diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/internal/InternalEngine.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/internal/InternalEngine.java
index 49fe481a896..83e8507da27 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/internal/InternalEngine.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/internal/InternalEngine.java
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.ByteSizeUnit;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.ByteSizeValue;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.TimeValue;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.EsExecutors;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.EsRejectedExecutionException;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.analysis.AnalysisService;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.codec.CodecService;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.deletionpolicy.SnapshotDeletionPolicy;
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.*;
 import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
+import java.util.concurrent.RejectedExecutionException;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
@@ -385,8 +387,9 @@ public class InternalEngine extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implements Engin
 
     @Override
     public void create(Create create) throws EngineException {
+        final IndexWriter writer;
         try (InternalLock _ = readLock.acquire()) {
-            IndexWriter writer = this.indexWriter;
+            writer = this.indexWriter;
             if (writer == null) {
                 throw new EngineClosedException(shardId, failedEngine);
             }
@@ -400,7 +403,7 @@ public class InternalEngine extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implements Engin
             maybeFailEngine(t);
             throw new CreateFailedEngineException(shardId, create, t);
         }
-        checkVersionMapRefresh();
+        checkVersionMapRefresh(writer);
     }
 
     private void maybeFailEngine(Throwable t) {
@@ -480,8 +483,9 @@ public class InternalEngine extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implements Engin
 
     @Override
     public void index(Index index) throws EngineException {
+        final IndexWriter writer;
         try (InternalLock _ = readLock.acquire()) {
-            IndexWriter writer = this.indexWriter;
+            writer = this.indexWriter;
             if (writer == null) {
                 throw new EngineClosedException(shardId, failedEngine);
             }
@@ -495,19 +499,30 @@ public class InternalEngine extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implements Engin
             maybeFailEngine(t);
             throw new IndexFailedEngineException(shardId, index, t);
         }
-        checkVersionMapRefresh();
+        checkVersionMapRefresh(writer);
     }
 
-    /** Forces a refresh if the versionMap is using too much RAM (currently > 25% of IndexWriter's RAM buffer). */
-    private void checkVersionMapRefresh() {
+    /** Forces a refresh if the versionMap is using too much RAM (currently > 25% of IndexWriter's RAM buffer).
+     * */
+    private void checkVersionMapRefresh(final IndexWriter indexWriter) {
         // TODO: we force refresh when versionMap is using > 25% of IW's RAM buffer; should we make this separately configurable?
-        if (versionMap.ramBytesUsedForRefresh()/1024/1024. > 0.25*this.indexWriter.getConfig().getRAMBufferSizeMB() && versionMapRefreshPending.getAndSet(true) == false) {
-            // Now refresh to clear versionMap:
-            threadPool.executor(ThreadPool.Names.REFRESH).execute(new Runnable() {
-                    public void run() {
-                        refresh(new Refresh("version_table_full"));
-                    }
-                });
+        if (versionMap.ramBytesUsedForRefresh()/1024/1024. > 0.25 * indexWriter.getConfig().getRAMBufferSizeMB() && versionMapRefreshPending.getAndSet(true) == false) {
+            if (!closed) {
+                try {
+                    // Now refresh to clear versionMap:
+                    threadPool.executor(ThreadPool.Names.REFRESH).execute(new Runnable() {
+                            public void run() {
+                                try {
+                                    refresh(new Refresh("version_table_full"));
+                                } catch (EngineClosedException ex) {
+                                    // ignore
+                                }
+                            }
+                        });
+                } catch (EsRejectedExecutionException ex) {
+                    // that is fine too.. we might be shutting down
+                }
+            }
         }
     }