diff --git a/src/main/java/io/lettuce/core/pubsub/PubSubEndpoint.java b/src/main/java/io/lettuce/core/pubsub/PubSubEndpoint.java
index 8d884445c5..e93fed80c2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/lettuce/core/pubsub/PubSubEndpoint.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/lettuce/core/pubsub/PubSubEndpoint.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2011-2016 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2011-2017 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -15,13 +15,16 @@
  */
 package io.lettuce.core.pubsub;
 
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
 
 import io.lettuce.core.ClientOptions;
+import io.lettuce.core.RedisException;
+import io.lettuce.core.protocol.CommandType;
 import io.lettuce.core.protocol.DefaultEndpoint;
-
+import io.lettuce.core.protocol.RedisCommand;
 import io.netty.util.internal.ConcurrentSet;
 
 /**
@@ -29,10 +32,22 @@
  */
 public class PubSubEndpoint<K, V> extends DefaultEndpoint {
 
+    private static final Set<String> ALLOWED_COMMANDS_SUBSCRIBED;
     private final List<RedisPubSubListener<K, V>> listeners = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
     private final Set<K> channels;
     private final Set<K> patterns;
 
+    static {
+
+        ALLOWED_COMMANDS_SUBSCRIBED = new HashSet<>(5, 1);
+
+        ALLOWED_COMMANDS_SUBSCRIBED.add(CommandType.SUBSCRIBE.name());
+        ALLOWED_COMMANDS_SUBSCRIBED.add(CommandType.PSUBSCRIBE.name());
+        ALLOWED_COMMANDS_SUBSCRIBED.add(CommandType.UNSUBSCRIBE.name());
+        ALLOWED_COMMANDS_SUBSCRIBED.add(CommandType.PUNSUBSCRIBE.name());
+        ALLOWED_COMMANDS_SUBSCRIBED.add(CommandType.QUIT.name());
+    }
+
     /**
      * Initialize a new instance that handles commands from the supplied queue.
      *
@@ -75,6 +90,21 @@ public Set<K> getPatterns() {
         return patterns;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public <K1, V1, T> RedisCommand<K1, V1, T> write(RedisCommand<K1, V1, T> command) {
+
+        if (!channels.isEmpty() || !patterns.isEmpty()) {
+
+            if (!ALLOWED_COMMANDS_SUBSCRIBED.contains(command.getType().name())) {
+
+                throw new RedisException(String.format("Command %s not allowed while subscribed. Allowed commands are: %s",
+                        command.getType().name(), ALLOWED_COMMANDS_SUBSCRIBED));
+            }
+        }
+
+        return super.write(command);
+    }
+
     public void notifyMessage(PubSubOutput<K, V, V> output) {
 
         // drop empty messages
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/lettuce/SslTest.java b/src/test/java/io/lettuce/SslTest.java
index b92efc148e..132ccf6dea 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/lettuce/SslTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/lettuce/SslTest.java
@@ -261,10 +261,10 @@ public void pubSubSslAndBreakConnection() throws Exception {
         assertThat(future.get()).doesNotContain("c1", "c2");
         assertThat(future.isDone()).isEqualTo(true);
 
-        RedisFuture<List<String>> defectFuture = connection.pubsubChannels();
+        RedisFuture<Void> defectFuture = connection.subscribe("foo");
 
         try {
-            assertThat(defectFuture.get()).doesNotContain("c1", "c2");
+            defectFuture.get();
             fail("Missing ExecutionException with nested SSLHandshakeException");
         } catch (InterruptedException e) {
             fail("Missing ExecutionException with nested SSLHandshakeException");
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/lettuce/core/pubsub/PubSubCommandTest.java b/src/test/java/io/lettuce/core/pubsub/PubSubCommandTest.java
index 809df3b36d..177d734530 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/lettuce/core/pubsub/PubSubCommandTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/lettuce/core/pubsub/PubSubCommandTest.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2011-2016 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2011-2017 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 package io.lettuce.core.pubsub;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatThrownBy;
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Fail.fail;
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.hasItem;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
@@ -382,6 +383,19 @@ public void removeListener() throws Exception {
         assertThat(messages.poll(10, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)).isNull();
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void pingNotAllowedInSubscriptionState() throws Exception {
+
+        pubsub.subscribe(channel).get();
+
+        assertThatThrownBy(() -> pubsub.ping().get()).isInstanceOf(RedisException.class).hasMessageContaining("not allowed");
+        pubsub.unsubscribe(channel);
+
+        Wait.untilTrue(() -> channels.size() == 2).waitOrTimeout();
+
+        assertThat(pubsub.ping().get()).isEqualTo("PONG");
+    }
+
     // RedisPubSubListener implementation
 
     @Override