diff --git a/cassandra/io/libevreactor.py b/cassandra/io/libevreactor.py
index 3da809931f..108d92ceb9 100644
--- a/cassandra/io/libevreactor.py
+++ b/cassandra/io/libevreactor.py
@@ -316,10 +316,18 @@ def close(self):
             msg = "Connection to %s was closed" % self.endpoint
             if self.last_error:
                 msg += ": %s" % (self.last_error,)
-            self.error_all_requests(ConnectionShutdown(msg))
+            shutdown_exc = ConnectionShutdown(msg)
+            self.error_all_requests(shutdown_exc)
+            # Preserve the error for factory() to detect dead connections
+            # that died before connected_event was set.
+            if not self.connected_event.is_set():
+                self.last_error = shutdown_exc
             self.connected_event.set()
 
     def handle_write(self, watcher, revents, errno=None):
+        if self.is_closed or self.is_defunct:
+            return
+
         if revents & libev.EV_ERROR:
             if errno:
                 exc = IOError(errno, os.strerror(errno))
@@ -361,6 +369,9 @@ def handle_write(self, watcher, revents, errno=None):
                         return
 
     def handle_read(self, watcher, revents, errno=None):
+        if self.is_closed or self.is_defunct:
+            return
+
         if revents & libev.EV_ERROR:
             if errno:
                 exc = IOError(errno, os.strerror(errno))
@@ -394,6 +405,8 @@ def handle_read(self, watcher, revents, errno=None):
             self.process_io_buffer()
         else:
             log.debug("Connection %s closed by server", self)
+            self.last_error = ConnectionShutdown(
+                "Connection to %s was closed by server" % self.endpoint)
             self.close()
 
     def push(self, data):
diff --git a/tests/unit/io/test_libevreactor_close_race.py b/tests/unit/io/test_libevreactor_close_race.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ad88f3edec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/io/test_libevreactor_close_race.py
@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+# Copyright ScyllaDB, 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.
+
+"""
+Tests for the libev close() race condition fix (scylladb/python-driver#614).
+
+The race: close() sets is_closed=True and calls _socket.close() immediately,
+but libev watchers are stopped asynchronously in _loop_will_run().  Between
+socket close and watcher stop, handle_read()/handle_write() can fire on the
+closed fd.
+
+The fix adds early-return guards at the top of handle_read() and handle_write()
+that check is_closed/is_defunct before touching the socket, and preserves
+last_error in close() when connected_event is unset.
+"""
+
+import unittest
+from unittest.mock import patch, MagicMock
+
+from cassandra import DependencyException
+
+try:
+    from cassandra.io.libevreactor import LibevConnection
+except (ImportError, DependencyException):
+    LibevConnection = None
+
+from tests import is_monkey_patched
+
+
+def _skip_if_unavailable(test_case):
+    if is_monkey_patched():
+        raise unittest.SkipTest("Can't test libev with monkey patching")
+    if LibevConnection is None:
+        raise unittest.SkipTest('libev does not appear to be installed correctly')
+
+
+class LibevCloseRaceTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    """
+    Tests for the close-race fix in LibevConnection (issue #614).
+
+    Each test simulates the scenario where a watcher fires after close()
+    has already been called, verifying that the handler exits gracefully
+    without calling defunct() or raising.
+    """
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        _skip_if_unavailable(self)
+        LibevConnection.initialize_reactor()
+
+        self.patchers = [
+            patch('socket.socket'),
+            patch('cassandra.io.libevwrapper.IO'),
+            patch('cassandra.io.libevreactor.LibevLoop.maybe_start'),
+        ]
+        for p in self.patchers:
+            p.start()
+        self._connections = []
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        for c in self._connections:
+            c.close()
+        for p in self.patchers:
+            p.stop()
+
+    def _make_connection(self):
+        from cassandra.connection import DefaultEndPoint
+        c = LibevConnection(DefaultEndPoint('1.2.3.4'), cql_version='3.0.1', connect_timeout=5)
+        mock_socket = MagicMock()
+        mock_socket.send.side_effect = lambda x: len(x)
+        mock_socket.recv.return_value = b''
+        c._socket = mock_socket
+        self._connections.append(c)
+        return c
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------
+    # handle_write guards
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def test_handle_write_returns_immediately_when_closed(self):
+        """
+        handle_write() must be a no-op if is_closed is already True.
+        This prevents EBADF when the watcher fires after close().
+        """
+        c = self._make_connection()
+        c.is_closed = True
+        c.deque.append(b"data")
+
+        # Should not raise and should not call send()
+        c.handle_write(None, 0)
+        c._socket.send.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_handle_write_returns_immediately_when_defunct(self):
+        """
+        handle_write() must be a no-op if is_defunct is already True.
+        """
+        c = self._make_connection()
+        c.is_defunct = True
+        c.deque.append(b"data")
+
+        c.handle_write(None, 0)
+        c._socket.send.assert_not_called()
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------
+    # handle_read guards
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def test_handle_read_returns_immediately_when_closed(self):
+        """
+        handle_read() must be a no-op if is_closed is already True.
+        This prevents EBADF when the watcher fires after close().
+        """
+        c = self._make_connection()
+        c.is_closed = True
+
+        # Should not raise and should not call recv()
+        c.handle_read(None, 0)
+        c._socket.recv.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_handle_read_returns_immediately_when_defunct(self):
+        """
+        handle_read() must be a no-op if is_defunct is already True.
+        """
+        c = self._make_connection()
+        c.is_defunct = True
+
+        c.handle_read(None, 0)
+        c._socket.recv.assert_not_called()
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------
+    # handle_read EOF sets last_error
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def test_handle_read_eof_sets_last_error_before_close(self):
+        """
+        When recv() returns empty bytes (EOF / server closed connection),
+        last_error must be set before close() is called so that
+        factory() can detect the dead connection.
+        """
+        c = self._make_connection()
+        c._socket.recv.return_value = b''
+
+        with patch.object(c, 'close') as mock_close:
+            c.handle_read(None, 0)
+            mock_close.assert_called_once()
+            self.assertIsNotNone(c.last_error)
+            self.assertIn("closed by server", str(c.last_error))
+
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------
+    # close() preserves last_error for factory()
+    # ------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def test_close_sets_last_error_when_connected_event_not_set(self):
+        """
+        When close() is called before connected_event is set (i.e. the
+        connection was never fully established), last_error must be
+        populated so factory() doesn't return a dead connection.
+        """
+        c = self._make_connection()
+        # connected_event is not set by default in a fresh connection
+        c.connected_event.clear()
+
+        c.close()
+
+        self.assertIsNotNone(c.last_error)
+        self.assertIn("was closed", str(c.last_error))