diff --git a/cassandra/io/libevreactor.py b/cassandra/io/libevreactor.py
index d7b365e451..7f20e6510e 100644
--- a/cassandra/io/libevreactor.py
+++ b/cassandra/io/libevreactor.py
@@ -300,7 +300,10 @@ def close(self):
             msg = "Connection to %s was closed" % self.endpoint
             if self.last_error:
                 msg += ": %s" % (self.last_error,)
-            self.error_all_requests(ConnectionShutdown(msg))
+            shutdown_exc = ConnectionShutdown(msg)
+            self.error_all_requests(shutdown_exc)
+            if not self.connected_event.is_set():
+                self.last_error = shutdown_exc
             self.connected_event.set()
 
     def handle_write(self, watcher, revents, errno=None):
@@ -332,6 +335,8 @@ def handle_write(self, watcher, revents, errno=None):
                     with self._deque_lock:
                         self.deque.appendleft(next_msg)
                 else:
+                    if self.is_closed or self.is_defunct:
+                        return
                     self.defunct(err)
                 return
             else:
@@ -365,12 +370,16 @@ def handle_read(self, watcher, revents, errno=None):
                     if not self._iobuf.tell():
                         return
                 else:
+                    if self.is_closed or self.is_defunct:
+                        return
                     self.defunct(err)
                     return
             elif err.args[0] in NONBLOCKING:
                 if not self._iobuf.tell():
                     return
             else:
+                if self.is_closed or self.is_defunct:
+                    return
                 self.defunct(err)
                 return
 
@@ -378,6 +387,8 @@ def handle_read(self, watcher, revents, errno=None):
             self.process_io_buffer()
         else:
             log.debug("Connection %s closed by server", self)
+            self.last_error = ConnectionShutdown(
+                "Connection to %s was closed by server" % self.endpoint)
             self.close()
 
     def push(self, data):