diff --git a/apps/wolfsshd/wolfsshd.c b/apps/wolfsshd/wolfsshd.c
index 52805707..bf9d9186 100644
--- a/apps/wolfsshd/wolfsshd.c
+++ b/apps/wolfsshd/wolfsshd.c
@@ -1140,7 +1140,7 @@ static int SHELL_Subsystem(WOLFSSHD_CONNECTION* conn, WOLFSSH* ssh,
                 HeapFree(GetProcessHeap(), 0, ext.lpAttributeList);
             }
 
-            if (wolfSSH_SendExitStatus(ssh, processState) !=
+            if (wolfSSH_SetExitStatus(ssh, processState) !=
                     WS_SUCCESS) {
                 wolfSSH_Log(WS_LOG_ERROR, "[SSHD] Issue sending childs exit "
                     "status");
@@ -1464,7 +1464,7 @@ static int SHELL_Subsystem(WOLFSSHD_CONNECTION* conn, WOLFSSH* ssh,
     {
         int waitStatus;
         waitpid(-1, &waitStatus, WNOHANG);
-        if (wolfSSH_SendExitStatus(ssh, (word32)WEXITSTATUS(waitStatus)) !=
+        if (wolfSSH_SetExitStatus(ssh, (word32)WEXITSTATUS(waitStatus)) !=
                 WS_SUCCESS) {
             wolfSSH_Log(WS_LOG_ERROR, "[SSHD] Issue sending childs exit "
                 "status");
@@ -1722,9 +1722,12 @@ static void* HandleConnection(void* arg)
                     break;
                 }
 
-                if (error != WS_WANT_READ && error != WS_WANT_WRITE) {
+                if (ret == WS_FATAL_ERROR &&
+                   (error != WS_WANT_READ &&
+                    error != WS_WANT_WRITE)) {
                     break;
                 }
+		usleep(1);
             }
 
             if (attempt == maxAttempt) {
@@ -1734,6 +1737,7 @@ static void* HandleConnection(void* arg)
         }
     }
 
+    /* check if there is a response to the shutdown */
     wolfSSH_free(ssh);
     if (conn != NULL) {
         WCLOSESOCKET(conn->fd);
diff --git a/examples/client/client.c b/examples/client/client.c
index 25c3a5cd..6c15fcbe 100644
--- a/examples/client/client.c
+++ b/examples/client/client.c
@@ -982,7 +982,8 @@ THREAD_RETURN WOLFSSH_THREAD client_test(void* args)
             err_sys("Sending the shutdown messages failed.");
         }
         ret = wolfSSH_worker(ssh, NULL);
-        if (ret != WS_SUCCESS) {
+        if (ret != WS_SUCCESS && ret != WS_SOCKET_ERROR_E &&
+            ret != WS_CHANNEL_CLOSED) {
             err_sys("Failed to listen for close messages from the peer.");
         }
     }
@@ -994,8 +995,10 @@ THREAD_RETURN WOLFSSH_THREAD client_test(void* args)
 
     wolfSSH_free(ssh);
     wolfSSH_CTX_free(ctx);
-    if (ret != WS_SUCCESS && ret != WS_SOCKET_ERROR_E)
+    if (ret != WS_SUCCESS && ret != WS_SOCKET_ERROR_E &&
+            ret != WS_CHANNEL_CLOSED) {
         err_sys("Closing client stream failed");
+    }
 
     ClientFreeBuffers(pubKeyName, privKeyName);
 #if !defined(WOLFSSH_NO_ECC) && defined(FP_ECC) && defined(HAVE_THREAD_LS)
diff --git a/src/internal.c b/src/internal.c
index ba11fc25..4e69277f 100644
--- a/src/internal.c
+++ b/src/internal.c
@@ -14034,64 +14034,6 @@ int SendChannelSuccess(WOLFSSH* ssh, word32 channelId, int success)
 }
 
 
-/* Sends out the channel exit-status msg
- * returns WS_SUCCESS on success */
-int SendChannelExitStatus(WOLFSSH* ssh, word32 channelId, word32 exitStatus)
-{
-    byte* output;
-    word32 idx;
-    int ret = WS_SUCCESS;
-    WOLFSSH_CHANNEL* channel = NULL;
-    const char cType[] = "exit-status";
-    int typeSz;
-
-    WLOG(WS_LOG_DEBUG, "Entering SendChannelExitStatus()");
-    if (ssh == NULL)
-        ret = WS_BAD_ARGUMENT;
-
-    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
-        channel = ChannelFind(ssh, channelId, WS_CHANNEL_ID_SELF);
-        if (channel == NULL) {
-            WLOG(WS_LOG_DEBUG, "Invalid channel");
-            ret = WS_INVALID_CHANID;
-        }
-    }
-
-    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
-        typeSz = (word32)WSTRLEN(cType);
-        ret = PreparePacket(ssh, MSG_ID_SZ + UINT32_SZ + LENGTH_SZ +
-                                 typeSz + BOOLEAN_SZ + UINT32_SZ);
-    }
-
-    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
-        output = ssh->outputBuffer.buffer;
-        idx = ssh->outputBuffer.length;
-
-        output[idx++] = MSGID_CHANNEL_REQUEST;
-        c32toa(channel->peerChannel, output + idx);
-        idx += UINT32_SZ;
-
-        c32toa(typeSz, output + idx);
-        idx += LENGTH_SZ;
-        WMEMCPY(output + idx, cType, typeSz);
-        idx += typeSz;
-        output[idx++] = 0; /* boolean of want reply is always false */
-        c32toa(exitStatus, output + idx);
-        idx += UINT32_SZ;
-
-        ssh->outputBuffer.length = idx;
-
-        ret = BundlePacket(ssh);
-    }
-
-    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS)
-        ret = wolfSSH_SendPacket(ssh);
-
-    WLOG(WS_LOG_DEBUG, "Leaving SendChannelExitStatus(), ret = %d", ret);
-    return ret;
-}
-
-
 #if (defined(WOLFSSH_SFTP) || defined(WOLFSSH_SCP)) && \
     !defined(NO_WOLFSSH_SERVER)
 /* cleans up absolute path
diff --git a/src/ssh.c b/src/ssh.c
index a7e8e968..d5b53af0 100644
--- a/src/ssh.c
+++ b/src/ssh.c
@@ -954,24 +954,43 @@ int wolfSSH_connect(WOLFSSH* ssh)
 int wolfSSH_shutdown(WOLFSSH* ssh)
 {
     int ret = WS_SUCCESS;
+    WOLFSSH_CHANNEL* channel = NULL;
 
     WLOG(WS_LOG_DEBUG, "Entering wolfSSH_shutdown()");
 
     if (ssh == NULL || ssh->channelList == NULL)
         ret = WS_BAD_ARGUMENT;
 
-    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS)
-        ret = SendChannelEof(ssh, ssh->channelList->peerChannel);
+    /* look up the channel if it still exists */
+    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+        channel = ChannelFind(ssh, ssh->channelList->peerChannel, WS_CHANNEL_ID_SELF);
+    }
 
-    /* continue on success and in case where queing up send packets */
-    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS ||
-            (ret != WS_BAD_ARGUMENT && ssh->error == WS_WANT_WRITE))
-        ret = SendChannelExit(ssh, ssh->channelList->peerChannel, 0);
+    /* if channel close was not already sent then send it */
+    if (channel != NULL && !channel->closeTxd) {
+       if (ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+           ret = SendChannelEof(ssh, ssh->channelList->peerChannel);
+       }
 
-    /* continue on success and in case where queing up send packets */
-    if (ret == WS_SUCCESS ||
-            (ret != WS_BAD_ARGUMENT && ssh->error == WS_WANT_WRITE))
-        ret = SendChannelClose(ssh, ssh->channelList->peerChannel);
+       /* continue on success and in case where queing up send packets */
+       if (ret == WS_SUCCESS ||
+               (ret != WS_BAD_ARGUMENT && ssh->error == WS_WANT_WRITE)) {
+           ret = SendChannelExit(ssh, ssh->channelList->peerChannel,
+               ssh->exitStatus);
+       }
+
+       /* continue on success and in case where queing up send packets */
+       if (ret == WS_SUCCESS ||
+               (ret != WS_BAD_ARGUMENT && ssh->error == WS_WANT_WRITE))
+           ret = SendChannelClose(ssh, ssh->channelList->peerChannel);
+    }
+
+
+    /* if the channel was not yet removed then read to get
+     * response to SendChannelClose */
+    if (channel != NULL && ret == WS_SUCCESS) {
+        ret = wolfSSH_worker(ssh, NULL);
+    }
 
     if (ssh != NULL && ssh->channelList == NULL) {
         WLOG(WS_LOG_DEBUG, "channel list was already removed");
@@ -1377,18 +1396,18 @@ int wolfSSH_GetExitStatus(WOLFSSH* ssh)
 }
 
 
-/* Sends the commands exit status to the peer
+/* Sets the exit status to send on shutdown
  * returns WS_SUCCESS on success */
-int wolfSSH_SendExitStatus(WOLFSSH* ssh, word32 exitStatus)
+int wolfSSH_SetExitStatus(WOLFSSH* ssh, word32 exitStatus)
 {
     if (ssh == NULL) {
-        WLOG(WS_LOG_DEBUG, "wolfSSH_SendExitStatus WOLFSSH struct was NULL");
+        WLOG(WS_LOG_DEBUG, "wolfSSH_SetExitStatus WOLFSSH struct was NULL");
         return WS_BAD_ARGUMENT;
     }
-    WLOG(WS_LOG_DEBUG, "wolfSSH_SendExitStatus sending exit status %u",
+    WLOG(WS_LOG_DEBUG, "wolfSSH_SetExitStatus sending exit status %u",
         exitStatus);
-
-    return SendChannelExitStatus(ssh, ssh->defaultPeerChannelId, exitStatus);
+    ssh->exitStatus = exitStatus;
+    return WS_SUCCESS;
 }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/wolfssh/ssh.h b/wolfssh/ssh.h
index 63c16574..0e2d49f8 100644
--- a/wolfssh/ssh.h
+++ b/wolfssh/ssh.h
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ WOLFSSH_API void wolfSSH_SetTerminalResizeCb(WOLFSSH* ssh,
     WS_CallbackTerminalSize cb);
 WOLFSSH_API void wolfSSH_SetTerminalResizeCtx(WOLFSSH* ssh, void* usrCtx);
 WOLFSSH_API int wolfSSH_GetExitStatus(WOLFSSH* ssh);
-WOLFSSH_API int wolfSSH_SendExitStatus(WOLFSSH* ssh, word32 exitStatus);
+WOLFSSH_API int wolfSSH_SetExitStatus(WOLFSSH* ssh, word32 exitStatus);
 
 
 enum WS_HighwaterSide {