diff --git a/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/StreamBufferingEncoder.java b/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/StreamBufferingEncoder.java
index a37221b12841..d340a402f8ff 100644
--- a/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/StreamBufferingEncoder.java
+++ b/netty/src/main/java/io/grpc/netty/StreamBufferingEncoder.java
@@ -153,10 +153,14 @@ public ChannelFuture writeHeaders(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, int streamId, Http2
     if (closed) {
       return promise.setFailure(new Http2ChannelClosedException());
     }
-    if (isExistingStream(streamId) || connection().goAwayReceived()) {
+    if (isExistingStream(streamId)) {
       return super.writeHeaders(ctx, streamId, headers, streamDependency, weight,
           exclusive, padding, endOfStream, promise);
     }
+    if (connection().goAwayReceived()) {
+      promise.setFailure(new Http2Exception(Http2Error.NO_ERROR, "GOAWAY received"));
+      return promise;
+    }
     if (canCreateStream()) {
       return super.writeHeaders(ctx, streamId, headers, streamDependency, weight,
           exclusive, padding, endOfStream, promise);
diff --git a/netty/src/test/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyClientHandlerTest.java b/netty/src/test/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyClientHandlerTest.java
index 223f4781538e..99dfe905b5a1 100644
--- a/netty/src/test/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyClientHandlerTest.java
+++ b/netty/src/test/java/io/grpc/netty/NettyClientHandlerTest.java
@@ -384,23 +384,20 @@ public void receivedAbruptGoAwayShouldFailRacingQueuedStreamid() throws Exceptio
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void receivedGoAway_shouldNotFailBufferedStreamWithStreamIdLessThanLastId()
+  public void receivedGoAway_shouldFailBufferedStreams()
       throws Exception {
-    ClientStreamListener streamListener1 = mock(ClientStreamListener.class);
     NettyClientStream.TransportState streamTransportState1 = new TransportStateImpl(
         handler(),
         channel().eventLoop(),
         DEFAULT_MAX_MESSAGE_SIZE,
         transportTracer);
-    streamTransportState1.setListener(streamListener1);
-    ClientStreamListener streamListener2 = mock(ClientStreamListener.class);
+    streamTransportState1.setListener(mock(ClientStreamListener.class));
     NettyClientStream.TransportState streamTransportState2 = new TransportStateImpl(
         handler(),
         channel().eventLoop(),
         DEFAULT_MAX_MESSAGE_SIZE,
         transportTracer);
-    streamTransportState2.setListener(streamListener2);
-    // MAX_CONCURRENT_STREAMS=1
+    streamTransportState2.setListener(mock(ClientStreamListener.class));
     receiveMaxConcurrentStreams(1);
     ChannelFuture future1 = writeQueue().enqueue(
         newCreateStreamCommand(grpcHeaders, streamTransportState1), true);
@@ -409,67 +406,10 @@ public void receivedGoAway_shouldNotFailBufferedStreamWithStreamIdLessThanLastId
 
     // GOAWAY
     channelRead(goAwayFrame(Integer.MAX_VALUE));
-    assertTrue(future1.isSuccess());
-    verify(streamListener1).onReady();
-    channel().runPendingTasks();
-    if (future2.cause() != null ) {
-      throw new AssertionError(future2.cause());
-    }
-    assertFalse(future2.isDone());
-    verify(streamListener2, never()).onReady();
-
-    // Let the first stream complete, then the pending stream will be activated.
-    Http2Headers headers = new DefaultHttp2Headers().status(STATUS_OK)
-        .set(CONTENT_TYPE_HEADER, CONTENT_TYPE_GRPC);
-    channelRead(headersFrame(streamId, headers));
-    channelRead(grpcDataFrame(streamId, false, contentAsArray()));
-    channelRead(trailersFrame(
-        streamId,
-        new DefaultHttp2Headers().set(AsciiString.of("grpc-status"), AsciiString.of("0"))));
-    streamTransportState1.requestMessagesFromDeframerForTesting(1);
-    verify(streamListener1).closed(eq(Status.OK), any(RpcProgress.class),
-        any(Metadata.class));
-    channel().runPendingTasks();
-    if (future2.cause() != null) {
-      throw new AssertionError(future2.cause());
-    }
-    assertTrue(future2.isSuccess());
-    verify(streamListener2).onReady();
-  }
-
-  @Test
-  public void receivedGoAway_shouldRefuseBufferedStreamWithStreamIdGreaterThanLastId()
-      throws Exception {
-    ClientStreamListener streamListener1 = mock(ClientStreamListener.class);
-    NettyClientStream.TransportState streamTransportState1 = new TransportStateImpl(
-        handler(),
-        channel().eventLoop(),
-        DEFAULT_MAX_MESSAGE_SIZE,
-        transportTracer);
-    streamTransportState1.setListener(streamListener1);
-    ClientStreamListener streamListener2 = mock(ClientStreamListener.class);
-    NettyClientStream.TransportState streamTransportState2 = new TransportStateImpl(
-        handler(),
-        channel().eventLoop(),
-        DEFAULT_MAX_MESSAGE_SIZE,
-        transportTracer);
-    streamTransportState2.setListener(streamListener2);
-    // MAX_CONCURRENT_STREAMS=1
-    receiveMaxConcurrentStreams(1);
-    ChannelFuture future1 = writeQueue().enqueue(
-        newCreateStreamCommand(grpcHeaders, streamTransportState1), true);
-    ChannelFuture future2 = writeQueue().enqueue(
-        newCreateStreamCommand(grpcHeaders, streamTransportState2), true);
-
-    // GOAWAY
-    channelRead(goAwayFrame(streamId));
-    assertTrue(future1.isSuccess());
-    verify(streamListener1).onReady();
-    assertThat(future2.cause()).isNotNull();
-    assertThat(Status.fromThrowable(future2.cause()).getCode()).isEqualTo(Status.Code.UNAVAILABLE);
-    assertThat(Status.fromThrowable(future2.cause()).getDescription()).isEqualTo(
-        "Abrupt GOAWAY closed unsent stream. HTTP/2 error code: NO_ERROR");
-    verify(streamListener2).closed(any(Status.class), eq(RpcProgress.REFUSED), any(Metadata.class));
+    assertTrue(future1.isDone());
+    assertThat(future1.cause().getMessage()).contains("GOAWAY received");
+    assertTrue(future2.isDone());
+    assertThat(future2.cause().getMessage()).contains("GOAWAY received");
   }
 
   @Test