diff --git a/src/net_processing.cpp b/src/net_processing.cpp
--- a/src/net_processing.cpp
+++ b/src/net_processing.cpp
@@ -2599,8 +2599,10 @@
                 if (fBlocksOnly) {
                     LogPrint(BCLog::NET,
                              "transaction (%s) inv sent in violation of "
-                             "protocol peer=%d\n",
+                             "protocol, disconnecting peer=%d\n",
                              inv.hash.ToString(), pfrom->GetId());
+                    pfrom->fDisconnect = true;
+                    return true;
                 } else if (!fAlreadyHave && !fImporting && !fReindex &&
                            !::ChainstateActive().IsInitialBlockDownload()) {
                     RequestTx(State(pfrom->GetId()), TxId(inv.hash),
@@ -2856,11 +2858,14 @@
     if (strCommand == NetMsgType::TX) {
         // Stop processing the transaction early if
         // We are in blocks only mode and peer is either not whitelisted or
-        // whitelistrelay is off
-        if (!g_relay_txes && !pfrom->HasPermission(PF_RELAY)) {
+        // whitelistrelay is off or if this peer is supposed to be a
+        // block-relay-only peer
+        if ((!g_relay_txes && !pfrom->HasPermission(PF_RELAY)) ||
+            (pfrom->m_tx_relay == nullptr)) {
             LogPrint(BCLog::NET,
                      "transaction sent in violation of protocol peer=%d\n",
                      pfrom->GetId());
+            pfrom->fDisconnect = true;
             return true;
         }
 
diff --git a/test/functional/p2p_blocksonly.py b/test/functional/p2p_blocksonly.py
--- a/test/functional/p2p_blocksonly.py
+++ b/test/functional/p2p_blocksonly.py
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@
     def run_test(self):
         self.nodes[0].add_p2p_connection(P2PInterface())
 
-        self.log.info('Check that txs from p2p are rejected')
+        self.log.info(
+            'Check that txs from p2p are rejected and result in disconnect')
         prevtx = self.nodes[0].getblock(
             self.nodes[0].getblockhash(1), 2)['tx'][0]
         rawtx = self.nodes[0].createrawtransaction(
@@ -47,14 +48,18 @@
         with self.nodes[0].assert_debug_log(['transaction sent in violation of protocol peer=0']):
             self.nodes[0].p2p.send_message(
                 msg_tx(FromHex(CTransaction(), sigtx)))
-            self.nodes[0].p2p.sync_with_ping()
+            self.nodes[0].p2p.wait_for_disconnect()
             assert_equal(self.nodes[0].getmempoolinfo()['size'], 0)
 
+        # Remove the disconnected peer and add a new one.
+        del self.nodes[0].p2ps[0]
+        self.nodes[0].add_p2p_connection(P2PInterface())
+
         self.log.info(
             'Check that txs from rpc are not rejected and relayed to other peers')
         assert_equal(self.nodes[0].getpeerinfo()[0]['relaytxes'], True)
         txid = self.nodes[0].testmempoolaccept([sigtx])[0]['txid']
-        with self.nodes[0].assert_debug_log(['received getdata for: tx {} peer=0'.format(txid)]):
+        with self.nodes[0].assert_debug_log(['received getdata for: tx {} peer=1'.format(txid)]):
             self.nodes[0].sendrawtransaction(sigtx)
             self.nodes[0].p2p.wait_for_tx(txid)
             assert_equal(self.nodes[0].getmempoolinfo()['size'], 1)