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 f51cd876c..65940f290 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
@@ -1170,12 +1170,7 @@ 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 da12090ba..7b40ada1a 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
@@ -692,6 +692,33 @@ 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.connectAsync(ByteArrayCodec.INSTANCE))
+				.thenReturn(CompletableFuture.completedFuture(connectionMock));
+		when(connectionMock.isOpen()).thenReturn(false);
+		when(connectionMock.closeAsync()).thenReturn(CompletableFuture.completedFuture(null));
+
+		LettuceConnectionFactory connectionFactory = new LettuceConnectionFactory(clusterConfig,
+				LettuceClientConfiguration.defaultConfiguration()) {
+
+			@Override
+			protected AbstractRedisClient createClient() {
+				return clientMock;
+			}
+		};
+
+		connectionFactory.setValidateConnection(true);
+		connectionFactory.afterPropertiesSet();
+
+		connectionFactory.getConnection().close();
+
+		verify(connectionMock).closeAsync();
+	}
+
 	@Test // DATAREDIS-721
 	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	public void shouldEagerlyInitializeSharedConnection() {