diff --git a/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/PooledConnection.java b/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/PooledConnection.java
index 08b7b898e7..9b8f37c2ba 100644
--- a/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/PooledConnection.java
+++ b/zuul-core/src/main/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/PooledConnection.java
@@ -186,10 +186,7 @@ public boolean release() {
 
         if (!isShouldClose() && connectionState != ConnectionState.WRITE_READY) {
             CurrentPassport passport = CurrentPassport.fromChannel(channel);
-            LOG.info(
-                    "Error - Attempt to put busy connection into the pool = {}, {}",
-                    this.toString(),
-                    String.valueOf(passport));
+            LOG.info("Error - Attempt to put busy connection into the pool = {}, {}", this, passport);
             this.shouldClose = true;
         }
 
@@ -213,8 +210,12 @@ private void removeHandlerFromPipeline(String handlerName, ChannelPipeline pipel
     }
 
     public void startReadTimeoutHandler(Duration readTimeout) {
-        getChannel()
-                .pipeline()
+        Channel channel = getChannel();
+        if (!channel.isActive()) {
+            LOG.debug("Tried to start read timeout handler, but channel is not active");
+            return;
+        }
+        channel.pipeline()
                 .addBefore(
                         DefaultOriginChannelInitializer.ORIGIN_NETTY_LOGGER,
                         READ_TIMEOUT_HANDLER_NAME,
diff --git a/zuul-core/src/test/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/PooledConnectionTest.java b/zuul-core/src/test/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/PooledConnectionTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6d98185d0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zuul-core/src/test/java/com/netflix/zuul/netty/connectionpool/PooledConnectionTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2025 Netflix, Inc.
+ *
+ *      Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ *      you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ *      You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *          http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ *      Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ *      distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ *      WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ *      See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ *      limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package com.netflix.zuul.netty.connectionpool;
+
+import static com.netflix.zuul.netty.connectionpool.PooledConnection.READ_TIMEOUT_HANDLER_NAME;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+
+import com.netflix.spectator.api.NoopRegistry;
+import com.netflix.zuul.discovery.DiscoveryResult;
+import io.netty.channel.ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter;
+import io.netty.channel.embedded.EmbeddedChannel;
+import java.time.Duration;
+import java.util.List;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.ExtendWith;
+import org.mockito.Mock;
+import org.mockito.junit.jupiter.MockitoExtension;
+
+/**
+ * @author Justin Guerra
+ * @since 10/3/25
+ */
+@ExtendWith(MockitoExtension.class)
+class PooledConnectionTest {
+
+    @Mock
+    private ClientChannelManager manager;
+
+    private EmbeddedChannel channel;
+    private PooledConnection connection;
+
+    @BeforeEach
+    public void setup() {
+        channel = new EmbeddedChannel();
+        NoopRegistry noopRegistry = new NoopRegistry();
+        connection = new PooledConnection(
+                channel,
+                DiscoveryResult.EMPTY,
+                manager,
+                noopRegistry.counter("close"),
+                noopRegistry.counter("closeBusy"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void startReadTimeoutHandler() {
+        channel.pipeline()
+                .addLast(DefaultOriginChannelInitializer.ORIGIN_NETTY_LOGGER, new ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter());
+        connection.startReadTimeoutHandler(Duration.ofSeconds(1));
+        List<String> names = channel.pipeline().names();
+        assertThat(names.get(0)).isEqualTo(READ_TIMEOUT_HANDLER_NAME);
+        assertThat(names.get(1)).isEqualTo(DefaultOriginChannelInitializer.ORIGIN_NETTY_LOGGER);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void startReadTimeoutHandlerInactive() {
+        channel.close();
+        connection.startReadTimeoutHandler(Duration.ofSeconds(1));
+        assertThat(channel.pipeline().get(READ_TIMEOUT_HANDLER_NAME)).isNull();
+    }
+}