diff --git a/multiplex.go b/multiplex.go
index 2108b00..0bc697e 100644
--- a/multiplex.go
+++ b/multiplex.go
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ var ErrTwoInitiators = errors.New("two initiators")
 // In this case, we close the connection to be safe.
 var ErrInvalidState = errors.New("received an unexpected message from the peer")
 
+var (
+	NewStreamTimeout   = time.Minute
+	ResetStreamTimeout = 2 * time.Minute
+)
+
 // +1 for initiator
 const (
 	newStreamTag = 0
@@ -140,6 +145,14 @@ func (mp *Multiplex) IsClosed() bool {
 }
 
 func (mp *Multiplex) sendMsg(ctx context.Context, header uint64, data []byte) error {
+	buf := pool.Get(len(data) + 20)
+	defer pool.Put(buf)
+
+	n := 0
+	n += binary.PutUvarint(buf[n:], header)
+	n += binary.PutUvarint(buf[n:], uint64(len(data)))
+	n += copy(buf[n:], data)
+
 	select {
 	case tkn := <-mp.wrTkn:
 		defer func() { mp.wrTkn <- tkn }()
@@ -147,25 +160,22 @@ func (mp *Multiplex) sendMsg(ctx context.Context, header uint64, data []byte) er
 		return ctx.Err()
 	}
 
+	if mp.isShutdown() {
+		return ErrShutdown
+	}
+
 	dl, hasDl := ctx.Deadline()
 	if hasDl {
 		if err := mp.con.SetWriteDeadline(dl); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
-	buf := pool.Get(len(data) + 20)
-	defer pool.Put(buf)
-
-	n := 0
-	n += binary.PutUvarint(buf[n:], header)
-	n += binary.PutUvarint(buf[n:], uint64(len(data)))
-	n += copy(buf[n:], data)
 
 	written, err := mp.con.Write(buf[:n])
-	if err != nil && written > 0 {
-		// Bail. We've written partial message and can't do anything
+	if err != nil && (written > 0 || isFatalNetworkError(err)) {
+		// Bail. We've written partial message or it's a fatal error and can't do anything
 		// about this.
-		mp.con.Close()
+		mp.closeNoWait()
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -214,7 +224,10 @@ func (mp *Multiplex) NewNamedStream(name string) (*Stream, error) {
 	mp.channels[s.id] = s
 	mp.chLock.Unlock()
 
-	err := mp.sendMsg(context.Background(), header, []byte(name))
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), NewStreamTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	err := mp.sendMsg(ctx, header, []byte(name))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -316,20 +329,16 @@ func (mp *Multiplex) handleIncoming() {
 			}
 			msch.clLock.Lock()
 
-			// Honestly, this check should never be true... It means we've leaked.
-			// However, this is an error on *our* side so we shouldn't just bail.
 			isClosed := msch.isClosed()
-			if isClosed && msch.closedRemote {
-				msch.clLock.Unlock()
-				log.Errorf("leaked a completely closed stream")
-				continue
-			}
 
 			if !msch.closedRemote {
 				close(msch.reset)
+				msch.closedRemote = true
+			}
+
+			if !isClosed {
+				msch.doCloseLocal()
 			}
-			msch.closedRemote = true
-			msch.doCloseLocal()
 
 			msch.clLock.Unlock()
 
@@ -370,7 +379,7 @@ func (mp *Multiplex) handleIncoming() {
 				// This is a perfectly valid case when we reset
 				// and forget about the stream.
 				log.Debugf("message for non-existant stream, dropping data: %d", ch)
-				go mp.sendMsg(context.Background(), ch.header(resetTag), nil)
+				go mp.sendResetMsg(ch.header(resetTag), false)
 				continue
 			}
 
@@ -382,7 +391,7 @@ func (mp *Multiplex) handleIncoming() {
 				pool.Put(b)
 
 				log.Warningf("Received data from remote after stream was closed by them. (len = %d)", len(b))
-				go mp.sendMsg(context.Background(), msch.id.header(resetTag), nil)
+				go mp.sendResetMsg(msch.id.header(resetTag), false)
 				continue
 			}
 
@@ -415,6 +424,30 @@ func (mp *Multiplex) handleIncoming() {
 	}
 }
 
+func (mp *Multiplex) isShutdown() bool {
+	select {
+	case <-mp.shutdown:
+		return true
+	default:
+		return false
+	}
+}
+
+func (mp *Multiplex) sendResetMsg(header uint64, hard bool) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), ResetStreamTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	err := mp.sendMsg(ctx, header, nil)
+	if err != nil && !mp.isShutdown() {
+		if hard {
+			log.Warningf("error sending reset message: %s; killing connection", err.Error())
+			mp.Close()
+		} else {
+			log.Debugf("error sending reset message: %s", err.Error())
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (mp *Multiplex) readNextHeader() (uint64, uint64, error) {
 	h, err := binary.ReadUvarint(mp.buf)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -452,3 +485,11 @@ func (mp *Multiplex) readNext() ([]byte, error) {
 
 	return buf[:n], nil
 }
+
+func isFatalNetworkError(err error) bool {
+	nerr, ok := err.(net.Error)
+	if ok {
+		return !(nerr.Timeout() || nerr.Temporary())
+	}
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/stream.go b/stream.go
index dfd70d7..034e74a 100644
--- a/stream.go
+++ b/stream.go
@@ -180,7 +180,10 @@ func (s *Stream) isClosed() bool {
 }
 
 func (s *Stream) Close() error {
-	err := s.mp.sendMsg(context.Background(), s.id.header(closeTag), nil)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), ResetStreamTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	err := s.mp.sendMsg(ctx, s.id.header(closeTag), nil)
 
 	if s.isClosed() {
 		return nil
@@ -198,6 +201,11 @@ func (s *Stream) Close() error {
 		s.mp.chLock.Unlock()
 	}
 
+	if err != nil && !s.mp.isShutdown() {
+		log.Warningf("Error closing stream: %s; killing connection", err.Error())
+		s.mp.Close()
+	}
+
 	return err
 }
 
@@ -222,7 +230,7 @@ func (s *Stream) Reset() error {
 	s.doCloseLocal()
 	s.closedRemote = true
 
-	go s.mp.sendMsg(context.Background(), s.id.header(resetTag), nil)
+	go s.mp.sendResetMsg(s.id.header(resetTag), true)
 
 	s.clLock.Unlock()