diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/lettuce/LettuceConnectionFactory.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/lettuce/LettuceConnectionFactory.java
index 0f7d7db63..f51cd876c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/lettuce/LettuceConnectionFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/lettuce/LettuceConnectionFactory.java
@@ -1160,7 +1160,7 @@ public class LettuceConnectionFactory
 						}
 
 						if (connection instanceof StatefulRedisClusterConnection) {
-							((StatefulRedisConnection) connection).sync().ping();
+							((StatefulRedisClusterConnection) connection).sync().ping();
 						}
 						valid = true;
 					} catch (Exception e) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/lettuce/LettuceConnectionFactoryUnitTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/lettuce/LettuceConnectionFactoryUnitTests.java
index 0867a1181..da12090ba 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/lettuce/LettuceConnectionFactoryUnitTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/lettuce/LettuceConnectionFactoryUnitTests.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import io.lettuce.core.api.StatefulRedisConnection;
 import io.lettuce.core.cluster.ClusterClientOptions;
 import io.lettuce.core.cluster.RedisClusterClient;
 import io.lettuce.core.cluster.api.StatefulRedisClusterConnection;
+import io.lettuce.core.cluster.api.sync.RedisAdvancedClusterCommands;
 import io.lettuce.core.codec.ByteArrayCodec;
 import io.lettuce.core.codec.RedisCodec;
 import io.lettuce.core.resource.ClientResources;
@@ -663,6 +664,34 @@ public class LettuceConnectionFactoryUnitTests {
 		verify(clientMock).connectAsync(ArgumentMatchers.any(RedisCodec.class));
 	}
 
+	@Test // DATAREDIS-950
+	public void shouldValidateSharedClusterConnection() {
+
+		RedisClusterClient clientMock = mock(RedisClusterClient.class);
+		StatefulRedisClusterConnection<byte[], byte[]> connectionMock = mock(StatefulRedisClusterConnection.class);
+		RedisAdvancedClusterCommands<byte[], byte[]> syncMock = mock(RedisAdvancedClusterCommands.class);
+		when(clientMock.connectAsync(ByteArrayCodec.INSTANCE))
+				.thenReturn(CompletableFuture.completedFuture(connectionMock));
+		when(connectionMock.isOpen()).thenReturn(true);
+		when(connectionMock.sync()).thenReturn(syncMock);
+
+		LettuceConnectionFactory connectionFactory = new LettuceConnectionFactory(clusterConfig,
+				LettuceClientConfiguration.defaultConfiguration()) {
+
+			@Override
+			protected AbstractRedisClient createClient() {
+				return clientMock;
+			}
+		};
+
+		connectionFactory.setValidateConnection(true);
+		connectionFactory.afterPropertiesSet();
+
+		connectionFactory.getConnection().close();
+
+		verify(syncMock).ping();
+	}
+
 	@Test // DATAREDIS-721
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	public void shouldEagerlyInitializeSharedConnection() {