diff --git a/core/semaphore.hh b/core/semaphore.hh
index 7e66b757934..4da321ba43b 100644
--- a/core/semaphore.hh
+++ b/core/semaphore.hh
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ public:
 class semaphore {
 private:
     size_t _count;
+    std::exception_ptr _ex;
     struct entry {
         promise<> pr;
         size_t nr;
@@ -111,6 +112,9 @@ public:
             _count -= nr;
             return make_ready_future<>();
         }
+        if (_ex) {
+            return make_exception_future(_ex);
+        }
         promise<> pr;
         auto fut = pr.get_future();
         _wait_list.push_back(entry(std::move(pr), nr));
@@ -155,6 +159,9 @@ public:
     ///
     /// \param nr Number of units to deposit (default 1).
     void signal(size_t nr = 1) {
+        if (_ex) {
+            return;
+        }
         _count += nr;
         while (!_wait_list.empty() && _wait_list.front().nr <= _count) {
             auto& x = _wait_list.front();
@@ -195,17 +202,11 @@ public:
     /// Signal to waiters that an error occurred.  \ref wait() will see
     /// an exceptional future<> containing a \ref broken_semaphore exception.
     /// The future is made available immediately.
-    ///
-    /// This may only be used once per semaphore; after using it the
-    /// semaphore is in an indeterminate state and should not be waited on.
     void broken() { broken(std::make_exception_ptr(broken_semaphore())); }
 
     /// Signal to waiters that an error occurred.  \ref wait() will see
     /// an exceptional future<> containing the provided exception parameter.
     /// The future is made available immediately.
-    ///
-    /// This may only be used once per semaphore; after using it the
-    /// semaphore is in an indeterminate state and should not be waited on.
     template <typename Exception>
     void broken(const Exception& ex) {
         broken(std::make_exception_ptr(ex));
@@ -214,15 +215,14 @@ public:
     /// Signal to waiters that an error occurred.  \ref wait() will see
     /// an exceptional future<> containing the provided exception parameter.
     /// The future is made available immediately.
-    ///
-    /// This may only be used once per semaphore; after using it the
-    /// semaphore is in an indeterminate state and should not be waited on.
     void broken(std::exception_ptr ex);
 };
 
 inline
 void
 semaphore::broken(std::exception_ptr xp) {
+    _ex = xp;
+    _count = 0;
     while (!_wait_list.empty()) {
         auto& x = _wait_list.front();
         x.pr.set_exception(xp);
diff --git a/tests/semaphore_test.cc b/tests/semaphore_test.cc
index a096a7c8395..c1d218cfdbf 100644
--- a/tests/semaphore_test.cc
+++ b/tests/semaphore_test.cc
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ SEASTAR_TEST_CASE(test_semaphore_mix_1) {
 SEASTAR_TEST_CASE(test_broken_semaphore) {
     auto sem = make_lw_shared<semaphore>(0);
     struct oops {};
-    auto ret = sem->wait().then_wrapped([sem] (future<> f) {
+    auto check_result = [sem] (future<> f) {
         try {
             f.get();
             BOOST_FAIL("expecting exception");
@@ -118,9 +118,12 @@ SEASTAR_TEST_CASE(test_broken_semaphore) {
         }
         BOOST_FAIL("unreachable");
         return make_ready_future<>();
-    });
+    };
+    auto ret = sem->wait().then_wrapped(check_result);
     sem->broken(oops());
-    return ret;
+    return sem->wait().then_wrapped(check_result).then([ret = std::move(ret)] () mutable {
+        return std::move(ret);
+    });
 }
 
 SEASTAR_TEST_CASE(test_shared_mutex_exclusive) {