diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java
index 5b7ae629b7f..df170b8fd85 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java
@@ -485,16 +485,20 @@ public class NettyTransport extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Transport> implem
             // ignore
         }
         if (isCloseConnectionException(e.getCause())) {
-            if (logger.isTraceEnabled()) {
-                logger.trace("close connection exception caught on transport layer [{}], disconnecting from relevant node", e.getCause(), ctx.getChannel());
-            }
+            logger.trace("close connection exception caught on transport layer [{}], disconnecting from relevant node", e.getCause(), ctx.getChannel());
             // close the channel, which will cause a node to be disconnected if relevant
             ctx.getChannel().close();
             disconnectFromNodeChannel(ctx.getChannel(), e.getCause());
-        } else if (isConnectException(e.getCause()) || e.getCause() instanceof CancelledKeyException) {
-            if (logger.isTraceEnabled()) {
-                logger.trace("(ignoring) exception caught on transport layer [{}]", e.getCause(), ctx.getChannel());
-            }
+        } else if (isConnectException(e.getCause())) {
+            logger.trace("connect exception caught on transport layer [{}]", e.getCause(), ctx.getChannel());
+            // close the channel as safe measure, which will cause a node to be disconnected if relevant
+            ctx.getChannel().close();
+            disconnectFromNodeChannel(ctx.getChannel(), e.getCause());
+        } else if (e.getCause() instanceof CancelledKeyException) {
+            logger.trace("cancelled key exception caught on transport layer [{}], disconnecting from relevant node", e.getCause(), ctx.getChannel());
+            // close the channel as safe measure, which will cause a node to be disconnected if relevant
+            ctx.getChannel().close();
+            disconnectFromNodeChannel(ctx.getChannel(), e.getCause());
         } else {
             logger.warn("exception caught on transport layer [{}], closing connection", e.getCause(), ctx.getChannel());
             // close the channel, which will cause a node to be disconnected if relevant