diff --git a/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsDependencyManager.java b/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsDependencyManager.java
index d804954ecf..1ba4963186 100644
--- a/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsDependencyManager.java
+++ b/xds/src/main/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsDependencyManager.java
@@ -93,13 +93,15 @@ final class XdsDependencyManager implements XdsConfig.XdsClusterSubscriptionRegi
 
   @Override
   public Closeable subscribeToCluster(String clusterName) {
-
     checkNotNull(clusterName, "clusterName");
     ClusterSubscription subscription = new ClusterSubscription(clusterName);
 
     syncContext.execute(() -> {
+      if (getWatchers(XdsListenerResource.getInstance()).isEmpty()) {
+        subscription.closed = true;
+        return; // shutdown() called
+      }
       addClusterWatcher(clusterName, subscription, 1);
-      maybePublishConfig();
     });
 
     return subscription;
@@ -207,10 +209,14 @@ final class XdsDependencyManager implements XdsConfig.XdsClusterSubscriptionRegi
     checkNotNull(subscription, "subscription");
     String clusterName = subscription.getClusterName();
     syncContext.execute(() -> {
+      if (subscription.closed) {
+        return;
+      }
+      subscription.closed = true;
       XdsWatcherBase<?> cdsWatcher =
           resourceWatchers.get(CLUSTER_RESOURCE).watchers.get(clusterName);
       if (cdsWatcher == null) {
-        return; // already released while waiting for the syncContext
+        return; // shutdown() called
       }
       cancelClusterWatcherTree((CdsWatcher) cdsWatcher, subscription);
       maybePublishConfig();
@@ -257,6 +263,9 @@ final class XdsDependencyManager implements XdsConfig.XdsClusterSubscriptionRegi
    */
   private void maybePublishConfig() {
     syncContext.throwIfNotInThisSynchronizationContext();
+    if (getWatchers(XdsListenerResource.getInstance()).isEmpty()) {
+      return; // shutdown() called
+    }
     boolean waitingOnResource = resourceWatchers.values().stream()
         .flatMap(typeWatchers -> typeWatchers.watchers.values().stream())
         .anyMatch(XdsWatcherBase::missingResult);
@@ -293,6 +302,11 @@ final class XdsDependencyManager implements XdsConfig.XdsClusterSubscriptionRegi
       routeSource = ((LdsWatcher) ldsWatcher).getRouteSource();
     }
 
+    if (routeSource == null) {
+      return StatusOr.fromStatus(Status.UNAVAILABLE.withDescription(
+          "Bug: No route source found for listener " + dataPlaneAuthority));
+    }
+
     StatusOr<RdsUpdate> statusOrRdsUpdate = routeSource.getRdsUpdate();
     if (!statusOrRdsUpdate.hasValue()) {
       return StatusOr.fromStatus(statusOrRdsUpdate.getStatus());
@@ -557,14 +571,15 @@ final class XdsDependencyManager implements XdsConfig.XdsClusterSubscriptionRegi
     void onUpdate(StatusOr<XdsConfig> config);
   }
 
-  private class ClusterSubscription implements Closeable {
-    String clusterName;
+  private final class ClusterSubscription implements Closeable {
+    private final String clusterName;
+    boolean closed; // Accessed from syncContext
 
     public ClusterSubscription(String clusterName) {
-      this.clusterName = clusterName;
+      this.clusterName = checkNotNull(clusterName, "clusterName");
     }
 
-    public String getClusterName() {
+    String getClusterName() {
       return clusterName;
     }
 
diff --git a/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsDependencyManagerTest.java b/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsDependencyManagerTest.java
index 1f3d8511ec..8a24d21f77 100644
--- a/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsDependencyManagerTest.java
+++ b/xds/src/test/java/io/grpc/xds/XdsDependencyManagerTest.java
@@ -848,6 +848,22 @@ public class XdsDependencyManagerTest {
     });
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void subscribeToClusterAfterShutdown() throws Exception {
+    XdsTestUtils.setAdsConfig(controlPlaneService, serverName, "RDS", "CDS", "EDS",
+        ENDPOINT_HOSTNAME, ENDPOINT_PORT);
+
+    InOrder inOrder = Mockito.inOrder(xdsConfigWatcher);
+    xdsDependencyManager = new XdsDependencyManager(xdsClient, xdsConfigWatcher, syncContext,
+        serverName, serverName, nameResolverArgs, scheduler);
+    inOrder.verify(xdsConfigWatcher).onUpdate(any());
+    xdsDependencyManager.shutdown();
+
+    Closeable subscription = xdsDependencyManager.subscribeToCluster("CDS");
+    inOrder.verify(xdsConfigWatcher, never()).onUpdate(any());
+    subscription.close();
+  }
+
   private Listener buildInlineClientListener(String rdsName, String clusterName) {
     return XdsTestUtils.buildInlineClientListener(rdsName, clusterName, serverName);
   }