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 a7fb2c196..9f0cb1ac5 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
@@ -438,9 +438,7 @@ public class LettuceConnectionFactory
 
 		RedisClusterClient clusterClient = (RedisClusterClient) client;
 
-		StatefulRedisClusterConnection<byte[], byte[]> sharedConnection = getShareNativeConnection()
-				? (StatefulRedisClusterConnection<byte[], byte[]>) getOrCreateSharedConnection().getConnection()
-				: null;
+		StatefulRedisClusterConnection<byte[], byte[]> sharedConnection = getSharedClusterConnection();
 
 		LettuceClusterTopologyProvider topologyProvider = new LettuceClusterTopologyProvider(clusterClient);
 		return doCreateLettuceClusterConnection(sharedConnection, connectionProvider, topologyProvider,
@@ -540,7 +538,12 @@ public class LettuceConnectionFactory
 
 		resetConnection();
 
-		getSharedConnection();
+		if (isClusterAware()) {
+			getSharedClusterConnection();
+		} else {
+			getSharedConnection();
+		}
+
 		getSharedReactiveConnection();
 	}
 
@@ -1081,12 +1084,27 @@ public class LettuceConnectionFactory
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * @return the shared connection using {@literal byte} array encoding for imperative API use. {@literal null} if
-	 *         {@link #getShareNativeConnection() connection sharing} is disabled.
+	 * @return the shared connection using {@literal byte[]} encoding for imperative API use. {@literal null} if
+	 *         {@link #getShareNativeConnection() connection sharing} is disabled or when connected to Redis Cluster.
 	 */
 	@Nullable
 	protected StatefulRedisConnection<byte[], byte[]> getSharedConnection() {
-		return shareNativeConnection ? (StatefulRedisConnection) getOrCreateSharedConnection().getConnection() : null;
+		return shareNativeConnection && !isClusterAware()
+				? (StatefulRedisConnection) getOrCreateSharedConnection().getConnection()
+				: null;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @return the shared cluster connection using {@literal byte[]} encoding for imperative API use. {@literal null} if
+	 *         {@link #getShareNativeConnection() connection sharing} is disabled or when connected to Redis
+	 *         Standalone/Sentinel/Master-Replica.
+	 * @since 2.5.7
+	 */
+	@Nullable
+	protected StatefulRedisClusterConnection<byte[], byte[]> getSharedClusterConnection() {
+		return shareNativeConnection && isClusterAware()
+				? (StatefulRedisClusterConnection) getOrCreateSharedConnection().getConnection()
+				: null;
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/lettuce/LettuceConnectionFactoryTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/lettuce/LettuceConnectionFactoryTests.java
index 9f0518317..6bd0750e6 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/lettuce/LettuceConnectionFactoryTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/redis/connection/lettuce/LettuceConnectionFactoryTests.java
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ import org.springframework.data.redis.connection.RedisStandaloneConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.data.redis.connection.RedisStaticMasterReplicaConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.data.redis.connection.StringRedisConnection;
 import org.springframework.data.redis.connection.lettuce.extension.LettuceConnectionFactoryExtension;
+import org.springframework.data.redis.test.condition.EnabledOnRedisClusterAvailable;
 import org.springframework.data.redis.test.extension.LettuceTestClientResources;
 
 /**
@@ -85,7 +86,6 @@ class LettuceConnectionFactoryTests {
 		factory.destroy();
 	}
 
-
 	@SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
 	@Test
 	void testGetNewConnectionOnError() throws Exception {
@@ -462,9 +462,8 @@ class LettuceConnectionFactoryTests {
 
 		RedisConnection connection = factory.getConnection();
 
-		assertThatThrownBy(() -> connection.pSubscribe((message, pattern) -> {
-		}, "foo".getBytes())).isInstanceOf(RedisConnectionFailureException.class)
-				.hasCauseInstanceOf(UnsupportedOperationException.class);
+		assertThatThrownBy(() -> connection.pSubscribe((message, pattern) -> {}, "foo".getBytes()))
+				.isInstanceOf(RedisConnectionFailureException.class).hasCauseInstanceOf(UnsupportedOperationException.class);
 
 		connection.close();
 		factory.destroy();
@@ -558,4 +557,44 @@ class LettuceConnectionFactoryTests {
 
 		connection.close();
 	}
+
+	@Test // GH-2186
+	void shouldInitializeMasterReplicaConnectionsEagerly() {
+
+		LettuceClientConfiguration configuration = LettuceClientConfiguration.builder()
+				.clientResources(LettuceTestClientResources.getSharedClientResources()).build();
+
+		RedisStaticMasterReplicaConfiguration elastiCache = new RedisStaticMasterReplicaConfiguration(
+				SettingsUtils.getHost()).node(SettingsUtils.getHost(), SettingsUtils.getPort() + 1);
+
+		LettuceConnectionFactory factory = new LettuceConnectionFactory(elastiCache, configuration);
+		factory.setEagerInitialization(true);
+		factory.afterPropertiesSet();
+
+		assertThat(factory.getSharedConnection()).isNotNull();
+		assertThat(factory.getSharedClusterConnection()).isNull();
+
+		factory.getConnection().close();
+		factory.destroy();
+	}
+
+	@Test // GH-2186
+	@EnabledOnRedisClusterAvailable
+	void shouldInitializeClusterConnectionsEagerly() {
+
+		LettuceClientConfiguration configuration = LettuceClientConfiguration.builder()
+				.clientResources(LettuceTestClientResources.getSharedClientResources()).build();
+
+		LettuceConnectionFactory factory = new LettuceConnectionFactory(SettingsUtils.clusterConfiguration(),
+				configuration);
+		factory.setEagerInitialization(true);
+		factory.afterPropertiesSet();
+
+		assertThat(factory.getSharedConnection()).isNull();
+		assertThat(factory.getSharedClusterConnection()).isNotNull();
+
+		factory.getConnection().close();
+		factory.destroy();
+	}
+
 }