diff --git a/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/rpc/handler.rs b/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/rpc/handler.rs
index df5bbba99c8..daf95fb8c91 100644
--- a/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/rpc/handler.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/rpc/handler.rs
@@ -352,6 +352,31 @@ where
         !matches!(self.state, HandlerState::Deactivated)
     }
 
+    // NOTE: This function gets polled to completion upon a connection close.
+    fn poll_close(&mut self, _: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<Option<Self::ToBehaviour>> {
+        // Inform the network behaviour of any failed requests
+
+        while let Some(substream_id) = self.outbound_substreams.keys().next().cloned() {
+            let outbound_info = self
+                .outbound_substreams
+                .remove(&substream_id)
+                .expect("The value must exist for a key");
+            // If the state of the connection is closing, we do not need to report this case to
+            // the behaviour, as the connection has just closed non-gracefully
+            if matches!(outbound_info.state, OutboundSubstreamState::Closing(_)) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            // Register this request as an RPC Error
+            return Poll::Ready(Some(HandlerEvent::Err(HandlerErr::Outbound {
+                error: RPCError::Disconnected,
+                proto: outbound_info.proto,
+                id: outbound_info.req_id,
+            })));
+        }
+        Poll::Ready(None)
+    }
+
     fn poll(
         &mut self,
         cx: &mut Context<'_>,
diff --git a/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/service/mod.rs b/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/service/mod.rs
index f91a5b471ad..349a60e11c0 100644
--- a/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/service/mod.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/src/service/mod.rs
@@ -972,6 +972,12 @@ impl<AppReqId: ReqId, E: EthSpec> Network<AppReqId, E> {
             .goodbye_peer(peer_id, reason, source);
     }
 
+    /// Hard (ungraceful) disconnect for testing purposes only
+    /// Use goodbye_peer for disconnections, do not use this function.
+    pub fn __hard_disconnect_testing_only(&mut self, peer_id: PeerId) {
+        let _ = self.swarm.disconnect_peer_id(peer_id);
+    }
+
     /// Returns an iterator over all enr entries in the DHT.
     pub fn enr_entries(&self) -> Vec<Enr> {
         self.discovery().table_entries_enr()
diff --git a/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/tests/rpc_tests.rs b/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/tests/rpc_tests.rs
index a60af4db3db..e2b72f86732 100644
--- a/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/tests/rpc_tests.rs
+++ b/beacon_node/lighthouse_network/tests/rpc_tests.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 mod common;
 
 use common::Protocol;
-use lighthouse_network::rpc::methods::*;
+use lighthouse_network::rpc::{methods::*, RPCError};
 use lighthouse_network::{rpc::max_rpc_size, NetworkEvent, ReportSource, Request, Response};
 use slog::{debug, warn, Level};
 use ssz::Encode;
@@ -996,6 +996,96 @@ fn test_tcp_blocks_by_root_chunked_rpc_terminates_correctly() {
     })
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_disconnect_triggers_rpc_error() {
+    // set up the logging. The level and enabled logging or not
+    let log_level = Level::Debug;
+    let enable_logging = false;
+
+    let log = common::build_log(log_level, enable_logging);
+    let spec = E::default_spec();
+
+    let rt = Arc::new(Runtime::new().unwrap());
+    // get sender/receiver
+    rt.block_on(async {
+        let (mut sender, mut receiver) = common::build_node_pair(
+            Arc::downgrade(&rt),
+            &log,
+            ForkName::Base,
+            &spec,
+            Protocol::Tcp,
+        )
+        .await;
+
+        // BlocksByRoot Request
+        let rpc_request = Request::BlocksByRoot(BlocksByRootRequest::new(
+            // Must have at least one root for the request to create a stream
+            vec![Hash256::from_low_u64_be(0)],
+            &spec,
+        ));
+
+        // build the sender future
+        let sender_future = async {
+            loop {
+                match sender.next_event().await {
+                    NetworkEvent::PeerConnectedOutgoing(peer_id) => {
+                        // Send a STATUS message
+                        debug!(log, "Sending RPC");
+                        sender.send_request(peer_id, 42, rpc_request.clone());
+                    }
+                    NetworkEvent::RPCFailed { error, id: 42, .. } => match error {
+                        RPCError::Disconnected => return,
+                        other => panic!("received unexpected error {:?}", other),
+                    },
+                    other => {
+                        warn!(log, "Ignoring other event {:?}", other);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        };
+
+        // determine messages to send (PeerId, RequestId). If some, indicates we still need to send
+        // messages
+        let mut sending_peer = None;
+        let receiver_future = async {
+            loop {
+                // this future either drives the sending/receiving or times out allowing messages to be
+                // sent in the timeout
+                match futures::future::select(
+                    Box::pin(receiver.next_event()),
+                    Box::pin(tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1))),
+                )
+                .await
+                {
+                    futures::future::Either::Left((ev, _)) => match ev {
+                        NetworkEvent::RequestReceived { peer_id, .. } => {
+                            sending_peer = Some(peer_id);
+                        }
+                        other => {
+                            warn!(log, "Ignoring other event {:?}", other);
+                        }
+                    },
+                    futures::future::Either::Right((_, _)) => {} // The timeout hit, send messages if required
+                }
+
+                // if we need to send messages send them here. This will happen after a delay
+                if let Some(peer_id) = sending_peer.take() {
+                    warn!(log, "Receiver got request, disconnecting peer");
+                    receiver.__hard_disconnect_testing_only(peer_id);
+                }
+            }
+        };
+
+        tokio::select! {
+            _ = sender_future => {}
+            _ = receiver_future => {}
+            _ = sleep(Duration::from_secs(30)) => {
+                panic!("Future timed out");
+            }
+        }
+    })
+}
+
 /// Establishes a pair of nodes and disconnects the pair based on the selected protocol via an RPC
 /// Goodbye message.
 fn goodbye_test(log_level: Level, enable_logging: bool, protocol: Protocol) {