diff --git a/proxy/http/HttpTunnel.cc b/proxy/http/HttpTunnel.cc
index 4fbac851be8..1bfc10b2836 100644
--- a/proxy/http/HttpTunnel.cc
+++ b/proxy/http/HttpTunnel.cc
@@ -956,6 +956,9 @@ HttpTunnel::producer_run(HttpTunnelProducer *p)
       // Start the writes now that we know we will consume all the initial data
       c->write_vio = c->vc->do_io_write(this, c_write, c->buffer_reader);
       ink_assert(c_write > 0);
+      if (c->write_vio == nullptr) {
+        consumer_handler(VC_EVENT_ERROR, c);
+      }
     }
   }
   if (p->alive) {
diff --git a/proxy/http2/Http2Stream.cc b/proxy/http2/Http2Stream.cc
index 1a72de1e739..d788f04340e 100644
--- a/proxy/http2/Http2Stream.cc
+++ b/proxy/http2/Http2Stream.cc
@@ -331,8 +331,12 @@ Http2Stream::do_io_write(Continuation *c, int64_t nbytes, IOBufferReader *abuffe
   write_vio.op        = VIO::WRITE;
   response_reader     = abuffer;
 
-  update_write_request(abuffer, nbytes, false);
-
+  if (c != nullptr && nbytes > 0 && this->is_client_state_writeable()) {
+    update_write_request(abuffer, nbytes, false);
+  } else if (!this->is_client_state_writeable()) {
+    // Cannot start a write on a closed stream
+    return nullptr;
+  }
   return &write_vio;
 }