diff --git a/src/FwdState.cc b/src/FwdState.cc
index d0c1b09..424e87f 100644
--- a/src/FwdState.cc
+++ b/src/FwdState.cc
@@ -119,7 +119,8 @@ void
 FwdState::closeServerConnection(const char *reason)
 {
     debugs(17, 3, "because " << reason << "; " << serverConn);
-    comm_remove_close_handler(serverConn->fd, fwdServerClosedWrapper, this);
+    comm_remove_close_handler(serverConn->fd, closeHandler);
+    closeHandler = NULL;
     fwdPconnPool->noteUses(fd_table[serverConn->fd].pconn.uses);
     serverConn->close();
 }
@@ -443,7 +444,8 @@ FwdState::unregister(Comm::ConnectionPointer &conn)
     debugs(17, 3, HERE << entry->url() );
     assert(serverConnection() == conn);
     assert(Comm::IsConnOpen(conn));
-    comm_remove_close_handler(conn->fd, fwdServerClosedWrapper, this);
+    comm_remove_close_handler(serverConn->fd, closeHandler);
+    closeHandler = NULL;
     serverConn = NULL;
 }
 
@@ -676,7 +678,7 @@ FwdState::connectDone(const Comm::ConnectionPointer &conn, Comm::Flag status, in
 
     debugs(17, 3, HERE << serverConnection() << ": '" << entry->url() << "'" );
 
-    comm_add_close_handler(serverConnection()->fd, fwdServerClosedWrapper, this);
+    closeHandler = comm_add_close_handler(serverConnection()->fd, fwdServerClosedWrapper, this);
 
     if (serverConnection()->getPeer())
         peerConnectSucceded(serverConnection()->getPeer());
@@ -815,7 +817,8 @@ FwdState::connectStart()
             request->hier.note(serverConn, pinned_connection->pinning.host);
             if (pinned_connection->pinnedAuth())
                 request->flags.auth = true;
-            comm_add_close_handler(serverConn->fd, fwdServerClosedWrapper, this);
+
+            closeHandler = comm_add_close_handler(serverConnection()->fd, fwdServerClosedWrapper, this);
 
             /* Update server side TOS and Netfilter mark on the connection. */
             if (Ip::Qos::TheConfig.isAclTosActive()) {
@@ -865,7 +868,7 @@ FwdState::connectStart()
         debugs(17, 3, HERE << "reusing pconn " << serverConnection());
         ++n_tries;
 
-        comm_add_close_handler(serverConnection()->fd, fwdServerClosedWrapper, this);
+        closeHandler = comm_add_close_handler(serverConnection()->fd, fwdServerClosedWrapper, this);
 
         /* Update server side TOS and Netfilter mark on the connection. */
         if (Ip::Qos::TheConfig.isAclTosActive()) {
diff --git a/src/clients/Client.h b/src/clients/Client.h
index 0347408..10dc49e 100644
--- a/src/clients/Client.h
+++ b/src/clients/Client.h
@@ -99,7 +99,9 @@ protected:
     virtual void sentRequestBody(const CommIoCbParams &io) = 0;
     virtual void doneSendingRequestBody() = 0;
 
-    virtual void closeServer() = 0;            /**< end communication with the server */
+    /// Use this to end communication with the server. The call cancels our
+    /// closure handler and tells FwdState to forget about the connection.
+    virtual void closeServer() = 0;
     virtual bool doneWithServer() const = 0;   /**< did we end communication? */
     /// whether we may receive more virgin response body bytes
     virtual bool mayReadVirginReplyBody() const = 0;
diff --git a/src/comm.cc b/src/comm.cc
index 54a1344..700fe9a 100644
--- a/src/comm.cc
+++ b/src/comm.cc
@@ -976,7 +976,7 @@ comm_udp_sendto(int fd,
     return Comm::COMM_ERROR;
 }
 
-void
+AsyncCall::Pointer
 comm_add_close_handler(int fd, CLCB * handler, void *data)
 {
     debugs(5, 5, "comm_add_close_handler: FD " << fd << ", handler=" <<
@@ -985,6 +985,7 @@ comm_add_close_handler(int fd, CLCB * handler, void *data)
     AsyncCall::Pointer call=commCbCall(5,4, "SomeCloseHandler",
                                        CommCloseCbPtrFun(handler, data));
     comm_add_close_handler(fd, call);
+    return call;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/comm.h b/src/comm.h
index 6647d09..02afb45 100644
--- a/src/comm.h
+++ b/src/comm.h
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ int ignoreErrno(int);
 void commCloseAllSockets(void);
 void checkTimeouts(void);
 
-void comm_add_close_handler(int fd, CLCB *, void *);
+AsyncCall::Pointer comm_add_close_handler(int fd, CLCB *, void *);
 void comm_add_close_handler(int fd, AsyncCall::Pointer &);
 void comm_remove_close_handler(int fd, CLCB *, void *);
 void comm_remove_close_handler(int fd, AsyncCall::Pointer &);
diff --git a/src/http.cc b/src/http.cc
index bdd4596..65b452e 100644
--- a/src/http.cc
+++ b/src/http.cc
@@ -165,7 +165,8 @@ HttpStateData::httpTimeout(const CommTimeoutCbParams &params)
         fwd->fail(new ErrorState(ERR_READ_TIMEOUT, Http::scGatewayTimeout, fwd->request));
     }
 
-    serverConnection->close();
+    closeServer();
+    mustStop("HttpStateData::httpTimeout");
 }
 
 /// Remove an existing public store entry if the incoming response (to be
@@ -1150,7 +1151,8 @@ HttpStateData::readReply(const CommIoCbParams &io)
             err->xerrno = io.xerrno;
             fwd->fail(err);
             flags.do_next_read = false;
-            serverConnection->close();
+            closeServer();
+            mustStop("HttpStateData::readReply");
         }
 
         return;
@@ -1306,7 +1308,8 @@ HttpStateData::continueAfterParsingHeader()
     entry->reset();
     fwd->fail(new ErrorState(error, Http::scBadGateway, fwd->request));
     flags.do_next_read = false;
-    serverConnection->close();
+    closeServer();
+    mustStop("HttpStateData::continueAfterParsingHeader");
     return false; // quit on error
 }
 
@@ -1540,7 +1543,8 @@ HttpStateData::wroteLast(const CommIoCbParams &io)
         ErrorState *err = new ErrorState(ERR_WRITE_ERROR, Http::scBadGateway, fwd->request);
         err->xerrno = io.xerrno;
         fwd->fail(err);
-        serverConnection->close();
+        closeServer();
+        mustStop("HttpStateData::wroteLast");
         return;
     }
 
@@ -1568,7 +1572,6 @@ HttpStateData::sendComplete()
     request->hier.peer_http_request_sent = current_time;
 }
 
-// Close the HTTP server connection. Used by serverComplete().
 void
 HttpStateData::closeServer()
 {
@@ -2371,8 +2374,9 @@ HttpStateData::handleMoreRequestBodyAvailable()
             debugs(11, DBG_IMPORTANT, "http handleMoreRequestBodyAvailable: Likely proxy abuse detected '" << request->client_addr << "' -> '" << entry->url() << "'" );
 
             if (virginReply()->sline.status() == Http::scInvalidHeader) {
-                serverConnection->close();
-                return;
+              closeServer();
+              mustStop("HttpStateData::handleMoreRequestBodyAvailable");
+              return;
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/FwdState.h b/src/FwdState.h
index 56dad30..b724b13 100644
--- a/src/FwdState.h
+++ b/src/FwdState.h
@@ -150,6 +150,8 @@ private:
 
     Comm::ConnectionPointer serverConn; ///< a successfully opened connection to a server.
 
+    AsyncCall::Pointer closeHandler; ///< The serverConn close handler
+
     /// possible pconn race states
     typedef enum { raceImpossible, racePossible, raceHappened } PconnRace;
     PconnRace pconnRace; ///< current pconn race state
diff --git a/src/tests/stub_comm.cc b/src/tests/stub_comm.cc
index abd3a6b..746ec92 100644
--- a/src/tests/stub_comm.cc
+++ b/src/tests/stub_comm.cc
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ int commUnsetConnTimeout(const Comm::ConnectionPointer &conn) STUB_RETVAL(-1)
 int ignoreErrno(int ierrno) STUB_RETVAL(-1)
 void commCloseAllSockets(void) STUB
 void checkTimeouts(void) STUB
-void comm_add_close_handler(int fd, CLCB *, void *) STUB
+AsyncCall::Pointer comm_add_close_handler(int fd, CLCB *, void *) STUB
 void comm_add_close_handler(int fd, AsyncCall::Pointer &) STUB
 void comm_remove_close_handler(int fd, CLCB *, void *) STUB
 void comm_remove_close_handler(int fd, AsyncCall::Pointer &)STUB