diff --git a/src/aggregator/aggregator/forwarded_writer.go b/src/aggregator/aggregator/forwarded_writer.go
index 882fc54aa3..43a98c2534 100644
--- a/src/aggregator/aggregator/forwarded_writer.go
+++ b/src/aggregator/aggregator/forwarded_writer.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import (
 	xerrors "github.com/m3db/m3/src/x/errors"
 
 	"github.com/uber-go/tally"
+	"go.uber.org/atomic"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -141,7 +142,7 @@ type forwardedWriter struct {
 	shard  uint32
 	client client.AdminClient
 
-	closed             bool
+	closed             atomic.Bool
 	aggregations       map[idKey]*forwardedAggregation // Aggregations for each forward metric id
 	metrics            forwardedWriterMetrics
 	aggregationMetrics *forwardedAggregationMetrics
@@ -168,7 +169,7 @@ func (w *forwardedWriter) Register(
 	metricID id.RawID,
 	aggKey aggregationKey,
 ) (writeForwardedMetricFn, onForwardedAggregationDoneFn, error) {
-	if w.closed {
+	if w.closed.Load() {
 		w.metrics.registerWriterClosed.Inc(1)
 		return nil, nil, errForwardedWriterClosed
 	}
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ func (w *forwardedWriter) Unregister(
 	metricID id.RawID,
 	aggKey aggregationKey,
 ) error {
-	if w.closed {
+	if w.closed.Load() {
 		w.metrics.unregisterWriterClosed.Inc(1)
 		return errForwardedWriterClosed
 	}
@@ -219,6 +220,10 @@ func (w *forwardedWriter) Prepare() {
 }
 
 func (w *forwardedWriter) Flush() error {
+	if w.closed.Load() {
+		return errForwardedWriterClosed
+	}
+
 	if err := w.client.Flush(); err != nil {
 		w.metrics.flushErrorsClient.Inc(1)
 		return err
@@ -230,12 +235,9 @@ func (w *forwardedWriter) Flush() error {
 // NB: Do not close the client here as it is shared by all the forward
 // writers. The aggregator is responsible for closing the client.
 func (w *forwardedWriter) Close() error {
-	if w.closed {
+	if w.closed.Swap(true) {
 		return errForwardedWriterClosed
 	}
-	w.closed = true
-	w.client = nil
-	w.aggregations = nil
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/src/aggregator/aggregator/forwarded_writer_test.go b/src/aggregator/aggregator/forwarded_writer_test.go
index ac8c806daa..9fc916f959 100644
--- a/src/aggregator/aggregator/forwarded_writer_test.go
+++ b/src/aggregator/aggregator/forwarded_writer_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@
 package aggregator
 
 import (
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/m3db/m3/src/aggregator/client"
 	"github.com/m3db/m3/src/metrics/aggregation"
@@ -32,6 +34,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/m3db/m3/src/metrics/policy"
 
 	"github.com/golang/mock/gomock"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"github.com/uber-go/tally"
 )
@@ -54,11 +57,43 @@ func TestForwardedWriterRegisterWriterClosed(t *testing.T) {
 		mt     = metric.CounterType
 		mid    = id.RawID("foo")
 		aggKey = testForwardedWriterAggregationKey
+		closed = make(chan struct{})
+		wg     sync.WaitGroup
 	)
-	w.Close()
 
-	_, _, err := w.Register(mt, mid, aggKey)
-	require.Equal(t, errForwardedWriterClosed, err)
+	c.EXPECT().Flush().AnyTimes()
+
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		defer wg.Done()
+
+		for {
+			var err error
+
+			assert.NotPanics(t, func() {
+				if err = w.Flush(); err != nil {
+					require.Equal(t, errForwardedWriterClosed, err)
+				}
+			})
+
+			if err != nil {
+				break
+			}
+			time.Sleep(1 * time.Microsecond)
+		}
+
+		assert.NotPanics(t, func() {
+			_, _, err := w.Register(mt, mid, aggKey)
+			require.Equal(t, errForwardedWriterClosed, err)
+
+			err = w.Flush()
+			require.Equal(t, errForwardedWriterClosed, err)
+		})
+	}()
+
+	require.NoError(t, w.Close())
+	close(closed)
+	wg.Wait()
 }
 
 func TestForwardedWriterRegisterNewAggregation(t *testing.T) {
@@ -390,12 +425,10 @@ func TestForwardedWriterCloseWriterClosed(t *testing.T) {
 		w = newForwardedWriter(0, c, tally.NoopScope)
 	)
 
-	// Close the writer and validate that the fields are nil'ed out.
+	// Close the writer
 	require.NoError(t, w.Close())
 	fw := w.(*forwardedWriter)
-	require.True(t, fw.closed)
-	require.Nil(t, fw.client)
-	require.Nil(t, fw.aggregations)
+	require.True(t, fw.closed.Load())
 
 	// Closing the writer a second time results in an error.
 	require.Equal(t, errForwardedWriterClosed, w.Close())