diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerSubmitRule.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerSubmitRule.java
index 21f411c..2dc2d37 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerSubmitRule.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerSubmitRule.java
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@
     try {
       requireNonNull(changeData, "changeData");
 
+      if (changeData.change().isClosed()) {
+        return Optional.empty();
+      }
+
       try (Timer0.Context ctx = codeOwnerMetrics.runCodeOwnerSubmitRule.start()) {
         logger.atFine().log(
             "run code owner submit rule (project = %s, change = %d)",
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerSubmitRuleTest.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerSubmitRuleTest.java
index b495bd4..1772809 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerSubmitRuleTest.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/plugins/codeowners/backend/CodeOwnerSubmitRuleTest.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.testsuite.request.RequestScopeOperations;
+import com.google.gerrit.entities.Change;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.acceptance.AbstractCodeOwnersTest;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.acceptance.testsuite.CodeOwnerConfigOperations;
 import com.google.gerrit.plugins.codeowners.testing.SubmitRecordSubject;
@@ -50,6 +51,34 @@
   }
 
   @Test
+  public void emptyIfChangeIdClosed() throws Exception {
+    codeOwnerConfigOperations
+        .newCodeOwnerConfig()
+        .project(project)
+        .branch("master")
+        .folderPath("/foo/")
+        .addCodeOwnerEmail(user.email())
+        .create();
+
+    String path = "foo/bar.baz";
+    Change change = createChange("Change Adding A File", path, "file content").getChange().change();
+    String changeId = change.getKey().get();
+
+    // Add a Code-Review+1 from a code owner (by default this counts as code owner approval).
+    requestScopeOperations.setApiUser(user.id());
+    recommend(changeId);
+
+    // Approve and submit.
+    requestScopeOperations.setApiUser(admin.id());
+    approve(changeId);
+    gApi.changes().id(changeId).current().submit();
+
+    // Run the code owners submit rule on the closed change.
+    ChangeData changeData = changeDataFactory.create(project, change.getId());
+    assertThat(codeOwnerSubmitRule.evaluate(changeData)).isEmpty();
+  }
+
+  @Test
   public void notReady() throws Exception {
     ChangeData changeData = createChange().getChange();
     SubmitRecordSubject submitRecordSubject =