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 a56d58f81..26a74ccd5 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
@@ -1139,12 +1139,7 @@ public class LettuceConnectionFactory
 
 				if (!valid) {
 
-					if (connection != null) {
-						connectionProvider.release(connection);
-					}
-
 					log.warn("Validation of shared connection failed. Creating a new connection.");
-
 					resetConnection();
 					this.connection = getNativeConnection();
 				}
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 8bb9bfe4d..f871cdf72 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
@@ -687,6 +687,31 @@ public class LettuceConnectionFactoryUnitTests {
 		verify(syncMock).ping();
 	}
 
+	@Test // DATAREDIS-953
+	public void shouldReleaseSharedConnectionOnlyOnce() {
+
+		RedisClusterClient clientMock = mock(RedisClusterClient.class);
+		StatefulRedisClusterConnection<byte[], byte[]> connectionMock = mock(StatefulRedisClusterConnection.class);
+		when(clientMock.connect(ByteArrayCodec.INSTANCE)).thenReturn(connectionMock);
+		when(connectionMock.isOpen()).thenReturn(false);
+
+		LettuceConnectionFactory connectionFactory = new LettuceConnectionFactory(clusterConfig,
+				LettuceClientConfiguration.defaultConfiguration()) {
+
+			@Override
+			protected AbstractRedisClient createClient() {
+				return clientMock;
+			}
+		};
+
+		connectionFactory.setValidateConnection(true);
+		connectionFactory.afterPropertiesSet();
+
+		connectionFactory.getConnection().close();
+
+		verify(connectionMock).close();
+	}
+
 	@Test // DATAREDIS-842
 	public void databaseShouldBeSetCorrectlyOnSentinelClient() {