
@@ -64,16 +64,6 @@ public class TransportShardFlushAction extends TransportReplicationAction<ShardF
         return new ReplicaResult();
     }
 
-    @Override
-    protected ClusterBlockLevel globalBlockLevel() {
-        return ClusterBlockLevel.METADATA_WRITE;
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    protected ClusterBlockLevel indexBlockLevel() {
-        return ClusterBlockLevel.METADATA_WRITE;
-    }
-
     @Override
     protected boolean shouldExecuteReplication(Settings settings) {
         return true;
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/TransportShardRefreshAction.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/TransportShardRefreshAction.java
index d4b8d3532e9..d8e9d8c0b9e 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/TransportShardRefreshAction.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/TransportShardRefreshAction.java
@@ -67,16 +67,6 @@ public class TransportShardRefreshAction
         return new ReplicaResult();
     }
 
-    @Override
-    protected ClusterBlockLevel globalBlockLevel() {
-        return ClusterBlockLevel.METADATA_WRITE;
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    protected ClusterBlockLevel indexBlockLevel() {
-        return ClusterBlockLevel.METADATA_WRITE;
-    }
-
     @Override
     protected boolean shouldExecuteReplication(Settings settings) {
         return true;
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/TransportReplicationAction.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/TransportReplicationAction.java
index fe8ade18178..d2e292165ac 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/TransportReplicationAction.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/TransportReplicationAction.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.AllocationId;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.IndexShardRoutingTable;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.ShardRouting;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.service.ClusterService;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.Nullable;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.lease.Releasable;
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.IndexShard;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.IndexShardState;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.ShardId;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.ShardNotFoundException;
+import org.elasticsearch.indices.IndexClosedException;
 import org.elasticsearch.indices.IndicesService;
 import org.elasticsearch.node.NodeClosedException;
 import org.elasticsearch.tasks.Task;
@@ -183,17 +185,19 @@ public abstract class TransportReplicationAction<
     protected abstract ReplicaResult shardOperationOnReplica(ReplicaRequest shardRequest, IndexShard replica) throws Exception;
 
     /**
-     * Cluster level block to check before request execution
+     * Cluster level block to check before request execution. Returning null means that no blocks need to be checked.
      */
+    @Nullable
     protected ClusterBlockLevel globalBlockLevel() {
-        return ClusterBlockLevel.WRITE;
+        return null;
     }
 
     /**
-     * Index level block to check before request execution
+     * Index level block to check before request execution. Returning null means that no blocks need to be checked.
      */
+    @Nullable
     protected ClusterBlockLevel indexBlockLevel() {
-        return ClusterBlockLevel.WRITE;
+        return null;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -643,6 +647,9 @@ public abstract class TransportReplicationAction<
                 retry(new IndexNotFoundException(concreteIndex));
                 return;
             }
+            if (indexMetaData.getState() == IndexMetaData.State.CLOSE) {
+                throw new IndexClosedException(indexMetaData.getIndex());
+            }
 
             // resolve all derived request fields, so we can route and apply it
             resolveRequest(state.metaData(), indexMetaData, request);
@@ -719,15 +726,21 @@ public abstract class TransportReplicationAction<
         }
 
         private boolean handleBlockExceptions(ClusterState state) {
-            ClusterBlockException blockException = state.blocks().globalBlockedException(globalBlockLevel());
-            if (blockException != null) {
-                handleBlockException(blockException);
-                return true;
+            ClusterBlockLevel globalBlockLevel = globalBlockLevel();
+            if (globalBlockLevel != null) {
+                ClusterBlockException blockException = state.blocks().globalBlockedException(globalBlockLevel);
+                if (blockException != null) {
+                    handleBlockException(blockException);
+                    return true;
+                }
             }
-            blockException = state.blocks().indexBlockedException(indexBlockLevel(), concreteIndex(state));
-            if (blockException != null) {
-                handleBlockException(blockException);
-                return true;
+            ClusterBlockLevel indexBlockLevel = indexBlockLevel();
+            if (indexBlockLevel != null) {
+                ClusterBlockException blockException = state.blocks().indexBlockedException(indexBlockLevel, concreteIndex(state));
+                if (blockException != null) {
+                    handleBlockException(blockException);
+                    return true;
+                }
             }
             return false;
         }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/TransportWriteAction.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/TransportWriteAction.java
index 15f269c46f5..1a62c67aa59 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/TransportWriteAction.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/TransportWriteAction.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.action.support.ActionFilters;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.WriteRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.WriteResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.action.shard.ShardStateAction;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.block.ClusterBlockLevel;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.metadata.IndexNameExpressionResolver;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.service.ClusterService;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Nullable;
@@ -184,6 +185,16 @@ public abstract class TransportWriteAction<
         }
     }
 
+    @Override
+    protected ClusterBlockLevel globalBlockLevel() {
+        return ClusterBlockLevel.WRITE;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected ClusterBlockLevel indexBlockLevel() {
+        return ClusterBlockLevel.WRITE;
+    }
+
     /**
      * callback used by {@link AsyncAfterWriteAction} to notify that all post
      * process actions have been executed
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/flush/FlushBlocksIT.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/flush/FlushBlocksIT.java
index 0ca2bd23386..3ba349ffca8 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/flush/FlushBlocksIT.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/flush/FlushBlocksIT.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public class FlushBlocksIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
         }
 
         // Request is not blocked
-        for (String blockSetting : Arrays.asList(SETTING_BLOCKS_READ, SETTING_BLOCKS_WRITE)) {
+        for (String blockSetting : Arrays.asList(SETTING_BLOCKS_READ, SETTING_BLOCKS_WRITE, SETTING_READ_ONLY, SETTING_BLOCKS_METADATA)) {
             try {
                 enableIndexBlock("test", blockSetting);
                 FlushResponse response = client().admin().indices().prepareFlush("test").execute().actionGet();
@@ -56,28 +56,5 @@ public class FlushBlocksIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
                 disableIndexBlock("test", blockSetting);
             }
         }
-
-        // Request is blocked
-        for (String blockSetting : Arrays.asList(SETTING_READ_ONLY, SETTING_BLOCKS_METADATA)) {
-            try {
-                enableIndexBlock("test", blockSetting);
-                FlushResponse flushResponse = client().admin().indices().prepareFlush("test").get();
-                assertBlocked(flushResponse);
-            } finally {
-                disableIndexBlock("test", blockSetting);
-            }
-        }
-
-        // Flushing all indices is blocked when the cluster is read-only
-        try {
-            FlushResponse response = client().admin().indices().prepareFlush().execute().actionGet();
-            assertNoFailures(response);
-            assertThat(response.getSuccessfulShards(), equalTo(numShards.totalNumShards));
-
-            setClusterReadOnly(true);
-            assertBlocked(client().admin().indices().prepareFlush().get());
-        } finally {
-            setClusterReadOnly(false);
-        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/RefreshBlocksIT.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/RefreshBlocksIT.java
index 33e03010d59..cc74f7c7341 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/RefreshBlocksIT.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/RefreshBlocksIT.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public class RefreshBlocksIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
         NumShards numShards = getNumShards("test");
 
         // Request is not blocked
-        for (String blockSetting : Arrays.asList(SETTING_BLOCKS_READ, SETTING_BLOCKS_WRITE)) {
+        for (String blockSetting : Arrays.asList(SETTING_BLOCKS_READ, SETTING_BLOCKS_WRITE, SETTING_READ_ONLY, SETTING_BLOCKS_METADATA)) {
             try {
                 enableIndexBlock("test", blockSetting);
                 RefreshResponse response = client().admin().indices().prepareRefresh("test").execute().actionGet();
@@ -52,27 +52,5 @@ public class RefreshBlocksIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
                 disableIndexBlock("test", blockSetting);
             }
         }
-
-        // Request is blocked
-        for (String blockSetting : Arrays.asList(SETTING_READ_ONLY, SETTING_BLOCKS_METADATA)) {
-            try {
-                enableIndexBlock("test", blockSetting);
-                assertBlocked(client().admin().indices().prepareRefresh("test").get());
-            } finally {
-                disableIndexBlock("test", blockSetting);
-            }
-        }
-
-        // Refreshing all indices is blocked when the cluster is read-only
-        try {
-            RefreshResponse response = client().admin().indices().prepareRefresh().execute().actionGet();
-            assertNoFailures(response);
-            assertThat(response.getSuccessfulShards(), equalTo(numShards.totalNumShards));
-
-            setClusterReadOnly(true);
-            assertBlocked(client().admin().indices().prepareRefresh().get());
-        } finally {
-            setClusterReadOnly(false);
-        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/TransportReplicationActionTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/TransportReplicationActionTests.java
index 4a9b70c7b90..7644c88df34 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/TransportReplicationActionTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/TransportReplicationActionTests.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ package org.elasticsearch.action.support.replication;
 import org.elasticsearch.ElasticsearchException;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.UnavailableShardsException;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.close.CloseIndexRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.ActionFilters;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.ActiveShardCount;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.PlainActionFuture;
@@ -60,7 +61,9 @@ import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.IndexShardClosedException;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.IndexShardState;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.ShardId;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.ShardNotFoundException;
+import org.elasticsearch.indices.IndexClosedException;
 import org.elasticsearch.indices.IndicesService;
+import org.elasticsearch.indices.cluster.ClusterStateChanges;
 import org.elasticsearch.node.NodeClosedException;
 import org.elasticsearch.rest.RestStatus;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ESTestCase;
@@ -184,6 +187,12 @@ public class TransportReplicationActionTests extends ESTestCase {
         Request request = new Request();
         PlainActionFuture<Response> listener = new PlainActionFuture<>();
         ReplicationTask task = maybeTask();
+        Action action = new Action(Settings.EMPTY, "testActionWithBlocks", transportService, clusterService, shardStateAction, threadPool) {
+            @Override
+            protected ClusterBlockLevel globalBlockLevel() {
+                return ClusterBlockLevel.WRITE;
+            }
+        };
 
         ClusterBlocks.Builder block = ClusterBlocks.builder()
             .addGlobalBlock(new ClusterBlock(1, "non retryable", false, true, RestStatus.SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE, ClusterBlockLevel.ALL));
@@ -216,6 +225,17 @@ public class TransportReplicationActionTests extends ESTestCase {
         assertListenerThrows("primary phase should fail operation when moving from a retryable block to a non-retryable one", listener,
             ClusterBlockException.class);
         assertIndexShardUninitialized();
+
+        action = new Action(Settings.EMPTY, "testActionWithNoBlocks", transportService, clusterService, shardStateAction, threadPool) {
+            @Override
+            protected ClusterBlockLevel globalBlockLevel() {
+                return null;
+            }
+        };
+        listener = new PlainActionFuture<>();
+        reroutePhase = action.new ReroutePhase(task, new Request().timeout("5ms"), listener);
+        reroutePhase.run();
+        assertListenerThrows("should fail with an IndexNotFoundException when no blocks checked", listener, IndexNotFoundException.class);
     }
 
     public void assertIndexShardUninitialized() {
@@ -337,6 +357,34 @@ public class TransportReplicationActionTests extends ESTestCase {
 
     }
 
+    public void testClosedIndexOnReroute() throws InterruptedException {
+        final String index = "test";
+        // no replicas in oder to skip the replication part
+        setState(clusterService,
+            new ClusterStateChanges().closeIndices(state(index, true, ShardRoutingState.UNASSIGNED), new CloseIndexRequest(index)));
+        logger.debug("--> using initial state:\n{}", clusterService.state());
+        Request request = new Request(new ShardId("test", "_na_", 0)).timeout("1ms");
+        PlainActionFuture<Response> listener = new PlainActionFuture<>();
+        ReplicationTask task = maybeTask();
+
+        ClusterBlockLevel indexBlockLevel = randomBoolean() ? ClusterBlockLevel.WRITE : null;
+        Action action = new Action(Settings.EMPTY, "testActionWithBlocks", transportService, clusterService, shardStateAction, threadPool) {
+            @Override
+            protected ClusterBlockLevel indexBlockLevel() {
+                return indexBlockLevel;
+            }
+        };
+        Action.ReroutePhase reroutePhase = action.new ReroutePhase(task, request, listener);
+        reroutePhase.run();
+        if (indexBlockLevel == ClusterBlockLevel.WRITE) {
+            assertListenerThrows("must throw block exception", listener, ClusterBlockException.class);
+        } else {
+            assertListenerThrows("must throw index closed exception", listener, IndexClosedException.class);
+        }
+        assertPhase(task, "failed");
+        assertFalse(request.isRetrySet.get());
+    }
+
     public void testStalePrimaryShardOnReroute() throws InterruptedException {
         final String index = "test";
         final ShardId shardId = new ShardId(index, "_na_", 0);