diff --git a/httpx/websocket.go b/httpx/websocket.go
index 7fe9a74..8fd5022 100644
--- a/httpx/websocket.go
+++ b/httpx/websocket.go
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ const (
 
 	// how often to send a ping message
 	pingPeriod = 30 * time.Second
+
+	// maximum time to wait for writer to drain when closing
+	drainPeriod = 3 * time.Second
 )
 
 var upgrader = websocket.Upgrader{
@@ -45,18 +48,28 @@ type WebSocket interface {
 	OnClose(func(int))
 }
 
+type message struct {
+	type_ int
+	data  []byte
+}
+
 // WebSocket implemention using gorilla library
 type socket struct {
-	conn             *websocket.Conn
-	onMessage        func([]byte)
-	onClose          func(int)
-	outbox           chan []byte
-	readError        chan error
-	writeError       chan error
-	stopWriter       chan bool
-	closingWithCode  int
-	rwWaitGroup      sync.WaitGroup
+	conn   *websocket.Conn
+	outbox chan message
+
+	readError       chan error
+	writeError      chan error
+	shutdown        chan bool
+	stopWriter      chan bool
+	closingWithCode int
+
+	readerWaitGroup  sync.WaitGroup
+	writerWaitGroup  sync.WaitGroup
 	monitorWaitGroup sync.WaitGroup
+
+	onMessage func([]byte)
+	onClose   func(int)
 }
 
 // NewWebSocket creates a new web socket from a regular HTTP request
@@ -69,13 +82,16 @@ func NewWebSocket(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, maxReadBytes int64, se
 	conn.SetReadLimit(maxReadBytes)
 
 	return &socket{
-		conn:       conn,
-		onMessage:  func([]byte) {},
-		onClose:    func(int) {},
-		outbox:     make(chan []byte, sendBuffer),
+		conn:   conn,
+		outbox: make(chan message, sendBuffer),
+
 		readError:  make(chan error, 1),
 		writeError: make(chan error, 1),
-		stopWriter: make(chan bool, 1),
+		shutdown:   make(chan bool, 1),
+		stopWriter: make(chan bool),
+
+		onMessage: defaultOnMessage,
+		onClose:   defaultOnClose,
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -83,6 +99,10 @@ func (s *socket) OnMessage(fn func([]byte)) { s.onMessage = fn }
 func (s *socket) OnClose(fn func(int))      { s.onClose = fn }
 
 func (s *socket) Start() {
+	if s.closingWithCode != 0 {
+		panic("can't start socket which is closed or closing")
+	}
+
 	s.conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(maxReadWait))
 	s.conn.SetPongHandler(s.pong)
 
@@ -92,14 +112,23 @@ func (s *socket) Start() {
 }
 
 func (s *socket) Send(msg []byte) {
-	s.outbox <- msg
+	if s.closingWithCode != 0 {
+		panic("can't send to socket which is closed or closing")
+	}
+
+	s.outbox <- message{type_: websocket.TextMessage, data: msg}
 }
 
 func (s *socket) Close(code int) {
+	if s.closingWithCode != 0 {
+		panic("can't close socket which is already closed or closing")
+	}
+
 	s.closingWithCode = code
-	s.conn.WriteMessage(websocket.CloseMessage, websocket.FormatCloseMessage(code, ""))
-	s.conn.Close() // causes reader to stop
-	s.stopWriter <- true
+
+	s.outbox <- message{type_: websocket.CloseMessage, data: websocket.FormatCloseMessage(code, "")}
+
+	s.shutdown <- true
 
 	s.monitorWaitGroup.Wait()
 }
@@ -114,6 +143,7 @@ func (s *socket) monitor() {
 	s.monitorWaitGroup.Add(1)
 	defer s.monitorWaitGroup.Done()
 
+	// shutdown starts via read error, write error, or Close()
 out:
 	for {
 		select {
@@ -121,25 +151,31 @@ out:
 			if e, ok := err.(*websocket.CloseError); ok && s.closingWithCode == 0 {
 				s.closingWithCode = e.Code
 			}
-			s.stopWriter <- true // ensure writer is stopped
 			break out
 		case err := <-s.writeError:
-			if e, ok := err.(*websocket.CloseError); ok {
+			if e, ok := err.(*websocket.CloseError); ok && s.closingWithCode == 0 {
 				s.closingWithCode = e.Code
 			}
-			s.conn.Close() // ensure reader is stopped
+			break out
+		case <-s.shutdown:
 			break out
 		}
 	}
 
-	s.rwWaitGroup.Wait()
+	// stop writer if not already finished...
+	s.stopWriter <- true
+	s.writerWaitGroup.Wait()
+
+	// stop reader if not already finished...
+	s.conn.Close()
+	s.readerWaitGroup.Wait()
 
 	s.onClose(s.closingWithCode)
 }
 
 func (s *socket) reader() {
-	s.rwWaitGroup.Add(1)
-	defer s.rwWaitGroup.Done()
+	s.readerWaitGroup.Add(1)
+	defer s.readerWaitGroup.Done()
 
 	for {
 		_, message, err := s.conn.ReadMessage()
@@ -153,31 +189,49 @@ func (s *socket) reader() {
 }
 
 func (s *socket) writer() {
-	s.rwWaitGroup.Add(1)
-	defer s.rwWaitGroup.Done()
+	s.writerWaitGroup.Add(1)
+	defer s.writerWaitGroup.Done()
 
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(pingPeriod)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 
+out:
 	for {
 		select {
 		case msg := <-s.outbox:
 			s.conn.SetWriteDeadline(time.Now().Add(maxWriteWait))
 
-			err := s.conn.WriteMessage(websocket.TextMessage, msg)
-			if err != nil {
+			if err := s.conn.WriteMessage(msg.type_, msg.data); err != nil {
 				s.writeError <- err
-				return
 			}
 		case <-ticker.C:
 			s.conn.SetWriteDeadline(time.Now().Add(maxWriteWait))
 
 			if err := s.conn.WriteMessage(websocket.PingMessage, nil); err != nil {
 				s.writeError <- err
-				return
 			}
 		case <-s.stopWriter:
-			return
+			break out
+		}
+	}
+
+	// try to drain the outbox with a time limit
+	if len(s.outbox) > 0 {
+		s.conn.SetWriteDeadline(time.Now().Add(drainPeriod))
+		for {
+			select {
+			case msg := <-s.outbox:
+				err := s.conn.WriteMessage(msg.type_, msg.data)
+				if err != nil || len(s.outbox) == 0 {
+					return
+				}
+			case <-time.After(drainPeriod):
+				return
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func defaultOnMessage([]byte) {}
+
+func defaultOnClose(int) {}
diff --git a/httpx/websocket_test.go b/httpx/websocket_test.go
index 17a23eb..c9a3f1f 100644
--- a/httpx/websocket_test.go
+++ b/httpx/websocket_test.go
@@ -97,12 +97,25 @@ func TestSocketMessages(t *testing.T) {
 		return nil
 	})
 
+	sock.Send([]byte("closing time"))
 	sock.Close(1001)
 
+	conn.ReadMessage() // read the final message
 	conn.ReadMessage() // read the close message
 
 	assert.Equal(t, 1001, serverCloseCode)
 	assert.Equal(t, 1001, connCloseCode)
+
+	// check we can no longer send to the socket or close it again, or restart it
+	assert.Panics(t, func() {
+		sock.Send([]byte("x"))
+	})
+	assert.Panics(t, func() {
+		sock.Close(1000)
+	})
+	assert.Panics(t, func() {
+		sock.Start()
+	})
 }
 
 func TestSocketClientCloseWithMessage(t *testing.T) {