diff --git a/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/io/network/netty/PartitionRequestClientFactory.java b/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/io/network/netty/PartitionRequestClientFactory.java
index d64548d923ce7766a5bd42f19b804e22f0d87f2c..d7e6efd9e884fe49342cc0713f71cdd7f4db1363 100644
--- a/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/io/network/netty/PartitionRequestClientFactory.java
+++ b/flink-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/runtime/io/network/netty/PartitionRequestClientFactory.java
@@ -52,20 +52,22 @@ class PartitionRequestClientFactory {
 		Object entry;
 		PartitionRequestClient client = null;
 
-		while(client == null) {
+		while (client == null) {
 			entry = clients.get(remoteAddress);
 
 			if (entry != null) {
 				// Existing channel or connecting channel
 				if (entry instanceof PartitionRequestClient) {
 					client = (PartitionRequestClient) entry;
-				} else {
+				}
+				else {
 					ConnectingChannel future = (ConnectingChannel) entry;
 					client = future.waitForChannel();
 
 					clients.replace(remoteAddress, future, client);
 				}
-			} else {
+			}
+			else {
 				// No channel yet. Create one, but watch out for a race.
 				// We create a "connecting future" and atomically add it to the map.
 				// Only the thread that really added it establishes the channel.
@@ -79,18 +81,20 @@ class PartitionRequestClientFactory {
 					client = connectingChannel.waitForChannel();
 
 					clients.replace(remoteAddress, connectingChannel, client);
-				} else if (old instanceof ConnectingChannel) {
+				}
+				else if (old instanceof ConnectingChannel) {
 					client = ((ConnectingChannel) old).waitForChannel();
 
 					clients.replace(remoteAddress, old, client);
-				} else {
+				}
+				else {
 					client = (PartitionRequestClient) old;
 				}
 			}
 
 			// Make sure to increment the reference count before handing a client
 			// out to ensure correct bookkeeping for channel closing.
-			if(!client.incrementReferenceCounter()){
+			if (!client.incrementReferenceCounter()) {
 				destroyPartitionRequestClient(remoteAddress, client);
 				client = null;
 			}
@@ -102,7 +106,7 @@ class PartitionRequestClientFactory {
 	public void closeOpenChannelConnections(RemoteAddress remoteAddress) {
 		Object entry = clients.get(remoteAddress);
 
-		if(entry instanceof ConnectingChannel) {
+		if (entry instanceof ConnectingChannel) {
 			ConnectingChannel channel = (ConnectingChannel) entry;
 
 			if (channel.dispose()) {
@@ -141,8 +145,9 @@ class PartitionRequestClientFactory {
 			boolean result;
 			synchronized (connectLock) {
 				if (partitionRequestClient != null) {
-					result =  partitionRequestClient.disposeIfNotUsed();
-				} else {
+					result = partitionRequestClient.disposeIfNotUsed();
+				}
+				else {
 					disposeRequestClient = true;
 					result = true;
 				}
@@ -155,16 +160,21 @@ class PartitionRequestClientFactory {
 
 		private void handInChannel(Channel channel) {
 			synchronized (connectLock) {
-				PartitionRequestClientHandler requestHandler =
-						(PartitionRequestClientHandler) channel.pipeline().get(PartitionRequestProtocol.CLIENT_REQUEST_HANDLER_NAME);
+				try {
+					PartitionRequestClientHandler requestHandler =
+							(PartitionRequestClientHandler) channel.pipeline().get(PartitionRequestProtocol.CLIENT_REQUEST_HANDLER_NAME);
 
-				partitionRequestClient = new PartitionRequestClient(channel, requestHandler, remoteAddress, clientFactory);
+					partitionRequestClient = new PartitionRequestClient(channel, requestHandler, remoteAddress, clientFactory);
 
-				if (disposeRequestClient) {
-					partitionRequestClient.disposeIfNotUsed();
-				}
+					if (disposeRequestClient) {
+						partitionRequestClient.disposeIfNotUsed();
+					}
 
-				connectLock.notifyAll();
+					connectLock.notifyAll();
+				}
+				catch (Throwable t) {
+					notifyOfError(t);
+				}
 			}
 		}