diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterService.java
index a5cf177f5d1..0e9970f36e0 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterService.java
@@ -164,11 +164,18 @@ public final class RemoteClusterService extends RemoteClusterAware implements Cl
         (ns, key) -> boolSetting(key, TransportSettings.TRANSPORT_COMPRESS,
             new RemoteConnectionEnabled<>(ns, key), Setting.Property.Dynamic, Setting.Property.NodeScope));
 
+    private final boolean enabled;
+
+    public boolean isEnabled() {
+        return enabled;
+    }
+
     private final TransportService transportService;
     private final Map<String, RemoteClusterConnection> remoteClusters = ConcurrentCollections.newConcurrentMap();
 
     RemoteClusterService(Settings settings, TransportService transportService) {
         super(settings);
+        this.enabled = ENABLE_REMOTE_CLUSTERS.get(settings);
         this.transportService = transportService;
     }
 
@@ -248,6 +255,9 @@ public final class RemoteClusterService extends RemoteClusterAware implements Cl
     }
 
     RemoteClusterConnection getRemoteClusterConnection(String cluster) {
+        if (enabled == false) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("remote cluster service is not enabled");
+        }
         RemoteClusterConnection connection = remoteClusters.get(cluster);
         if (connection == null) {
             throw new NoSuchRemoteClusterException(cluster);
@@ -385,6 +395,9 @@ public final class RemoteClusterService extends RemoteClusterAware implements Cl
      * function on success.
      */
     public void collectNodes(Set<String> clusters, ActionListener<BiFunction<String, String, DiscoveryNode>> listener) {
+        if (enabled == false) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("remote cluster service is not enabled");
+        }
         Map<String, RemoteClusterConnection> remoteClusters = this.remoteClusters;
         for (String cluster : clusters) {
             if (remoteClusters.containsKey(cluster) == false) {
@@ -428,6 +441,9 @@ public final class RemoteClusterService extends RemoteClusterAware implements Cl
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the given clusterAlias doesn't exist
      */
     public Client getRemoteClusterClient(ThreadPool threadPool, String clusterAlias) {
+        if (transportService.getRemoteClusterService().isEnabled() == false) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("remote cluster service is not enabled");
+        }
         if (transportService.getRemoteClusterService().getRemoteClusterNames().contains(clusterAlias) == false) {
             throw new NoSuchRemoteClusterException(clusterAlias);
         }
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterClientTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterClientTests.java
index ed71b7f85c8..7c1d3edf455 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterClientTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterClientTests.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.Semaphore;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import static org.elasticsearch.transport.RemoteClusterConnectionTests.startTransport;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 
 public class RemoteClusterClientTests extends ESTestCase {
     private final ThreadPool threadPool = new TestThreadPool(getClass().getName());
@@ -119,4 +120,17 @@ public class RemoteClusterClientTests extends ESTestCase {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    public void testRemoteClusterServiceNotEnabled() {
+        final Settings settings = Settings.builder().put(RemoteClusterService.ENABLE_REMOTE_CLUSTERS.getKey(), false).build();
+        try (MockTransportService service = MockTransportService.createNewService(settings, Version.CURRENT, threadPool, null)) {
+            service.start();
+            service.acceptIncomingRequests();
+            final RemoteClusterService remoteClusterService = service.getRemoteClusterService();
+            final IllegalArgumentException e =
+                expectThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> remoteClusterService.getRemoteClusterClient(threadPool, "test"));
+            assertThat(e.getMessage(), equalTo("remote cluster service is not enabled"));
+        }
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterServiceTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterServiceTests.java
index 2d81ff5705b..f676ebb46f2 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterServiceTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterServiceTests.java
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
@@ -850,10 +851,34 @@ public class RemoteClusterServiceTests extends ESTestCase {
         }
     }
 
+    public void testRemoteClusterServiceNotEnabledGetRemoteClusterConnection() {
+        final Settings settings = Settings.builder().put(RemoteClusterService.ENABLE_REMOTE_CLUSTERS.getKey(), false).build();
+        try (MockTransportService service = MockTransportService.createNewService(settings, Version.CURRENT, threadPool, null)) {
+            service.start();
+            service.acceptIncomingRequests();
+            final IllegalArgumentException e =
+                expectThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> service.getRemoteClusterService().getRemoteClusterConnection("test"));
+            assertThat(e.getMessage(), equalTo("remote cluster service is not enabled"));
+        }
+    }
+
+    public void testRemoteClusterServiceNotEnabledGetCollectNodes() {
+        final Settings settings = Settings.builder().put(RemoteClusterService.ENABLE_REMOTE_CLUSTERS.getKey(), false).build();
+        try (MockTransportService service = MockTransportService.createNewService(settings, Version.CURRENT, threadPool, null)) {
+            service.start();
+            service.acceptIncomingRequests();
+            final IllegalArgumentException e = expectThrows(
+                IllegalArgumentException.class,
+                () -> service.getRemoteClusterService().collectNodes(Set.of(), ActionListener.wrap(r -> {}, r -> {})));
+            assertThat(e.getMessage(), equalTo("remote cluster service is not enabled"));
+        }
+    }
+
     private static Settings createSettings(String clusterAlias, List<String> seeds) {
         Settings.Builder builder = Settings.builder();
         builder.put(SniffConnectionStrategy.REMOTE_CLUSTER_SEEDS.getConcreteSettingForNamespace(clusterAlias).getKey(),
             Strings.collectionToCommaDelimitedString(seeds));
         return builder.build();
     }
+
 }