diff --git a/http-client/src/main/java/com/proofpoint/http/client/jetty/FailedHttpResponseFuture.java b/http-client/src/main/java/com/proofpoint/http/client/jetty/FailedHttpResponseFuture.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f6c06ca60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/http-client/src/main/java/com/proofpoint/http/client/jetty/FailedHttpResponseFuture.java
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+package com.proofpoint.http.client.jetty;
+
+import com.google.common.util.concurrent.ForwardingListenableFuture.SimpleForwardingListenableFuture;
+import com.proofpoint.http.client.HttpClient;
+
+import static com.google.common.util.concurrent.Futures.immediateFailedFuture;
+
+public class FailedHttpResponseFuture<T>
+        extends SimpleForwardingListenableFuture<T>
+        implements HttpClient.HttpResponseFuture<T>
+{
+    public FailedHttpResponseFuture(Throwable throwable)
+    {
+        super(immediateFailedFuture(throwable));
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public String getState()
+    {
+        return "FAILED";
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/http-client/src/main/java/com/proofpoint/http/client/jetty/JettyHttpClient.java b/http-client/src/main/java/com/proofpoint/http/client/jetty/JettyHttpClient.java
index f8d2c3ed4..ec1caa6c6 100644
--- a/http-client/src/main/java/com/proofpoint/http/client/jetty/JettyHttpClient.java
+++ b/http-client/src/main/java/com/proofpoint/http/client/jetty/JettyHttpClient.java
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@
 import org.eclipse.jetty.util.thread.QueuedThreadPool;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.util.thread.ScheduledExecutorScheduler;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.util.thread.Scheduler;
-import org.eclipse.jetty.util.thread.Sweeper;
 import org.weakref.jmx.Flatten;
 import org.weakref.jmx.Managed;
 import org.weakref.jmx.Nested;
@@ -88,7 +87,6 @@ public class JettyHttpClient
     };
 
     private static final String PLATFORM_STATS_KEY = "platform_stats";
-    private static final long SWEEP_PERIOD_MILLIS = 5000;
 
     private static final AtomicLong NAME_COUNTER = new AtomicLong();
     private static final JettyHttpClientOptions DEFAULT_CLIENT_OPTIONS =
@@ -249,12 +247,6 @@ public JettyHttpClient(
                 httpClient.getScheduler(),
                 config.getConnectTimeout().toMillis()));
 
-        // Jetty client connections can sometimes get stuck while closing which reduces
-        // the available connections.  The Jetty Sweeper periodically scans the active
-        // connection pool looking for connections in the closed state, and if a connection
-        // is observed in the closed state multiple times, it logs, and destroys the connection.
-        httpClient.addBean(new Sweeper(httpClient.getScheduler(), SWEEP_PERIOD_MILLIS), true);
-
         try {
             this.httpClient.start();
 
@@ -478,7 +470,12 @@ public <T, E extends Exception> HttpResponseFuture<T> executeAsync(Request reque
         requireNonNull(responseHandler, "responseHandler is null");
         AtomicLong bytesWritten = new AtomicLong(0);
 
-        request = applyRequestFilters(request);
+        try {
+            request = applyRequestFilters(request);
+        }
+        catch (RuntimeException e) {
+            return new FailedHttpResponseFuture<>(e);
+        }
 
         HttpRequest jettyRequest = buildJettyRequest(request, bytesWritten);