diff --git a/kubernetes-client/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/informers/impl/cache/Reflector.java b/kubernetes-client/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/informers/impl/cache/Reflector.java
index 627051a48fb..e7a96264a43 100644
--- a/kubernetes-client/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/informers/impl/cache/Reflector.java
+++ b/kubernetes-client/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/informers/impl/cache/Reflector.java
@@ -60,8 +60,20 @@ public Reflector(ListerWatcher<T, L> listerWatcher, SyncableStore<T> store) {
   }
 
   public CompletableFuture<Void> start() {
+    return start(false); // start without reconnecting
+  }
+
+  public CompletableFuture<Void> start(boolean reconnect) {
     this.running = true;
-    return listSyncAndWatch(false);
+    CompletableFuture<Void> result = listSyncAndWatch(reconnect);
+    if (!reconnect) {
+      result.whenComplete((v, t) -> {
+        if (t != null) {
+          stopFuture.completeExceptionally(t);
+        }
+      });
+    }
+    return result;
   }
 
   public void stop() {
@@ -130,7 +142,7 @@ public CompletableFuture<Void> listSyncAndWatch(boolean reconnect) {
     return theFuture;
   }
 
-  private void reconnect() {
+  protected void reconnect() {
     if (!running) {
       return;
     }
diff --git a/kubernetes-client/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/informers/impl/cache/ReflectorTest.java b/kubernetes-client/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/informers/impl/cache/ReflectorTest.java
index a8a3d2a82f9..cd856a906b6 100644
--- a/kubernetes-client/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/informers/impl/cache/ReflectorTest.java
+++ b/kubernetes-client/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/informers/impl/cache/ReflectorTest.java
@@ -41,7 +41,12 @@ void testStateFlags() {
     PodList list = new PodListBuilder().withNewMetadata().withResourceVersion("1").endMetadata().build();
     Mockito.when(mock.submitList(Mockito.any())).thenReturn(CompletableFuture.completedFuture(list));
 
-    Reflector<Pod, PodList> reflector = new Reflector<>(mock, Mockito.mock(SyncableStore.class));
+    Reflector<Pod, PodList> reflector = new Reflector<Pod, PodList>(mock, Mockito.mock(SyncableStore.class)) {
+      @Override
+      protected void reconnect() {
+        // do nothing
+      }
+    };
 
     assertFalse(reflector.isWatching());
     assertFalse(reflector.isRunning());
@@ -51,7 +56,7 @@ void testStateFlags() {
         .thenThrow(new KubernetesClientException("error"))
         .thenReturn(CompletableFuture.completedFuture(Mockito.mock(Watch.class)));
 
-    CompletableFuture<Void> future = reflector.start();
+    CompletableFuture<Void> future = reflector.start(true);
 
     assertThrows(CompletionException.class, future::join);
 
diff --git a/kubernetes-tests/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/mock/DefaultSharedIndexInformerTest.java b/kubernetes-tests/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/mock/DefaultSharedIndexInformerTest.java
index ea60bdce641..b5d4213eafb 100644
--- a/kubernetes-tests/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/mock/DefaultSharedIndexInformerTest.java
+++ b/kubernetes-tests/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/mock/DefaultSharedIndexInformerTest.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.Pod;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.PodBuilder;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.PodListBuilder;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.Service;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.Status;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.StatusBuilder;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.WatchEvent;
@@ -36,7 +37,9 @@
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.api.model.rbac.ClusterRoleBindingBuilder;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.CustomResourceList;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClient;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClientException;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.Watcher;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.WatcherException;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.dsl.base.CustomResourceDefinitionContext;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.dsl.base.ResourceDefinitionContext;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.informers.ResourceEventHandler;
@@ -65,6 +68,7 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
 import java.util.concurrent.Future;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException;
 import java.util.function.BiFunction;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 
@@ -897,6 +901,51 @@ public void onDelete(Pod oldObj, boolean deletedFinalStateUnknown) {
     assertFalse(podInformer.isRunning());
   }
 
+  @Test
+  void testTerminalException() throws InterruptedException, TimeoutException {
+    // should be an initial 404
+    SharedIndexInformer<Pod> informer = client.pods().runnableInformer(0);
+    try {
+      informer.run();
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+    }
+    try {
+      informer.stopped().get(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+    } catch (ExecutionException e) {
+      assertTrue(e.getCause() instanceof KubernetesClientException);
+    }
+
+    String startResourceVersion = "1000";
+
+    // initial list
+    server.expect().withPath("/api/v1/pods")
+        .andReturn(200, new PodListBuilder().withNewMetadata().withResourceVersion(startResourceVersion).endMetadata()
+            .withItems(Collections.emptyList()).build())
+        .once();
+
+    // initial watch - terminates with an exception
+    server.expect().withPath("/api/v1/pods?resourceVersion=" + startResourceVersion + "&allowWatchBookmarks=true&watch=true")
+        .andUpgradeToWebSocket()
+        .open()
+        .waitFor(WATCH_EVENT_EMIT_TIME)
+        .andEmit(new WatchEvent(new Service(), "ADDED")) // not a pod
+        .waitFor(OUTDATED_WATCH_EVENT_EMIT_TIME)
+        .andEmit(outdatedEvent)
+        .done().always();
+
+    // When
+    informer = client.pods().inAnyNamespace().runnableInformer(0);
+    try {
+      informer.run();
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+    }
+    try {
+      informer.stopped().get(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+    } catch (ExecutionException e) {
+      assertTrue(e.getCause() instanceof WatcherException);
+    }
+  }
+
   @Test
   void testRunAfterStop() {
     // Given