diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/service/InternalIndexService.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/service/InternalIndexService.java
index b136f712bcd..8c282a771dd 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/service/InternalIndexService.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/service/InternalIndexService.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.index.service;
 
 import org.elasticsearch.ElasticSearchException;
+import org.elasticsearch.ElasticSearchIllegalStateException;
 import org.elasticsearch.ElasticSearchInterruptedException;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Nullable;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
@@ -114,6 +115,8 @@ public class InternalIndexService extends AbstractIndexComponent implements Inde
 
     private volatile ImmutableMap<Integer, IndexShard> shards = ImmutableMap.of();
 
+    private volatile boolean closed = false;
+
     private final CleanCacheOnIndicesLifecycleListener cleanCacheOnIndicesLifecycleListener = new CleanCacheOnIndicesLifecycleListener();
 
     @Inject public InternalIndexService(Injector injector, Index index, @IndexSettings Settings indexSettings, NodeEnvironment nodeEnv, ThreadPool threadPool,
@@ -209,6 +212,9 @@ public class InternalIndexService extends AbstractIndexComponent implements Inde
     }
 
     public void close(final boolean delete, final String reason) {
+        synchronized (this) {
+            closed = true;
+        }
         try {
             Set<Integer> shardIds = shardIds();
             final CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(shardIds.size());
@@ -248,6 +254,9 @@ public class InternalIndexService extends AbstractIndexComponent implements Inde
     }
 
     @Override public synchronized IndexShard createShard(int sShardId) throws ElasticSearchException {
+        if (closed) {
+            throw new ElasticSearchIllegalStateException("Can't create shard [" + index.name() + "][" + sShardId + "], closed");
+        }
         ShardId shardId = new ShardId(index, sShardId);
         if (shardsInjectors.containsKey(shardId.id())) {
             throw new IndexShardAlreadyExistsException(shardId + " already exists");
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/InternalIndicesService.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/InternalIndicesService.java
index 159a6c8e936..254afc5d50f 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/InternalIndicesService.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/InternalIndicesService.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import org.apache.lucene.index.IndexReader;
 import org.apache.lucene.search.FieldCache;
 import org.apache.lucene.search.IndexReaderPurgedListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.ElasticSearchException;
+import org.elasticsearch.ElasticSearchIllegalStateException;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.collect.ImmutableSet;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.collect.UnmodifiableIterator;
@@ -209,6 +210,9 @@ public class InternalIndicesService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<IndicesSe
     }
 
     public synchronized IndexService createIndex(String sIndexName, Settings settings, String localNodeId) throws ElasticSearchException {
+        if (!lifecycle.started()) {
+            throw new ElasticSearchIllegalStateException("Can't create an index [" + sIndexName + "] is closed");
+        }
         Index index = new Index(sIndexName);
         if (indicesInjectors.containsKey(index.name())) {
             throw new IndexAlreadyExistsException(index);
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java
index 6d693127531..d0004107d04 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java
@@ -124,6 +124,10 @@ public class IndicesClusterStateService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Indic
         if (!indicesService.changesAllowed())
             return;
 
+        if (!lifecycle.started()) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         synchronized (mutex) {
             applyNewIndices(event);
             applyMappings(event);
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalNode.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalNode.java
index 1ad219befd2..679538fc116 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalNode.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalNode.java
@@ -204,6 +204,16 @@ public final class InternalNode implements Node {
         if (settings.getAsBoolean("http.enabled", true)) {
             injector.getInstance(HttpServer.class).stop();
         }
+        // stop any changes happening as a result of cluster state changes
+        injector.getInstance(IndicesClusterStateService.class).stop();
+        // we close indices first, so operations won't be allowed on it
+        injector.getInstance(IndicesService.class).stop();
+        // sleep a bit to let operations finish with indices service
+//        try {
+//            Thread.sleep(500);
+//        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+//            // ignore
+//        }
         injector.getInstance(RoutingService.class).stop();
         injector.getInstance(ClusterService.class).stop();
         injector.getInstance(DiscoveryService.class).stop();
@@ -211,8 +221,6 @@ public final class InternalNode implements Node {
         injector.getInstance(GatewayService.class).stop();
         injector.getInstance(SearchService.class).stop();
         injector.getInstance(RiversManager.class).stop();
-        injector.getInstance(IndicesClusterStateService.class).stop();
-        injector.getInstance(IndicesService.class).stop();
         injector.getInstance(RestController.class).stop();
         injector.getInstance(TransportService.class).stop();
         injector.getInstance(JmxService.class).close();
@@ -244,6 +252,10 @@ public final class InternalNode implements Node {
         }
         stopWatch.stop().start("client");
         injector.getInstance(Client.class).close();
+        stopWatch.stop().start("indices_cluster");
+        injector.getInstance(IndicesClusterStateService.class).close();
+        stopWatch.stop().start("indices");
+        injector.getInstance(IndicesService.class).close();
         stopWatch.stop().start("routing");
         injector.getInstance(RoutingService.class).close();
         stopWatch.stop().start("cluster");
@@ -258,10 +270,6 @@ public final class InternalNode implements Node {
         injector.getInstance(SearchService.class).close();
         stopWatch.stop().start("indexers");
         injector.getInstance(RiversManager.class).close();
-        stopWatch.stop().start("indices_cluster");
-        injector.getInstance(IndicesClusterStateService.class).close();
-        stopWatch.stop().start("indices");
-        injector.getInstance(IndicesService.class).close();
         stopWatch.stop().start("rest");
         injector.getInstance(RestController.class).close();
         stopWatch.stop().start("transport");
diff --git a/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/stress/rollingrestart/RollingRestartStressTest.java b/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/stress/rollingrestart/RollingRestartStressTest.java
index 459cc1784bb..6c912820a20 100644
--- a/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/stress/rollingrestart/RollingRestartStressTest.java
+++ b/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/stress/rollingrestart/RollingRestartStressTest.java
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ public class RollingRestartStressTest {
         // check the count
         for (int i = 0; i < (nodes.length * 5); i++) {
             CountResponse count = client.client().prepareCount().setQuery(matchAllQuery()).execute().actionGet();
-            logger.info("indexed [{}], count [{}]", count.count(), indexCounter.get());
+            logger.info("indexed [{}], count [{}], [{}]", count.count(), indexCounter.get(), count.count() == indexCounter.get() ? "OK" : "FAIL");
             if (count.count() != indexCounter.get()) {
                 logger.warn("count does not match!");
             }
@@ -254,7 +254,9 @@ public class RollingRestartStressTest {
 
         json.endObject();
 
-        client.client().prepareIndex("test", "type1", Long.toString(idCounter.incrementAndGet()))
+        String id = Long.toString(idCounter.incrementAndGet());
+        logger.info("indexing " + id);
+        client.client().prepareIndex("test", "type1", id)
                 .setCreate(true)
                 .setSource(json)
                 .execute().actionGet();