diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java
index 8579aab0cd7..a347547d168 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java
@@ -470,6 +470,7 @@ public class NettyTransport extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Transport> implem
     void exceptionCaught(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ExceptionEvent e) throws Exception {
         if (!lifecycle.started()) {
             // ignore
+            return;
         }
         if (isCloseConnectionException(e.getCause())) {
             logger.trace("close connection exception caught on transport layer [{}], disconnecting from relevant node", e.getCause(), ctx.getChannel());
@@ -794,14 +795,20 @@ public class NettyTransport extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Transport> implem
     /**
      * Disconnects from a node if a channel is found as part of that nodes channels.
      */
-    private void disconnectFromNodeChannel(Channel channel, Throwable failure) {
-        for (DiscoveryNode node : connectedNodes.keySet()) {
-            if (disconnectFromNode(node, channel, ExceptionsHelper.detailedMessage(failure))) {
-                // if we managed to find this channel and disconnect from it, then break, no need to check on
-                // the rest of the nodes
-                break;
+    private void disconnectFromNodeChannel(final Channel channel, final Throwable failure) {
+        threadPool().generic().execute(new Runnable() {
+
+            @Override
+            public void run() {
+                for (DiscoveryNode node : connectedNodes.keySet()) {
+                    if (disconnectFromNode(node, channel, ExceptionsHelper.detailedMessage(failure))) {
+                        // if we managed to find this channel and disconnect from it, then break, no need to check on
+                        // the rest of the nodes
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
             }
-        }
+        });
     }
 
     private Channel nodeChannel(DiscoveryNode node, TransportRequestOptions options) throws ConnectTransportException {
@@ -885,8 +892,16 @@ public class NettyTransport extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Transport> implem
         }
 
         @Override
-        public void operationComplete(ChannelFuture future) throws Exception {
-            disconnectFromNode(node, future.getChannel(), "channel closed event");
+        public void operationComplete(final ChannelFuture future) throws Exception {
+            NodeChannels nodeChannels = connectedNodes.get(node);
+            if (nodeChannels != null && nodeChannels.hasChannel(future.getChannel())) {
+                threadPool().generic().execute(new Runnable() {
+                    @Override
+                    public void run() {
+                        disconnectFromNode(node, future.getChannel(), "channel closed event");
+                    }
+                });
+            }
         }
     }