diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/TcpTransport.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/TcpTransport.java
index 9bf773d083f5f..8612b5221c77b 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/TcpTransport.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/TcpTransport.java
@@ -362,23 +362,24 @@ protected Recycler<BytesRef> createRecycler(Settings settings, PageCacheRecycler
 
     @Override
     public void openConnection(DiscoveryNode node, ConnectionProfile profile, ActionListener<Transport.Connection> listener) {
-
-        Objects.requireNonNull(profile, "connection profile cannot be null");
-        if (node == null) {
-            throw new ConnectTransportException(null, "can't open connection to a null node");
-        }
-        ConnectionProfile finalProfile = maybeOverrideConnectionProfile(profile);
-        if (closeLock.readLock().tryLock() == false) {
-            ensureOpen();
-            assert false : "should not get here ever because close-write-lock should only be held on shutdown";
-            throw new ConnectTransportException(node, "failed to acquire close-read-lock");
-        }
-        try {
-            ensureOpen();
-            initiateConnection(node, finalProfile, listener);
-        } finally {
-            closeLock.readLock().unlock();
-        }
+        ActionListener.run(listener, l -> {
+            Objects.requireNonNull(profile, "connection profile cannot be null");
+            if (node == null) {
+                throw new ConnectTransportException(null, "can't open connection to a null node");
+            }
+            final var finalProfile = maybeOverrideConnectionProfile(profile);
+            if (closeLock.readLock().tryLock() == false) {
+                ensureOpen();
+                assert false : "should not get here ever because close-write-lock should only be held on shutdown";
+                throw new ConnectTransportException(node, "failed to acquire close-read-lock");
+            }
+            try {
+                ensureOpen();
+                initiateConnection(node, finalProfile, l);
+            } finally {
+                closeLock.readLock().unlock();
+            }
+        });
     }
 
     private void initiateConnection(DiscoveryNode node, ConnectionProfile connectionProfile, ActionListener<Connection> listener) {
diff --git a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/AbstractSimpleTransportTestCase.java b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/AbstractSimpleTransportTestCase.java
index f9085ec258627..ea9dd001e5ce8 100644
--- a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/AbstractSimpleTransportTestCase.java
+++ b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/AbstractSimpleTransportTestCase.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNodeUtils;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.node.VersionInformation;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.BytesArray;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.component.Lifecycle;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.BytesStreamOutput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
@@ -881,6 +882,31 @@ public void handleException(TransportException exp) {
         assertThat(e.getCause().getCause().getMessage(), equalTo("runtime_exception: bad message !!!"));
     }
 
+    public void testExceptionOnConnect() {
+        final var transportA = serviceA.getOriginalTransport();
+
+        final var nullProfileFuture = new PlainActionFuture<Transport.Connection>();
+        transportA.openConnection(nodeB, null, nullProfileFuture);
+        assertTrue(nullProfileFuture.isDone());
+        expectThrows(ExecutionException.class, NullPointerException.class, nullProfileFuture::get);
+
+        final var profile = ConnectionProfile.buildDefaultConnectionProfile(Settings.EMPTY);
+        final var nullNodeFuture = new PlainActionFuture<Transport.Connection>();
+        transportA.openConnection(null, profile, nullNodeFuture);
+        assertTrue(nullNodeFuture.isDone());
+        expectThrows(ExecutionException.class, ConnectTransportException.class, nullNodeFuture::get);
+
+        serviceA.stop();
+        assertEquals(Lifecycle.State.STOPPED, transportA.lifecycleState());
+        serviceA.close();
+        assertEquals(Lifecycle.State.CLOSED, transportA.lifecycleState());
+
+        final var closedTransportFuture = new PlainActionFuture<Transport.Connection>();
+        transportA.openConnection(nodeB, profile, closedTransportFuture);
+        assertTrue(closedTransportFuture.isDone());
+        expectThrows(ExecutionException.class, IllegalStateException.class, closedTransportFuture::get);
+    }
+
     public void testDisconnectListener() throws Exception {
         final CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(1);
         TransportConnectionListener disconnectListener = new TransportConnectionListener() {