diff --git a/pymongo/asynchronous/topology.py b/pymongo/asynchronous/topology.py
index 183c459f2..4e55db498 100644
--- a/pymongo/asynchronous/topology.py
+++ b/pymongo/asynchronous/topology.py
@@ -645,6 +645,7 @@ class Topology:
         :exc:`~.errors.InvalidOperation`.
         """
         async with self._lock:
+            old_td = self._description
             for server in self._servers.values():
                 await server.close()
 
@@ -664,7 +665,6 @@ class Topology:
         # Publish only after releasing the lock.
         if self._publish_tp:
             assert self._events is not None
-            old_td = self._description
             self._description = TopologyDescription(
                 TOPOLOGY_TYPE.Unknown,
                 {},
diff --git a/pymongo/synchronous/topology.py b/pymongo/synchronous/topology.py
index eda5f01d3..8542f67bb 100644
--- a/pymongo/synchronous/topology.py
+++ b/pymongo/synchronous/topology.py
@@ -643,6 +643,7 @@ class Topology:
         :exc:`~.errors.InvalidOperation`.
         """
         with self._lock:
+            old_td = self._description
             for server in self._servers.values():
                 server.close()
 
@@ -662,7 +663,6 @@ class Topology:
         # Publish only after releasing the lock.
         if self._publish_tp:
             assert self._events is not None
-            old_td = self._description
             self._description = TopologyDescription(
                 TOPOLOGY_TYPE.Unknown,
                 {},