diff --git a/internal_test.go b/internal_test.go
index 9f53ae6..4d42f4b 100644
--- a/internal_test.go
+++ b/internal_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ package redis
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
+	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -107,6 +110,7 @@ func TestRingSetAddrsAndRebalanceRace(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		},
 	})
+	defer ring.Close()
 
 	// Continuously update addresses by adding and removing one address
 	updatesDone := make(chan struct{})
@@ -156,6 +160,7 @@ func BenchmarkRingShardingRebalanceLocked(b *testing.B) {
 	}
 
 	ring := NewRing(opts)
+	defer ring.Close()
 
 	b.ResetTimer()
 	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
@@ -163,6 +168,119 @@ func BenchmarkRingShardingRebalanceLocked(b *testing.B) {
 	}
 }
 
+type testCounter struct {
+	mu sync.Mutex
+	t  *testing.T
+	m  map[string]int
+}
+
+func newTestCounter(t *testing.T) *testCounter {
+	return &testCounter{t: t, m: make(map[string]int)}
+}
+
+func (ct *testCounter) increment(key string) {
+	ct.mu.Lock()
+	defer ct.mu.Unlock()
+	ct.m[key]++
+}
+
+func (ct *testCounter) expect(values map[string]int) {
+	ct.mu.Lock()
+	defer ct.mu.Unlock()
+	ct.t.Helper()
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(values, ct.m) {
+		ct.t.Errorf("expected %v != actual %v", values, ct.m)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRingShardsCleanup(t *testing.T) {
+	const (
+		ringShard1Name = "ringShardOne"
+		ringShard2Name = "ringShardTwo"
+
+		ringShard1Addr = "shard1.test"
+		ringShard2Addr = "shard2.test"
+	)
+
+	t.Run("closes unused shards", func(t *testing.T) {
+		closeCounter := newTestCounter(t)
+
+		ring := NewRing(&RingOptions{
+			Addrs: map[string]string{
+				ringShard1Name: ringShard1Addr,
+				ringShard2Name: ringShard2Addr,
+			},
+			NewClient: func(opt *Options) *Client {
+				c := NewClient(opt)
+				c.baseClient.onClose = func() error {
+					closeCounter.increment(opt.Addr)
+					return nil
+				}
+				return c
+			},
+		})
+		closeCounter.expect(map[string]int{})
+
+		// no change due to the same addresses
+		ring.SetAddrs(map[string]string{
+			ringShard1Name: ringShard1Addr,
+			ringShard2Name: ringShard2Addr,
+		})
+		closeCounter.expect(map[string]int{})
+
+		ring.SetAddrs(map[string]string{
+			ringShard1Name: ringShard1Addr,
+		})
+		closeCounter.expect(map[string]int{ringShard2Addr: 1})
+
+		ring.SetAddrs(map[string]string{
+			ringShard2Name: ringShard2Addr,
+		})
+		closeCounter.expect(map[string]int{ringShard1Addr: 1, ringShard2Addr: 1})
+
+		ring.Close()
+		closeCounter.expect(map[string]int{ringShard1Addr: 1, ringShard2Addr: 2})
+	})
+
+	t.Run("closes created shards if ring was closed", func(t *testing.T) {
+		createCounter := newTestCounter(t)
+		closeCounter := newTestCounter(t)
+
+		var (
+			ring        *Ring
+			shouldClose int32
+		)
+
+		ring = NewRing(&RingOptions{
+			Addrs: map[string]string{
+				ringShard1Name: ringShard1Addr,
+			},
+			NewClient: func(opt *Options) *Client {
+				if atomic.LoadInt32(&shouldClose) != 0 {
+					ring.Close()
+				}
+				createCounter.increment(opt.Addr)
+				c := NewClient(opt)
+				c.baseClient.onClose = func() error {
+					closeCounter.increment(opt.Addr)
+					return nil
+				}
+				return c
+			},
+		})
+		createCounter.expect(map[string]int{ringShard1Addr: 1})
+		closeCounter.expect(map[string]int{})
+
+		atomic.StoreInt32(&shouldClose, 1)
+
+		ring.SetAddrs(map[string]string{
+			ringShard2Name: ringShard2Addr,
+		})
+		createCounter.expect(map[string]int{ringShard1Addr: 1, ringShard2Addr: 1})
+		closeCounter.expect(map[string]int{ringShard1Addr: 1, ringShard2Addr: 1})
+	})
+}
+
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 type timeoutErr struct {
diff --git a/ring.go b/ring.go
index de1b0a3..0a1069d 100644
--- a/ring.go
+++ b/ring.go
@@ -219,6 +219,10 @@ type ringSharding struct {
 	hash      ConsistentHash
 	numShard  int
 	onNewNode []func(rdb *Client)
+
+	// ensures exclusive access to SetAddrs so there is no need
+	// to hold mu for the duration of potentially long shard creation
+	setAddrsMu sync.Mutex
 }
 
 type ringShards struct {
@@ -245,46 +249,62 @@ func (c *ringSharding) OnNewNode(fn func(rdb *Client)) {
 // decrease number of shards, that you use. It will reuse shards that
 // existed before and close the ones that will not be used anymore.
 func (c *ringSharding) SetAddrs(addrs map[string]string) {
-	c.mu.Lock()
+	c.setAddrsMu.Lock()
+	defer c.setAddrsMu.Unlock()
 
+	cleanup := func(shards map[string]*ringShard) {
+		for addr, shard := range shards {
+			if err := shard.Client.Close(); err != nil {
+				internal.Logger.Printf(context.Background(), "shard.Close %s failed: %s", addr, err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	c.mu.RLock()
 	if c.closed {
+		c.mu.RUnlock()
+		return
+	}
+	existing := c.shards
+	c.mu.RUnlock()
+
+	shards, created, unused := c.newRingShards(addrs, existing)
+
+	c.mu.Lock()
+	if c.closed {
+		cleanup(created)
 		c.mu.Unlock()
 		return
 	}
-
-	shards, cleanup := c.newRingShards(addrs, c.shards)
 	c.shards = shards
 	c.rebalanceLocked()
 	c.mu.Unlock()
 
-	cleanup()
+	cleanup(unused)
 }
 
 func (c *ringSharding) newRingShards(
-	addrs map[string]string, existingShards *ringShards,
-) (*ringShards, func()) {
-	shardMap := make(map[string]*ringShard)     // indexed by addr
-	unusedShards := make(map[string]*ringShard) // indexed by addr
+	addrs map[string]string, existing *ringShards,
+) (shards *ringShards, created, unused map[string]*ringShard) {
 
-	if existingShards != nil {
-		for _, shard := range existingShards.list {
-			addr := shard.Client.opt.Addr
-			shardMap[addr] = shard
-			unusedShards[addr] = shard
+	shards = &ringShards{m: make(map[string]*ringShard, len(addrs))}
+	created = make(map[string]*ringShard) // indexed by addr
+	unused = make(map[string]*ringShard)  // indexed by addr
+
+	if existing != nil {
+		for _, shard := range existing.list {
+			unused[shard.addr] = shard
 		}
 	}
 
-	shards := &ringShards{
-		m: make(map[string]*ringShard),
-	}
-
 	for name, addr := range addrs {
-		if shard, ok := shardMap[addr]; ok {
+		if shard, ok := unused[addr]; ok {
 			shards.m[name] = shard
-			delete(unusedShards, addr)
+			delete(unused, addr)
 		} else {
 			shard := newRingShard(c.opt, addr)
 			shards.m[name] = shard
+			created[addr] = shard
 
 			for _, fn := range c.onNewNode {
 				fn(shard.Client)
@@ -296,13 +316,7 @@ func (c *ringSharding) newRingShards(
 		shards.list = append(shards.list, shard)
 	}
 
-	return shards, func() {
-		for addr, shard := range unusedShards {
-			if err := shard.Client.Close(); err != nil {
-				internal.Logger.Printf(context.Background(), "shard.Close %s failed: %s", addr, err)
-			}
-		}
-	}
+	return
 }
 
 func (c *ringSharding) List() []*ringShard {
diff --git a/ring_test.go b/ring_test.go
index c64e107..ba4fa8a 100644
--- a/ring_test.go
+++ b/ring_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"net"
 	"strconv"
 	"sync"
+	"testing"
 	"time"
 
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo"
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Redis Ring", func() {
 			})
 			Expect(ring.Len(), 1)
 			gotShard := ring.ShardByName("ringShardOne")
-			Expect(gotShard).To(Equal(wantShard))
+			Expect(gotShard).To(BeIdenticalTo(wantShard))
 
 			ring.SetAddrs(map[string]string{
 				"ringShardOne": ":" + ringShard1Port,
@@ -131,7 +132,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Redis Ring", func() {
 			})
 			Expect(ring.Len(), 2)
 			gotShard = ring.ShardByName("ringShardOne")
-			Expect(gotShard).To(Equal(wantShard))
+			Expect(gotShard).To(BeIdenticalTo(wantShard))
 		})
 
 		It("uses 3 shards after setting it to 3 shards", func() {
@@ -155,8 +156,8 @@ var _ = Describe("Redis Ring", func() {
 			gotShard1 := ring.ShardByName(shardName1)
 			gotShard2 := ring.ShardByName(shardName2)
 			gotShard3 := ring.ShardByName(shardName3)
-			Expect(gotShard1).To(Equal(wantShard1))
-			Expect(gotShard2).To(Equal(wantShard2))
+			Expect(gotShard1).To(BeIdenticalTo(wantShard1))
+			Expect(gotShard2).To(BeIdenticalTo(wantShard2))
 			Expect(gotShard3).ToNot(BeNil())
 
 			ring.SetAddrs(map[string]string{
@@ -167,8 +168,8 @@ var _ = Describe("Redis Ring", func() {
 			gotShard1 = ring.ShardByName(shardName1)
 			gotShard2 = ring.ShardByName(shardName2)
 			gotShard3 = ring.ShardByName(shardName3)
-			Expect(gotShard1).To(Equal(wantShard1))
-			Expect(gotShard2).To(Equal(wantShard2))
+			Expect(gotShard1).To(BeIdenticalTo(wantShard1))
+			Expect(gotShard2).To(BeIdenticalTo(wantShard2))
 			Expect(gotShard3).To(BeNil())
 		})
 	})
@@ -739,3 +740,89 @@ var _ = Describe("Ring Tx timeout", func() {
 		testTimeout()
 	})
 })
+
+func TestRingSetAddrsContention(t *testing.T) {
+	const (
+		ringShard1Name = "ringShardOne"
+		ringShard2Name = "ringShardTwo"
+	)
+
+	for _, port := range []string{ringShard1Port, ringShard2Port} {
+		if _, err := startRedis(port); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		for _, p := range processes {
+			if err := p.Close(); err != nil {
+				t.Errorf("Failed to stop redis process: %v", err)
+			}
+		}
+		processes = nil
+	})
+
+	ring := redis.NewRing(&redis.RingOptions{
+		Addrs: map[string]string{
+			"ringShardOne": ":" + ringShard1Port,
+		},
+		NewClient: func(opt *redis.Options) *redis.Client {
+			// Simulate slow shard creation
+			time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+			return redis.NewClient(opt)
+		},
+	})
+	defer ring.Close()
+
+	if _, err := ring.Ping(context.Background()).Result(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Continuously update addresses by adding and removing one address
+	updatesDone := make(chan struct{})
+	defer func() { close(updatesDone) }()
+	go func() {
+		ticker := time.NewTicker(10 * time.Millisecond)
+		defer ticker.Stop()
+		for i := 0; ; i++ {
+			select {
+			case <-ticker.C:
+				if i%2 == 0 {
+					ring.SetAddrs(map[string]string{
+						ringShard1Name: ":" + ringShard1Port,
+					})
+				} else {
+					ring.SetAddrs(map[string]string{
+						ringShard1Name: ":" + ringShard1Port,
+						ringShard2Name: ":" + ringShard2Port,
+					})
+				}
+			case <-updatesDone:
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	var pings, errClosed int
+	timer := time.NewTimer(1 * time.Second)
+	for running := true; running; pings++ {
+		select {
+		case <-timer.C:
+			running = false
+		default:
+			if _, err := ring.Ping(context.Background()).Result(); err != nil {
+				if err == redis.ErrClosed {
+					// The shard client could be closed while ping command is in progress
+					errClosed++
+				} else {
+					t.Fatal(err)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	t.Logf("Number of pings: %d, errClosed: %d", pings, errClosed)
+	if pings < 10_000 {
+		t.Errorf("Expected at least 10k pings, got: %d", pings)
+	}
+}