diff --git a/nomad/server.go b/nomad/server.go
index 819ad22ad..fbe2545f7 100644
--- a/nomad/server.go
+++ b/nomad/server.go
@@ -487,7 +487,6 @@ func (s *Server) reloadTLSConnections(newTLSConfig *config.TLSConfig) error {
 	}
 
 	<-s.listenerCh
-	s.startRPCListener()
 
 	listener, err := s.createRPCListener()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -495,6 +494,10 @@ func (s *Server) reloadTLSConnections(newTLSConfig *config.TLSConfig) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// Ensure that the listener exists before potentially closing it after the
+	// context for the nomad listener has exited
+	s.startRPCListener()
+
 	// Close and reload existing Raft connections
 	wrapper := tlsutil.RegionSpecificWrapper(s.config.Region, tlsWrap)
 	s.raftLayer.ReloadTLS(wrapper)