diff --git a/reactor-netty-http/src/main/java/reactor/netty/http/client/HttpClientConnect.java b/reactor-netty-http/src/main/java/reactor/netty/http/client/HttpClientConnect.java
index 2946fcafc6..f3fab1a9bb 100644
--- a/reactor-netty-http/src/main/java/reactor/netty/http/client/HttpClientConnect.java
+++ b/reactor-netty-http/src/main/java/reactor/netty/http/client/HttpClientConnect.java
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 import io.netty.handler.codec.http.HttpMethod;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.http.HttpUtil;
 import io.netty.handler.codec.http.HttpVersion;
+import io.netty.handler.ssl.SslClosedEngineException;
 import io.netty.resolver.AddressResolverGroup;
 import io.netty.util.AsciiString;
 import io.netty.util.AttributeKey;
@@ -382,6 +383,16 @@ else if (handler.shouldRetry && AbortedException.isConnectionReset(error)) {
 					}
 				}
 			}
+			else if (error instanceof SslClosedEngineException) {
+				if (log.isWarnEnabled()) {
+					log.warn(format(connection.channel(), "The connection observed an error"), error);
+				}
+				HttpClientOperations ops = connection.as(HttpClientOperations.class);
+				if (ops != null) {
+					// javax.net.ssl.SSLEngine has been closed, do not return the connection to the pool
+					ops.markPersistent(false);
+				}
+			}
 			else if (log.isWarnEnabled()) {
 				log.warn(format(connection.channel(), "The connection observed an error"), error);
 			}