diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/CoreContainer.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/CoreContainer.java
index 17f1cdb37fbc..f23cd920106f 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/CoreContainer.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/core/CoreContainer.java
@@ -1806,7 +1806,11 @@ public boolean repairCoreProperty(CoreDescriptor cd, String prop) {
     return false;
   }
 
-  public void checkTragicException(SolrCore solrCore) {
+  /**
+   * @param solrCore
+   * @return whether this solr core has tragic exception
+   */
+  public boolean checkTragicException(SolrCore solrCore) {
     Throwable tragicException = null;
     try {
       tragicException = solrCore.getSolrCoreState().getTragicException();
@@ -1820,6 +1824,8 @@ public void checkTragicException(SolrCore solrCore) {
         getZkController().giveupLeadership(solrCore.getCoreDescriptor(), tragicException);
       }
     }
+    
+    return tragicException != null;
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/RequestHandlerBase.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/RequestHandlerBase.java
index af8d3be70626..a398eb73d3e8 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/RequestHandlerBase.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/RequestHandlerBase.java
@@ -209,7 +209,16 @@ public void handleRequest(SolrQueryRequest req, SolrQueryResponse rsp) {
       }
     } catch (Exception e) {
       if (req.getCore() != null) {
-        req.getCore().getCoreContainer().checkTragicException(req.getCore());
+        boolean isTragic = req.getCore().getCoreContainer().checkTragicException(req.getCore());
+        if (isTragic) {
+          if (e instanceof SolrException) {
+            // Tragic exceptions should always throw a server error
+            assert ((SolrException) e).code() == 500;
+          } else {
+            // wrap it in a solr exception
+            e = new SolrException(SolrException.ErrorCode.SERVER_ERROR, e.getMessage(), e);
+          }
+        }
       }
       boolean incrementErrors = true;
       boolean isServerError = true;
diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/update/DirectUpdateHandler2.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/update/DirectUpdateHandler2.java
index c91350916bea..ca39ea2815fb 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/update/DirectUpdateHandler2.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/update/DirectUpdateHandler2.java
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.LongAdder;
 
 import com.codahale.metrics.Meter;
+import com.google.common.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
+
 import org.apache.lucene.document.Document;
 import org.apache.lucene.document.Field;
 import org.apache.lucene.index.CodecReader;
@@ -41,6 +43,7 @@
 import org.apache.lucene.search.MatchAllDocsQuery;
 import org.apache.lucene.search.Query;
 import org.apache.lucene.search.TermQuery;
+import org.apache.lucene.store.AlreadyClosedException;
 import org.apache.lucene.util.BytesRefHash;
 import org.apache.solr.cloud.ZkController;
 import org.apache.solr.common.SolrException;
@@ -233,6 +236,9 @@ public int addDoc(AddUpdateCommand cmd) throws IOException {
       return addDoc0(cmd);
     } catch (SolrException e) {
       throw e;
+    } catch (AlreadyClosedException e) {
+      throw new SolrException(SolrException.ErrorCode.SERVER_ERROR,
+          String.format(Locale.ROOT, "Server error writing document id %s to the index", cmd.getPrintableId()), e);
     } catch (IllegalArgumentException iae) {
       throw new SolrException(SolrException.ErrorCode.BAD_REQUEST,
           String.format(Locale.ROOT, "Exception writing document id %s to the index; possible analysis error: "
@@ -253,7 +259,8 @@ public int addDoc(AddUpdateCommand cmd) throws IOException {
    * @param cmd the command.
    * @return the count.
    */
-  private int addDoc0(AddUpdateCommand cmd) throws IOException {
+  @VisibleForTesting
+  int addDoc0(AddUpdateCommand cmd) throws IOException {
     int rc = -1;
 
     addCommands.increment();
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/LeaderTragicEventTest.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/LeaderTragicEventTest.java
index 747555bbbb36..e43249330a09 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/LeaderTragicEventTest.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/LeaderTragicEventTest.java
@@ -17,18 +17,23 @@
 
 package org.apache.solr.cloud;
 
+import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.anyOf;
+import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.is;
+
 import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.lang.invoke.MethodHandles;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
-
+import org.apache.lucene.store.AlreadyClosedException;
 import org.apache.lucene.store.MockDirectoryWrapper;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.embedded.JettySolrRunner;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.impl.HttpSolrClient;
+import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.impl.HttpSolrClient.RemoteSolrException;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.request.CollectionAdminRequest;
 import org.apache.solr.client.solrj.request.UpdateRequest;
+import org.apache.solr.common.SolrException;
 import org.apache.solr.common.cloud.ClusterStateUtil;
 import org.apache.solr.common.cloud.DocCollection;
 import org.apache.solr.common.cloud.Replica;
@@ -133,8 +138,17 @@ private Replica corruptLeader(String collection, List<String> addedIds) throws I
         }
       }
     } catch (Exception e) {
-      log.info("Corrupt leader ex: ",e);
-      // Expected
+      log.info("Corrupt leader ex: ", e);
+      
+      // solrClient.add/commit would throw RemoteSolrException with error code 500 or 
+      // 404(when the leader replica is already deleted by giveupLeadership)
+      if (e instanceof RemoteSolrException) {
+        SolrException se = (SolrException) e;
+        assertThat(se.code(), anyOf(is(500), is(404)));
+      } else if (!(e instanceof AlreadyClosedException)) {
+        throw new RuntimeException("Unexpected exception", e);
+      }
+      //else expected
     }
     return oldLeader;
   }