diff --git a/common/jsonrpc_errors.h b/common/jsonrpc_errors.h
index d7e5219f5..f7cb09776 100644
--- a/common/jsonrpc_errors.h
+++ b/common/jsonrpc_errors.h
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ static const errcode_t PLUGIN_ERROR = -3;
 /* Plugin terminated while handling a request. */
 static const errcode_t PLUGIN_TERMINATED = -4;
 
+/* Lightningd is shutting down while handling a request. */
+static const errcode_t LIGHTNINGD_SHUTDOWN = -5;
+
 /* Errors from `pay`, `sendpay`, or `waitsendpay` commands */
 static const errcode_t PAY_IN_PROGRESS = 200;
 static const errcode_t PAY_RHASH_ALREADY_USED = 201;
diff --git a/lightningd/jsonrpc.c b/lightningd/jsonrpc.c
index 3b2d2e077..abaa940d1 100644
--- a/lightningd/jsonrpc.c
+++ b/lightningd/jsonrpc.c
@@ -933,6 +933,11 @@ parse_request(struct json_connection *jcon, const jsmntok_t tok[])
 				    json_tok_full(jcon->buffer, method));
 	}
 
+	if (jcon->ld->state == LD_STATE_SHUTDOWN) {
+		return command_fail(c, LIGHTNINGD_SHUTDOWN,
+				    "lightningd is shutting down");
+	}
+
 	rpc_hook = tal(c, struct rpc_command_hook_payload);
 	rpc_hook->cmd = c;
 	/* Duplicate since we might outlive the connection */
diff --git a/lightningd/lightningd.c b/lightningd/lightningd.c
index 6294c70aa..5a9cc58a6 100644
--- a/lightningd/lightningd.c
+++ b/lightningd/lightningd.c
@@ -1168,6 +1168,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	 *  shut down.
 	 */
 	assert(io_loop_ret == ld);
+
+	/* Fail JSON RPC requests and ignore plugin's responses */
 	ld->state = LD_STATE_SHUTDOWN;
 
 	stop_fd = -1;