diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/common/api/IClusterManagementWork.java b/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/common/api/IClusterManagementWork.java
index e3424ec..8bc6eb0 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/common/api/IClusterManagementWork.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/common/api/IClusterManagementWork.java
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
     }
 
     enum ClusterState {
-        STARTING,       // the initial state
         UNUSABLE,       // one or more cluster partitions are inactive or max id resources have not been reported
         PENDING,        // the metadata node has not yet joined & initialized
         RECOVERING,     // global recovery has not yet completed
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-events/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/event/service/ClusterStateWatcher.java b/asterixdb/asterix-events/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/event/service/ClusterStateWatcher.java
index f823404..c51e2cf 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-events/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/event/service/ClusterStateWatcher.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-events/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/event/service/ClusterStateWatcher.java
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
     private final ZooKeeper zk;
     private String clusterStatePath;
     private boolean done = false;
-    private ClusterState clusterState = ClusterState.STARTING;
+    private ClusterState clusterState = ClusterState.UNUSABLE;
     private boolean failed = false;
     private Exception failureCause = null;
     private static Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(ClusterStateWatcher.class.getName());
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/utils/ClusterStateManager.java b/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/utils/ClusterStateManager.java
index 334b683..51c87b4 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/utils/ClusterStateManager.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/utils/ClusterStateManager.java
@@ -165,6 +165,10 @@
 
     @Override
     public synchronized void refreshState() throws HyracksDataException {
+        if (state == ClusterState.SHUTTING_DOWN) {
+            LOGGER.log(Level.INFO, "Not refreshing final state %s", state);
+            return;
+        }
         resetClusterPartitionConstraint();
         if (clusterPartitions.isEmpty()) {
             LOGGER.info("Cluster does not have any registered partitions");