diff --git a/lib/ansible/module_utils/network/eos/eos.py b/lib/ansible/module_utils/network/eos/eos.py
index 343104eea59..a05a2c0854d 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/module_utils/network/eos/eos.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/module_utils/network/eos/eos.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import time
 
 from ansible.module_utils._text import to_text, to_native
 from ansible.module_utils.basic import env_fallback, return_values
-from ansible.module_utils.connection import Connection
+from ansible.module_utils.connection import Connection, ConnectionError
 from ansible.module_utils.network.common.utils import to_list, ComplexList
 from ansible.module_utils.six import iteritems
 from ansible.module_utils.urls import fetch_url
@@ -121,6 +121,13 @@ class Cli:
 
         return self._connection
 
+    def close_session(self, session):
+        conn = self._get_connection()
+        # to close session gracefully execute abort in top level session prompt.
+        conn.get('end')
+        conn.get('configure session %s' % session)
+        conn.get('abort')
+
     @property
     def supports_sessions(self):
         if self._session_support is not None:
@@ -206,8 +213,10 @@ class Cli:
 
         try:
             self.send_config(commands)
-        except:
-            conn.get('abort')
+        except ConnectionError as exc:
+            conn.get('end')
+            message = getattr(exc, 'err', exc)
+            self._module.fail_json(msg="Error on executing commands %s" % commands, data=to_text(message, errors='surrogate_then_replace'))
 
         conn.get('end')
         return {}
@@ -235,8 +244,10 @@ class Cli:
 
         try:
             self.send_config(commands)
-        except:
-            conn.get('abort')
+        except ConnectionError as exc:
+            self.close_session(session)
+            message = getattr(exc, 'err', exc)
+            self._module.fail_json(msg="Error on executing commands %s" % commands, data=to_text(message, errors='surrogate_then_replace'))
 
         out = conn.get('show session-config diffs')
         if out:
@@ -245,7 +256,7 @@ class Cli:
         if commit:
             conn.get('commit')
         else:
-            conn.get('abort')
+            self.close_session(session)
 
         return result
 
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/eos_config/templates/basic/cmds.j2 b/test/integration/targets/eos_config/templates/basic/cmds.j2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c68cce8e17c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/eos_config/templates/basic/cmds.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+ip access-list test
+   10 permit ip host 192.168.0.2 host 192.168.0.1
+   20 permit ip host 192.168.0.1 host 192.168.0.2
+!
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/eos_config/tests/cli/check_mode.yaml b/test/integration/targets/eos_config/tests/cli/check_mode.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..efcdcb833fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/targets/eos_config/tests/cli/check_mode.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+---
+- debug: msg="START cli/check_mode.yaml on connection={{ ansible_connection }}"
+
+- name: invalid configuration in check mode
+  eos_config:
+     lines:
+         - ip address 119.31.1.1 255.255.255.256
+     parents: interface Loopback911
+  check_mode: 1
+  environment:
+    ANSIBLE_EOS_USE_SESSIONS: 1
+  register: result
+  ignore_errors: yes
+
+- assert:
+   that:
+   - "result.msg is defined"
+   - "result.failed == true"
+   - "'Error on executing commands' in result.msg"
+
+- name: valid configuration in check mode
+  eos_config:
+    before:
+      - "no ip access-list test"
+    src: basic/cmds.j2
+  check_mode: yes
+  register: config
+
+- name: check if session is removed
+  eos_command:
+    commands:
+      - show configuration sessions | json
+    provider: "{{ cli }}"
+  register: result
+
+- assert:
+   that:
+     - "config.session not in result.stdout[0].sessions"
+
+- debug: msg="END cli/check_mode.yaml on connection={{ ansible_connection }}"