diff --git a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_connection.c b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_connection.c
index 741dc4d40d..614a1ad418 100644
--- a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_connection.c
+++ b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_connection.c
@@ -793,22 +793,24 @@ void mca_oob_tcp_peer_close(mca_oob_tcp_peer_t *peer)
                         ORTE_NAME_PRINT(&(peer->name)),
                         peer->sd, mca_oob_tcp_state_print(peer->state));
 
-    peer->state = MCA_OOB_TCP_CLOSED;
-    if (NULL != peer->active_addr) {
-        peer->active_addr->state = MCA_OOB_TCP_CLOSED;
-    }
-
     /* release the socket */
     close(peer->sd);
 
     /* if we were CONNECTING, then we need to mark the address as
      * failed and cycle back to try the next address */
     if (MCA_OOB_TCP_CONNECTING == peer->state) {
-        peer->active_addr->state = MCA_OOB_TCP_FAILED;
+        if (NULL != peer->active_addr) {
+            peer->active_addr->state = MCA_OOB_TCP_FAILED;
+        }
         ORTE_ACTIVATE_TCP_CONN_STATE(peer, mca_oob_tcp_peer_try_connect);
         return;
     }
 
+    peer->state = MCA_OOB_TCP_CLOSED;
+    if (NULL != peer->active_addr) {
+        peer->active_addr->state = MCA_OOB_TCP_CLOSED;
+    }
+
     /* inform the component-level that we have lost a connection so
      * it can decide what to do about it.
      */