diff --git a/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/cluster/ClusterDistributionChannelWriter.java b/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/cluster/ClusterDistributionChannelWriter.java
index 987981ed3a..7db308c373 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/cluster/ClusterDistributionChannelWriter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/cluster/ClusterDistributionChannelWriter.java
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ public ClusterDistributionChannelWriter(RedisChannelWriter<K, V> defaultWriter)
     @Override
     public <T> RedisCommand<K, V, T> write(RedisCommand<K, V, T> command) {
 
+        checkArgument(command != null, "command must not be null");
+
         RedisCommand<K, V, T> commandToSend = command;
         CommandArgs<K, V> args = command.getArgs();
         RedisChannelWriter<K, V> channelWriter = null;
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/protocol/CommandHandler.java b/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/protocol/CommandHandler.java
index bd8b2ca579..fe708bf70a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/protocol/CommandHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/protocol/CommandHandler.java
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 package com.lambdaworks.redis.protocol;
 
+import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkArgument;
+
 import java.nio.channels.ClosedChannelException;
 import java.nio.charset.Charset;
 import java.util.ArrayDeque;
@@ -164,6 +166,8 @@ protected void decode(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, ByteBuf buffer) throws Interrup
     @Override
     public <T> RedisCommand<K, V, T> write(RedisCommand<K, V, T> command) {
 
+        checkArgument(command != null, "command must not be null");
+
         if (lifecycleState == LifecycleState.CLOSED) {
             throw new RedisException("Connection is closed");
         }
@@ -174,10 +178,8 @@ public <T> RedisCommand<K, V, T> write(RedisCommand<K, V, T> command) {
         }
 
         if ((channel == null || !isConnected()) && !clientOptions.isAutoReconnect()) {
-            command.setException(new RedisException(
-                    "Connection is in a disconnected state and reconnect is disabled. Commands are not accepted."));
-            command.complete();
-            return command;
+            throw new RedisException(
+                    "Connection is in a disconnected state and reconnect is disabled. Commands are not accepted.");
         }
 
         try {
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/ClientTest.java b/src/test/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/ClientTest.java
index f5b7f9781a..dd2b079d78 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/ClientTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/lambdaworks/redis/ClientTest.java
@@ -111,9 +111,9 @@ public void disconnectedConnectionWithoutReconnect() throws Exception {
         connection.quit();
         waitUntilDisconnected(connection);
         try {
-            connection.get(key).get();
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-            assertThat(e).hasRootCauseInstanceOf(RedisException.class).hasMessageContaining(
+            connection.get(key);
+        } catch (RedisException e) {
+            assertThat(e).hasMessageContaining(
                     "Connection is in a disconnected state and reconnect is disabled");
         } finally {
             connection.close();