diff --git a/balancer/endpointsharding/endpointsharding.go b/balancer/endpointsharding/endpointsharding.go
index df5b5abe73cc..149ef6ed86b0 100644
--- a/balancer/endpointsharding/endpointsharding.go
+++ b/balancer/endpointsharding/endpointsharding.go
@@ -116,7 +116,13 @@ func (es *endpointSharding) UpdateClientConnState(state balancer.ClientConnState
 			bal = child.(*balancerWrapper)
 		} else {
 			bal = &balancerWrapper{
-				childState: ChildState{Endpoint: endpoint},
+				childState: ChildState{
+					Endpoint: endpoint,
+					State: balancer.State{
+						ConnectivityState: connectivity.Connecting,
+						Picker:            base.NewErrPicker(balancer.ErrNoSubConnAvailable),
+					},
+				},
 				ClientConn: es.cc,
 				es:         es,
 			}
diff --git a/balancer/endpointsharding/endpointsharding_test.go b/balancer/endpointsharding/endpointsharding_test.go
index 6b23063b5d9c..f189970434c2 100644
--- a/balancer/endpointsharding/endpointsharding_test.go
+++ b/balancer/endpointsharding/endpointsharding_test.go
@@ -28,19 +28,24 @@ import (
 
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/balancer"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/credentials/insecure"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/grpclog"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/internal"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/internal/balancer/stub"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/internal/grpctest"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/internal/stubserver"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/internal/testutils/roundrobin"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/resolver"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/resolver/manual"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/serviceconfig"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
 
 	testgrpc "google.golang.org/grpc/interop/grpc_testing"
 )
 
+const defaultShortTestTimeout = 100 * time.Millisecond
+
 type s struct {
 	grpctest.Tester
 }
@@ -49,16 +54,11 @@ func Test(t *testing.T) {
 	grpctest.RunSubTests(t, s{})
 }
 
-var gracefulSwitchPickFirst serviceconfig.LoadBalancingConfig
+var childLBConfig serviceconfig.LoadBalancingConfig
 
 var logger = grpclog.Component("endpoint-sharding-test")
 
 func init() {
-	var err error
-	gracefulSwitchPickFirst, err = ParseConfig(json.RawMessage(PickFirstConfig))
-	if err != nil {
-		logger.Fatal(err)
-	}
 	balancer.Register(fakePetioleBuilder{})
 }
 
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ func (fp *fakePetiole) UpdateClientConnState(state balancer.ClientConnState) err
 	}
 
 	return fp.Balancer.UpdateClientConnState(balancer.ClientConnState{
-		BalancerConfig: gracefulSwitchPickFirst,
+		BalancerConfig: childLBConfig,
 		ResolverState:  state.ResolverState,
 	})
 }
@@ -124,6 +124,11 @@ func (fp *fakePetiole) UpdateState(state balancer.State) {
 // It also verifies the petiole has access to the raw child state in case it
 // wants to implement a custom picker.
 func (s) TestEndpointShardingBasic(t *testing.T) {
+	var parseErr error
+	childLBConfig, parseErr = ParseConfig(json.RawMessage(PickFirstConfig))
+	if parseErr != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to parse child LB config: %v", parseErr)
+	}
 	backend1 := stubserver.StartTestService(t, nil)
 	defer backend1.Stop()
 	backend2 := stubserver.StartTestService(t, nil)
@@ -157,3 +162,54 @@ func (s) TestEndpointShardingBasic(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("error in expected round robin: %v", err)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestEndpointShardingStuckConnecting verifies that the endpointsharding policy
+// handles child polcies that haven't given a picker update correctly and doesn't
+// panic.
+func (s) TestEndpointShardingStuckConnecting(t *testing.T) {
+	childPolicyName := t.Name()
+	stub.Register(childPolicyName, stub.BalancerFuncs{
+		UpdateClientConnState: func(_ *stub.BalancerData, ccs balancer.ClientConnState) error {
+			t.Logf("Ignoring resolver update to remain in CONNECTING: %v", ccs)
+			return nil
+		},
+	})
+	childLbJSON := json.RawMessage(fmt.Sprintf(`[{%q: {}}]`, childPolicyName))
+	var parseErr error
+	childLBConfig, parseErr = ParseConfig(childLbJSON)
+	if parseErr != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to parse child LB config: %v", parseErr)
+	}
+	backend1 := stubserver.StartTestService(t, nil)
+	defer backend1.Stop()
+	backend2 := stubserver.StartTestService(t, nil)
+	defer backend2.Stop()
+
+	mr := manual.NewBuilderWithScheme("e2e-test")
+	defer mr.Close()
+
+	json := `{"loadBalancingConfig": [{"fake_petiole":{}}]}`
+	sc := internal.ParseServiceConfig.(func(string) *serviceconfig.ParseResult)(json)
+	mr.InitialState(resolver.State{
+		Endpoints: []resolver.Endpoint{
+			{Addresses: []resolver.Address{{Addr: backend1.Address}}},
+			{Addresses: []resolver.Address{{Addr: backend2.Address}}},
+		},
+		ServiceConfig: sc,
+	})
+
+	cc, err := grpc.Dial(mr.Scheme()+":///", grpc.WithResolvers(mr), grpc.WithTransportCredentials(insecure.NewCredentials()))
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Failed to dial: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer cc.Close()
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), defaultShortTestTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
+	client := testgrpc.NewTestServiceClient(cc)
+
+	// Even though the child LB policy hasn't given an picker updates, it is
+	// assumted that it's in CONNECTING state.
+	if _, err := client.EmptyCall(ctx, &testgrpc.Empty{}); status.Code(err) != codes.DeadlineExceeded {
+		t.Fatalf("EmptyCall() = %s, want %s", status.Code(err), codes.DeadlineExceeded)
+	}
+}