diff --git a/docs/changelog/99117.yaml b/docs/changelog/99117.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..491692f232081
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/99117.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+pr: 99117
+summary: Do not report failure after connections are made
+area: Network
+type: bug
+issues: []
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/ProxyConnectionStrategy.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/ProxyConnectionStrategy.java
index 83a0860ba6324..35655f6260461 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/ProxyConnectionStrategy.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/ProxyConnectionStrategy.java
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Objects;
-import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
@@ -315,19 +314,13 @@ public void onFailure(Exception e) {
                 }));
             }
         } else {
-            int openConnections = connectionManager.size();
-            if (openConnections == 0) {
-                assert false : "should not happen since onFailure should catch it and report with underlying cause";
-                finished.onFailure(getNoSeedNodeLeftException(Set.of()));
-            } else {
-                logger.debug(
-                    "unable to open maximum number of connections [remote cluster: {}, opened: {}, maximum: {}]",
-                    clusterAlias,
-                    openConnections,
-                    maxNumConnections
-                );
-                finished.onResponse(null);
-            }
+            logger.debug(
+                "unable to open maximum number of connections [remote cluster: {}, opened: {}, maximum: {}]",
+                clusterAlias,
+                connectionManager.size(),
+                maxNumConnections
+            );
+            finished.onResponse(null);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/ProxyConnectionStrategyTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/ProxyConnectionStrategyTests.java
index d2941bab3f91a..965288a989870 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/ProxyConnectionStrategyTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/ProxyConnectionStrategyTests.java
@@ -43,8 +43,10 @@
 
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.allOf;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.containsString;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.hasItemInArray;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.instanceOf;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.doAnswer;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.spy;
@@ -480,6 +482,55 @@ public void testProxyStrategyWillResolveAddressesEachConnect() throws Exception
         }
     }
 
+    public void testConnectionsClosedAfterInitiallyEstablishedDoesNotLeadToFailure() throws InterruptedException {
+        try (MockTransportService remoteService = startTransport("proxy_node", VersionInformation.CURRENT, TransportVersion.current())) {
+            TransportAddress address = remoteService.boundAddress().publishAddress();
+
+            try (
+                MockTransportService localService = MockTransportService.createNewService(
+                    Settings.EMPTY,
+                    VersionInformation.CURRENT,
+                    TransportVersion.current(),
+                    threadPool
+                )
+            ) {
+                localService.start();
+
+                final var connectionManager = new ClusterConnectionManager(profile, localService.transport, threadPool.getThreadContext());
+                final int numOfConnections = randomIntBetween(4, 8);
+                final var connectionCountDown = new CountDownLatch(numOfConnections);
+                connectionManager.addListener(new TransportConnectionListener() {
+                    @Override
+                    public void onNodeConnected(DiscoveryNode node, Transport.Connection connection) {
+                        // Count down to ensure at least the required number of connection are indeed initially established
+                        connectionCountDown.countDown();
+                        // Simulate disconnection right after connection is made
+                        connection.close();
+                    }
+                });
+
+                try (
+                    var remoteConnectionManager = new RemoteConnectionManager(clusterAlias, connectionManager);
+                    var strategy = new ProxyConnectionStrategy(
+                        clusterAlias,
+                        localService,
+                        remoteConnectionManager,
+                        Settings.EMPTY,
+                        numOfConnections,
+                        address.toString()
+                    )
+                ) {
+                    final PlainActionFuture<Void> connectFuture = PlainActionFuture.newFuture();
+                    strategy.connect(connectFuture);
+                    // Should see no error and the connection size is 0
+                    connectFuture.actionGet();
+                    assertThat(connectionCountDown.await(30L, TimeUnit.SECONDS), is(true));
+                    assertThat(remoteConnectionManager.size(), equalTo(0));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     public void testProxyStrategyWillNeedToBeRebuiltIfNumOfSocketsOrAddressesOrServerNameChange() {
         try (MockTransportService remoteTransport = startTransport("node1", VersionInformation.CURRENT, TransportVersion.current())) {
             TransportAddress remoteAddress = remoteTransport.boundAddress().publishAddress();