diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/tribe/TribeService.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/tribe/TribeService.java
index 641923f1c30..910d88110fa 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/tribe/TribeService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/tribe/TribeService.java
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ public class TribeService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<TribeService> {
                         String markedTribeName = index.settings().get(TRIBE_NAME);
                         if (markedTribeName != null && markedTribeName.equals(tribeName)) {
                             IndexMetaData tribeIndex = tribeState.metaData().index(index.index());
-                            if (tribeIndex == null) {
+                            if (tribeIndex == null || tribeIndex.state() == IndexMetaData.State.CLOSE) {
                                 logger.info("[{}] removing index [{}]", tribeName, index.index());
                                 removeIndex(blocks, metaData, routingTable, index);
                             } else {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/tribe/TribeTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/tribe/TribeTests.java
index c30dd92b6b9..a9a8bf2faab 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/tribe/TribeTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/tribe/TribeTests.java
@@ -20,12 +20,15 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.tribe;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.health.ClusterHealthResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.health.ClusterHealthStatus;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.Client;
+import org.elasticsearch.client.Requests;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterState;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.block.ClusterBlockException;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNode;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNodes;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.Priority;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Strings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.ImmutableSettings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
@@ -34,6 +37,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.node.Node;
 import org.elasticsearch.node.NodeBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ElasticsearchIntegrationTest;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.InternalTestCluster;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.TestCluster;
 import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.AfterClass;
 import org.junit.BeforeClass;
@@ -44,6 +48,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 
 import static org.elasticsearch.test.hamcrest.ElasticsearchAssertions.assertAcked;
 import static org.elasticsearch.test.hamcrest.ElasticsearchAssertions.assertHitCount;
+import static org.elasticsearch.test.hamcrest.ElasticsearchAssertions.assertNoFailures;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.notNullValue;
 
@@ -125,7 +130,7 @@ public class TribeTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
     public void testGlobalReadWriteBlocks() throws Exception {
         logger.info("create 2 indices, test1 on t1, and test2 on t2");
         internalCluster().client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test1").get();
-        cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test2").get();
+        assertAcked(cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test2"));
 
 
         setupTribeNode(ImmutableSettings.builder()
@@ -162,10 +167,10 @@ public class TribeTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
     @Test
     public void testIndexWriteBlocks() throws Exception {
         logger.info("create 2 indices, test1 on t1, and test2 on t2");
-        internalCluster().client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test1").get();
-        internalCluster().client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("block_test1").get();
-        cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test2").get();
-        cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("block_test2").get();
+        assertAcked(internalCluster().client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test1"));
+        assertAcked(internalCluster().client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("block_test1"));
+        assertAcked(cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test2"));
+        assertAcked(cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("block_test2"));
 
         setupTribeNode(ImmutableSettings.builder()
                 .put("tribe.blocks.write.indices", "block_*")
@@ -226,10 +231,10 @@ public class TribeTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
         logger.info("testing preference for tribe {}", tribe);
 
         logger.info("create 2 indices, test1 on t1, and test2 on t2");
-        internalCluster().client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("conflict").get();
-        cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("conflict").get();
-        internalCluster().client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test1").get();
-        cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test2").get();
+        assertAcked(internalCluster().client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("conflict"));
+        assertAcked(cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("conflict"));
+        assertAcked(internalCluster().client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test1"));
+        assertAcked(cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test2"));
 
         setupTribeNode(ImmutableSettings.builder()
                 .put("tribe.on_conflict", "prefer_" + tribe)
@@ -249,8 +254,8 @@ public class TribeTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
     public void testTribeOnOneCluster() throws Exception {
         setupTribeNode(ImmutableSettings.EMPTY);
         logger.info("create 2 indices, test1 on t1, and test2 on t2");
-        internalCluster().client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test1").get();
-        cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test2").get();
+        assertAcked(internalCluster().client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test1"));
+        assertAcked(cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test2"));
 
 
         // wait till the tribe node connected to the cluster, by checking if the index exists in the cluster state
@@ -283,7 +288,7 @@ public class TribeTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
         logger.info("write to another type");
         tribeClient.prepareIndex("test1", "type2", "1").setSource("field1", "value1").get();
         tribeClient.prepareIndex("test2", "type2", "1").setSource("field1", "value1").get();
-        tribeClient.admin().indices().prepareRefresh().get();
+        assertNoFailures(tribeClient.admin().indices().prepareRefresh().get());
 
 
         logger.info("verify they are there");
@@ -310,20 +315,50 @@ public class TribeTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
 
         logger.info("delete an index, and make sure its reflected");
         cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareDelete("test2").get();
-        assertBusy(new Runnable() {
-            @Override
-            public void run() {
-                ClusterState tribeState = tribeNode.client().admin().cluster().prepareState().get().getState();
-                assertTrue(tribeState.getMetaData().hasIndex("test1"));
-                assertFalse(tribeState.getMetaData().hasIndex("test2"));
-                assertTrue(tribeState.getRoutingTable().hasIndex("test1"));
-                assertFalse(tribeState.getRoutingTable().hasIndex("test2"));
-            }
-        });
+        awaitIndicesNotInClusterState("test2");
 
-        logger.info("stop a node, make sure its reflected");
-        cluster2.stopRandomDataNode();
+        try {
+            logger.info("stop a node, make sure its reflected");
+            cluster2.stopRandomDataNode();
+            awaitSameNodeCounts();
+        } finally {
+            cluster2.startNode();
+            awaitSameNodeCounts();
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testCloseAndOpenIndex() throws Exception {
+        //create an index and close it even before starting the tribe node
+        assertAcked(internalCluster().client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test1"));
+        ensureGreen(internalCluster());
+        assertAcked(internalCluster().client().admin().indices().prepareClose("test1"));
+
+        setupTribeNode(ImmutableSettings.EMPTY);
         awaitSameNodeCounts();
+
+        //the closed index is not part of the tribe node cluster state
+        ClusterState tribeState = tribeNode.client().admin().cluster().prepareState().get().getState();
+        assertThat(tribeState.getMetaData().hasIndex("test1"), equalTo(false));
+
+        //open the index, it becomes part of the tribe node cluster state
+        assertAcked(internalCluster().client().admin().indices().prepareOpen("test1"));
+        awaitIndicesInClusterState("test1");
+        ensureGreen(internalCluster());
+
+        //create a second index, wait till it is seen from within the tribe node
+        assertAcked(cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareCreate("test2"));
+        awaitIndicesInClusterState("test1", "test2");
+        ensureGreen(cluster2);
+
+        //close the second index, wait till it gets removed from the tribe node cluster state
+        assertAcked(cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareClose("test2"));
+        awaitIndicesNotInClusterState("test2");
+
+        //open the second index, wait till it gets added back to the tribe node cluster state
+        assertAcked(cluster2.client().admin().indices().prepareOpen("test2"));
+        awaitIndicesInClusterState("test1", "test2");
+        ensureGreen(cluster2);
     }
 
     private void awaitIndicesInClusterState(final String... indices) throws Exception {
@@ -339,6 +374,29 @@ public class TribeTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
         });
     }
 
+    private void awaitIndicesNotInClusterState(final String... indices) throws Exception {
+        assertBusy(new Runnable() {
+            @Override
+            public void run() {
+                ClusterState tribeState = tribeNode.client().admin().cluster().prepareState().get().getState();
+                for (String index : indices) {
+                    assertFalse(tribeState.getMetaData().hasIndex(index));
+                    assertFalse(tribeState.getRoutingTable().hasIndex(index));
+                }
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+    private void ensureGreen(TestCluster testCluster) {
+        ClusterHealthResponse actionGet = testCluster.client().admin().cluster()
+                .health(Requests.clusterHealthRequest().waitForGreenStatus().waitForEvents(Priority.LANGUID).waitForRelocatingShards(0)).actionGet();
+        if (actionGet.isTimedOut()) {
+            logger.info("ensureGreen timed out, cluster state:\n{}\n{}", testCluster.client().admin().cluster().prepareState().get().getState().prettyPrint(), testCluster.client().admin().cluster().preparePendingClusterTasks().get().prettyPrint());
+            assertThat("timed out waiting for green state", actionGet.isTimedOut(), equalTo(false));
+        }
+        assertThat(actionGet.getStatus(), equalTo(ClusterHealthStatus.GREEN));
+    }
+
     private void awaitSameNodeCounts() throws Exception {
         assertBusy(new Runnable() {
             @Override