diff --git a/common/persistence/nosql/sharded_nosql_store.go b/common/persistence/nosql/sharded_nosql_store.go
index 26a2a496105..5d755f5c2b4 100644
--- a/common/persistence/nosql/sharded_nosql_store.go
+++ b/common/persistence/nosql/sharded_nosql_store.go
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ func (sn *shardedNosqlStoreImpl) GetDefaultShard() nosqlStore {
 }
 
 func (sn *shardedNosqlStoreImpl) Close() {
+	sn.RLock()
+	defer sn.RUnlock()
 	for name, shard := range sn.connectedShards {
 		sn.logger.Warn("Closing store shard", tag.StoreShard(name))
 		shard.Close()
@@ -135,8 +137,8 @@ func (sn *shardedNosqlStoreImpl) getShard(shardName string) (*nosqlStore, error)
 	}
 
 	sn.Lock()
+	defer sn.Unlock()
 	if shard, ok := sn.connectedShards[shardName]; ok { // read again to double-check
-		sn.Unlock()
 		return &shard, nil
 	}
 
@@ -146,7 +148,6 @@ func (sn *shardedNosqlStoreImpl) getShard(shardName string) (*nosqlStore, error)
 	}
 	sn.connectedShards[shardName] = *s
 	sn.logger.Info("Connected to store shard", tag.StoreShard(shardName))
-	sn.Unlock()
 	return s, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/common/persistence/nosql/sharded_nosql_store_test.go b/common/persistence/nosql/sharded_nosql_store_test.go
index 34a03e6c5f6..d9a3ccd92bb 100644
--- a/common/persistence/nosql/sharded_nosql_store_test.go
+++ b/common/persistence/nosql/sharded_nosql_store_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 package nosql
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/golang/mock/gomock"
@@ -66,12 +67,7 @@ func TestShardedNosqlStoreTestSuite(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func (s *shardedNosqlStoreTestSuite) TestValidConfiguration() {
-	cfg := getValidShardedNoSQLConfig()
-
-	storeInterface, err := newShardedNosqlStore(cfg, log.NewNoop(), nil)
-	s.NoError(err)
-	store := storeInterface.(*shardedNosqlStoreImpl)
-
+	store := s.newShardedStoreForTest()
 	s.Equal(1, len(store.connectedShards))
 	s.Contains(store.connectedShards, "shard-1")
 	s.Equal(store.GetDefaultShard(), store.defaultShard)
@@ -83,13 +79,18 @@ func (s *shardedNosqlStoreTestSuite) TestValidConfiguration() {
 
 func (s *shardedNosqlStoreTestSuite) TestStoreSelectionForHistoryShard() {
 	mockDB1 := nosqlplugin.NewMockDB(s.mockController)
+	mockDB1.EXPECT().Close().Times(1)
 	mockDB2 := nosqlplugin.NewMockDB(s.mockController)
+	mockDB2.EXPECT().Close().Times(1)
 
 	mockPlugin := nosqlplugin.NewMockPlugin(s.mockController)
 	gomock.InOrder(
 		mockPlugin.EXPECT().
 			CreateDB(gomock.Any(), gomock.Any(), gomock.Any()).
 			Return(mockDB1, nil),
+		mockPlugin.EXPECT().
+			CreateDB(gomock.Any(), gomock.Any(), gomock.Any()).
+			Return(nil, errors.New("error creating db")),
 		mockPlugin.EXPECT().
 			CreateDB(gomock.Any(), gomock.Any(), gomock.Any()).
 			Return(mockDB2, nil),
@@ -97,11 +98,8 @@ func (s *shardedNosqlStoreTestSuite) TestStoreSelectionForHistoryShard() {
 	delete(supportedPlugins, "cassandra")
 	RegisterPlugin("cassandra", mockPlugin)
 
-	cfg := getValidShardedNoSQLConfig()
-
-	storeInterface, err := newShardedNosqlStore(cfg, log.NewNoop(), nil)
-	s.NoError(err)
-	store := storeInterface.(*shardedNosqlStoreImpl)
+	store := s.newShardedStoreForTest()
+	defer store.Close()
 
 	s.Equal(1, len(store.connectedShards))
 	s.True(mockDB1 == store.defaultShard.db)
@@ -118,8 +116,13 @@ func (s *shardedNosqlStoreTestSuite) TestStoreSelectionForHistoryShard() {
 	s.Equal(1, len(store.connectedShards))
 	s.True(mockDB1 == storeShard1.db)
 
-	// Getting a new shard should create a new connection
+	// Getting a new shard should create a new connection but it will fail on first attempt
 	storeShard2, err := store.GetStoreShardByHistoryShard(1)
+	s.Error(err)
+	s.Equal(1, len(store.connectedShards))
+
+	// Getting a new shard should create a new connection on second attempt
+	storeShard2, err = store.GetStoreShardByHistoryShard(1)
 	s.NoError(err)
 	s.Equal(2, len(store.connectedShards))
 	s.True(mockDB2 == storeShard2.db)
@@ -146,9 +149,23 @@ func (s *shardedNosqlStoreTestSuite) TestStoreSelectionForHistoryShard() {
 	s.True(mockDB2 == storeShard2.db)
 }
 
+func (s *shardedNosqlStoreTestSuite) newShardedStoreForTest() *shardedNosqlStoreImpl {
+	cfg := getValidShardedNoSQLConfig()
+	logger := log.NewNoop()
+	storeInterface, err := newShardedNosqlStore(cfg, logger, nil)
+	s.NoError(err)
+	s.Equal("shardedNosql", storeInterface.GetName())
+	s.Equal(logger, storeInterface.GetLogger())
+	store := storeInterface.(*shardedNosqlStoreImpl)
+	s.Equal(storeInterface.GetShardingPolicy(), store.shardingPolicy)
+	return store
+}
+
 func (s *shardedNosqlStoreTestSuite) TestStoreSelectionForTasklist() {
 	mockDB1 := nosqlplugin.NewMockDB(s.mockController)
+	mockDB1.EXPECT().Close().Times(1)
 	mockDB2 := nosqlplugin.NewMockDB(s.mockController)
+	mockDB2.EXPECT().Close().Times(1)
 
 	mockPlugin := nosqlplugin.NewMockPlugin(s.mockController)
 	gomock.InOrder(
@@ -162,11 +179,8 @@ func (s *shardedNosqlStoreTestSuite) TestStoreSelectionForTasklist() {
 	delete(supportedPlugins, "cassandra")
 	RegisterPlugin("cassandra", mockPlugin)
 
-	cfg := getValidShardedNoSQLConfig()
-
-	storeInterface, err := newShardedNosqlStore(cfg, log.NewNoop(), nil)
-	s.NoError(err)
-	store := storeInterface.(*shardedNosqlStoreImpl)
+	store := s.newShardedStoreForTest()
+	defer store.Close()
 
 	s.Equal(1, len(store.connectedShards))
 	s.True(mockDB1 == store.defaultShard.db)