diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/gms/Gossiper.java
@@ -817,6 +817,8 @@ public class Gossiper implements IFailureDetectionEventListener, GossiperMBean
             return;
         }
 
+        localState.markDead();
+
         MessageOut<EchoMessage> echoMessage = new MessageOut<EchoMessage>(MessagingService.Verb.ECHO, new EchoMessage(), EchoMessage.serializer);
         logger.trace("Sending a EchoMessage to {}", addr);
         IAsyncCallback echoHandler = new IAsyncCallback()
Mark EPS as dead before sending echo command.
Patch by Sankalp Kohli, reviewed by brandonwilliams for CASSANDRA-<I>