diff --git a/extensions/vertx-http/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/vertx/http/runtime/filters/GracefulShutdownFilter.java b/extensions/vertx-http/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/vertx/http/runtime/filters/GracefulShutdownFilter.java
index de9cee1719610..c39542d00505a 100644
--- a/extensions/vertx-http/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/vertx/http/runtime/filters/GracefulShutdownFilter.java
+++ b/extensions/vertx-http/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/vertx/http/runtime/filters/GracefulShutdownFilter.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 
+import io.netty.handler.codec.http.HttpHeaderNames;
 import org.jboss.logging.Logger;
 
 import io.netty.handler.codec.http.HttpResponseStatus;
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ public void handle(Void event) {
     @Override
     public void handle(HttpServerRequest event) {
         if (!running) {
-            event.response().setStatusCode(HttpResponseStatus.SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE.code()).end();
+            event.response().setStatusCode(HttpResponseStatus.SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE.code()).putHeader(HttpHeaderNames.CONNECTION,"close").end();
             return;
         }
         currentRequestCount.incrementAndGet();