diff --git a/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/AsyncSSLConnection.java b/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/AsyncSSLConnection.java
index 13e105b7b0d..875923029cf 100644
--- a/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/AsyncSSLConnection.java
+++ b/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/AsyncSSLConnection.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2015, 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -111,6 +111,11 @@ class AsyncSSLConnection extends AbstractAsyncSSLConnection {
         plainConnection.close();
     }
 
+    @Override
+    void close(Throwable cause) {
+        plainConnection.close(cause);
+    }
+
     @Override
     SSLTube getConnectionFlow() {
        return flow;
diff --git a/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/AsyncSSLTunnelConnection.java b/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/AsyncSSLTunnelConnection.java
index 9f2129fef42..dc9e1bfb795 100644
--- a/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/AsyncSSLTunnelConnection.java
+++ b/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/AsyncSSLTunnelConnection.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2015, 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -113,6 +113,11 @@ class AsyncSSLTunnelConnection extends AbstractAsyncSSLConnection {
         plainConnection.close();
     }
 
+    @Override
+    void close(Throwable cause) {
+        plainConnection.close(cause);
+    }
+
     @Override
     SocketChannel channel() {
         return plainConnection.channel();
diff --git a/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/Exchange.java b/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/Exchange.java
index ba6e668241e..e643b05422a 100644
--- a/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/Exchange.java
+++ b/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/Exchange.java
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ final class Exchange<T> {
     static final class ConnectionAborter {
         private volatile HttpConnection connection;
         private volatile boolean closeRequested;
+        private volatile Throwable cause;
 
         void connection(HttpConnection connection) {
             boolean closeRequested;
@@ -156,20 +157,27 @@ final class Exchange<T> {
                     this.closeRequested = false;
                 }
             }
-            if (closeRequested) closeConnection(connection);
+            if (closeRequested) closeConnection(connection, cause);
         }
 
-        void closeConnection() {
+        void closeConnection(Throwable error) {
             HttpConnection connection;
+            Throwable cause;
             synchronized (this) {
+                cause = this.cause;
+                if (cause == null) {
+                    cause = error;
+                }
                 connection = this.connection;
                 if (connection == null) {
                     closeRequested = true;
+                    this.cause = cause;
                 } else {
                     this.connection = null;
+                    this.cause = null;
                 }
             }
-            closeConnection(connection);
+            closeConnection(connection, cause);
         }
 
         HttpConnection disable() {
@@ -178,14 +186,15 @@ final class Exchange<T> {
                 connection = this.connection;
                 this.connection = null;
                 this.closeRequested = false;
+                this.cause = null;
             }
             return connection;
         }
 
-        private static void closeConnection(HttpConnection connection) {
+        private static void closeConnection(HttpConnection connection, Throwable cause) {
             if (connection != null) {
                 try {
-                    connection.close();
+                    connection.close(cause);
                 } catch (Throwable t) {
                     // ignore
                 }
@@ -264,11 +273,19 @@ final class Exchange<T> {
             impl.cancel(cause);
         } else {
             // no impl yet. record the exception
-            failed = cause;
+            IOException failed = this.failed;
+            if (failed == null) {
+                synchronized (this) {
+                    failed = this.failed;
+                    if (failed == null) {
+                        failed = this.failed = cause;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
 
             // abort/close the connection if setting up the exchange. This can
             // be important when setting up HTTP/2
-            connectionAborter.closeConnection();
+            connectionAborter.closeConnection(failed);
 
             // now call checkCancelled to recheck the impl.
             // if the failed state is set and the impl is not null, reset
diff --git a/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/HttpConnection.java b/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/HttpConnection.java
index f300d3ec93e..be33469c052 100644
--- a/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/HttpConnection.java
+++ b/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/HttpConnection.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2015, 2022, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2015, 2023, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
  *
  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
@@ -427,11 +427,19 @@ abstract class HttpConnection implements Closeable {
     abstract ConnectionPool.CacheKey cacheKey();
 
     /**
-     * Closes this connection, by returning the socket to its connection pool.
+     * Closes this connection.
      */
     @Override
     public abstract void close();
 
+    /**
+     * Closes this connection due to the given cause.
+     * @param cause the cause for which the connection is closed, may be null
+     */
+    void close(Throwable cause) {
+        close();
+    }
+
     abstract FlowTube getConnectionFlow();
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/PlainHttpConnection.java b/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/PlainHttpConnection.java
index 1d125e60e98..d9ac4dc05f2 100644
--- a/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/PlainHttpConnection.java
+++ b/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/PlainHttpConnection.java
@@ -401,11 +401,13 @@ class PlainHttpConnection extends HttpConnection {
         return "PlainHttpConnection: " + super.toString();
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Closes this connection
-     */
     @Override
     public void close() {
+        close(null);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    void close(Throwable cause) {
         var closed = this.closed;
         if (closed) return;
         stateLock.lock();
@@ -423,7 +425,7 @@ class PlainHttpConnection extends HttpConnection {
             }
             try {
                 chan.close();
-                tube.signalClosed();
+                tube.signalClosed(cause);
             } finally {
                 client().connectionClosed(this);
             }
diff --git a/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/PlainTunnelingConnection.java b/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/PlainTunnelingConnection.java
index b82e764f09e..4565514f577 100644
--- a/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/PlainTunnelingConnection.java
+++ b/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/PlainTunnelingConnection.java
@@ -157,7 +157,12 @@ final class PlainTunnelingConnection extends HttpConnection {
 
     @Override
     public void close() {
-        delegate.close();
+        close(null);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    void close(Throwable cause) {
+        delegate.close(cause);
         connected = false;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/SocketTube.java b/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/SocketTube.java
index 388384a379e..1421e461656 100644
--- a/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/SocketTube.java
+++ b/src/java.net.http/share/classes/jdk/internal/net/http/SocketTube.java
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ final class SocketTube implements FlowTube {
     //                           Events                                      //
     // ======================================================================//
 
-    void signalClosed() {
+    void signalClosed(Throwable cause) {
         // Ensures that the subscriber will be terminated and that future
         // subscribers will be notified when the connection is closed.
         if (Log.channel()) {
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ final class SocketTube implements FlowTube {
                     channelDescr());
         }
         readPublisher.subscriptionImpl.signalError(
-                new IOException("connection closed locally"));
+                new IOException("connection closed locally", cause));
     }
 
     /**