diff --git a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/chat/ChatClient.groovy b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/chat/ChatClient.groovy
index e77fc180..11f86588 100644
--- a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/chat/ChatClient.groovy
+++ b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/chat/ChatClient.groovy
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ class ChatClient implements Closeable {
             
             if (code == 429) {
                 eventBus.publish(new ChatConnectionEvent(status : ChatConnectionAttemptStatus.REJECTED, persona : host))
+                try { dos.close() } catch (IOException ignore) {}
                 endpoint.close()
                 lastRejectionTime = System.currentTimeMillis()
                 return
@@ -94,7 +95,10 @@ class ChatClient implements Closeable {
                 connection : connection))
         } catch (Exception e) {
             eventBus.publish(new ChatConnectionEvent(status : ChatConnectionAttemptStatus.FAILED, persona : host))
-            endpoint?.close()
+            if (endpoint != null) {
+                try {endpoint.getOutputStream().close() } catch (IOException ignore) {}
+                endpoint.close()
+            }
         } finally {
             connectInProgress = false
             connectThread = null
diff --git a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/chat/ChatConnection.groovy b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/chat/ChatConnection.groovy
index d55ffa72..e79348e0 100644
--- a/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/chat/ChatConnection.groovy
+++ b/core/src/main/groovy/com/muwire/core/chat/ChatConnection.groovy
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ class ChatConnection implements ChatLink {
         } catch (Exception e) {
           log.log(Level.WARNING,"unhandled exception in reader", e)  
         } finally {
+            try {endpoint.getOutputStream().close()} catch (IOException ignore) {}
             close()
         }
     }
@@ -123,6 +124,7 @@ class ChatConnection implements ChatLink {
         } catch (Exception e) {
             log.log(Level.WARNING,"unhandled exception in writer",e)
         } finally {
+            try {endpoint.getOutputStream().close()} catch (IOException ignore) {}
             close()
         }
     }