diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/UnicastZenPing.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/UnicastZenPing.java
index d0a9a212bdd..06269706e0d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/UnicastZenPing.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/UnicastZenPing.java
@@ -575,7 +575,8 @@ public class UnicastZenPing extends AbstractComponent implements ZenPing {
 
             @Override
             public void handleException(TransportException exp) {
-                if (exp instanceof ConnectTransportException || exp.getCause() instanceof ConnectTransportException) {
+                if (exp instanceof ConnectTransportException || exp.getCause() instanceof ConnectTransportException ||
+                    exp.getCause() instanceof AlreadyClosedException) {
                     // ok, not connected...
                     logger.trace((Supplier<?>) () -> new ParameterizedMessage("failed to connect to {}", node), exp);
                 } else if (closed == false) {
@@ -608,6 +609,9 @@ public class UnicastZenPing extends AbstractComponent implements ZenPing {
 
         @Override
         public void messageReceived(UnicastPingRequest request, TransportChannel channel) throws Exception {
+            if (closed) {
+                throw new AlreadyClosedException("node is shutting down");
+            }
             if (request.pingResponse.clusterName().equals(clusterName)) {
                 channel.sendResponse(handlePingRequest(request));
             } else {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/UnicastZenPingTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/UnicastZenPingTests.java
index 3c7a49a1766..853294de186 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/UnicastZenPingTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/UnicastZenPingTests.java
@@ -258,6 +258,16 @@ public class UnicastZenPingTests extends ESTestCase {
         assertPingCount(handleD, handleA, 0);
         assertPingCount(handleD, handleB, 0);
         assertPingCount(handleD, handleC, 3);
+
+        zenPingC.close();
+        handleD.counters.clear();
+        logger.info("ping from UZP_D after closing UZP_C");
+        pingResponses = zenPingD.pingAndWait().toList();
+        // check that node does not respond to pings anymore after the ping service has been closed
+        assertThat(pingResponses.size(), equalTo(0));
+        assertPingCount(handleD, handleA, 0);
+        assertPingCount(handleD, handleB, 0);
+        assertPingCount(handleD, handleC, 3);
     }
 
     public void testUnknownHostNotCached() throws ExecutionException, InterruptedException {