diff --git a/common/network-shuffle/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/network/shuffle/ExternalBlockStoreClient.java b/common/network-shuffle/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/network/shuffle/ExternalBlockStoreClient.java
index b8e52c8621fb6..85d278138c2b4 100644
--- a/common/network-shuffle/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/network/shuffle/ExternalBlockStoreClient.java
+++ b/common/network-shuffle/src/main/java/org/apache/spark/network/shuffle/ExternalBlockStoreClient.java
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public class ExternalBlockStoreClient extends BlockStoreClient {
   private final SecretKeyHolder secretKeyHolder;
   private final long registrationTimeoutMs;
 
-  protected TransportClientFactory clientFactory;
+  protected volatile TransportClientFactory clientFactory;
   protected String appId;
 
   /**
@@ -102,9 +102,14 @@ public void fetchBlocks(
     try {
       RetryingBlockFetcher.BlockFetchStarter blockFetchStarter =
           (blockIds1, listener1) -> {
-            TransportClient client = clientFactory.createClient(host, port);
-            new OneForOneBlockFetcher(client, appId, execId,
-              blockIds1, listener1, conf, downloadFileManager).start();
+            // Unless this client is closed.
+            if (clientFactory != null) {
+              TransportClient client = clientFactory.createClient(host, port);
+              new OneForOneBlockFetcher(client, appId, execId,
+                blockIds1, listener1, conf, downloadFileManager).start();
+            } else {
+              logger.info("This clientFactory was closed. Skipping further block fetch retries.");
+            }
           };
 
       int maxRetries = conf.maxIORetries();