diff --git a/server/core/dcb.c b/server/core/dcb.c
index 1654aec3c..ddbdf19ca 100644
--- a/server/core/dcb.c
+++ b/server/core/dcb.c
@@ -1838,6 +1838,15 @@ dcb_close(DCB *dcb)
         dcb_final_free(dcb);
         return;
     }
+    
+    /*
+     * If DCB is in persistent pool, mark it as an error and exit
+     */
+    if (dcb->persistentstart)
+    {
+        dcb->dcb_errhandle_called = true;
+        return;
+    }
         
     spinlock_acquire(&zombiespin);
     if (!dcb->dcb_is_zombie)
@@ -1879,6 +1888,8 @@ dcb_maybe_add_persistent(DCB *dcb)
     int  poolcount = -1;
     if (dcb->user != NULL
         && strlen(dcb->user)
+        && dcb->session->state != SESSION_STATE_STOPPING
+        && dcb->session->state != SESSION_STATE_TO_BE_FREED
         && dcb->server 
         && dcb->server->persistpoolmax 
         && (dcb->server->status & SERVER_RUNNING)
@@ -2817,6 +2828,8 @@ dcb_persistent_clean_count(DCB *dcb, bool cleanall)
 		|| persistentdcb-> dcb_errhandle_called 
 		|| count >= server->persistpoolmax 
         || persistentdcb->server == NULL
+        || persistentdcb->session->state == SESSION_STATE_STOPPING
+        || persistentdcb->session->state == SESSION_STATE_TO_BE_FREED
         || !(persistentdcb->server->status & SERVER_RUNNING)
 		|| (time(NULL) - persistentdcb->persistentstart) > server->persistmaxtime)
             {
@@ -2846,6 +2859,7 @@ dcb_persistent_clean_count(DCB *dcb, bool cleanall)
         while (disposals)
         {
             nextdcb = disposals->nextpersistent;
+            disposals->persistentstart = 0;
             dcb_close_finish(disposals);
             dcb_close(disposals);
             disposals = nextdcb;
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c
index 46fce6cee..d8d8033f0 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c
+++ b/server/modules/routing/readwritesplit/readwritesplit.c
@@ -4875,7 +4875,6 @@ static void handleError (
                             bref = get_bref_from_dcb(rses, backend_dcb);
                         	if (bref != NULL)
                             {
-                                bool bref_was_in_use = BREF_IS_IN_USE(bref);
                                     CHK_BACKEND_REF(bref);
                                     bref_clear_state(bref, BREF_IN_USE);
                                     bref_set_state(bref, BREF_CLOSED);
@@ -4960,7 +4959,6 @@ static void handle_error_reply_client(
 	 */
 	if ((bref = get_bref_from_dcb(rses, backend_dcb)) != NULL)
 	{
-        bool bref_was_in_use = BREF_IS_IN_USE(bref);
 		CHK_BACKEND_REF(bref);
 		bref_clear_state(bref, BREF_IN_USE);
 		bref_set_state(bref, BREF_CLOSED);
@@ -5000,7 +4998,6 @@ static bool handle_error_new_connection(
 	int            max_slave_rlag;
 	backend_ref_t* bref;
 	bool           succp;
-    bool           bref_was_in_use;
 	
     myrses = *rses;
 	ss_dassert(SPINLOCK_IS_LOCKED(&myrses->rses_lock));
@@ -5017,7 +5014,6 @@ static bool handle_error_new_connection(
 		goto return_succp;
 	}
 	CHK_BACKEND_REF(bref);
-    bref_was_in_use = BREF_IS_IN_USE(bref);
 	
 	/** 
 	 * If query was sent through the bref and it is waiting for reply from