diff --git a/src/dorkbox/network/connection/ConnectionImpl.java b/src/dorkbox/network/connection/ConnectionImpl.java
index 61117ef6..26c90a28 100644
--- a/src/dorkbox/network/connection/ConnectionImpl.java
+++ b/src/dorkbox/network/connection/ConnectionImpl.java
@@ -690,6 +690,11 @@ class ConnectionImpl extends ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter implements CryptoConne
         closeLatch.countDown();
     }
 
+    final void
+    forceClose() {
+        this.channelWrapper.close(this, this.sessionManager, true);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Closes the connection, but does not remove any listeners
      */
@@ -757,7 +762,7 @@ class ConnectionImpl extends ChannelInboundHandlerAdapter implements CryptoConne
             synchronized (this.channelIsClosed) {
                 if (!this.channelIsClosed.get()) {
                     // this will have netty call "channelInactive()"
-                    this.channelWrapper.close(this, this.sessionManager);
+                    this.channelWrapper.close(this, this.sessionManager, false);
 
                     // want to wait for the "channelInactive()" method to FINISH ALL TYPES before allowing our current thread to continue!
                     try {
diff --git a/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelLocalWrapper.java b/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelLocalWrapper.java
index 98b83bcf..5d15d92d 100644
--- a/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelLocalWrapper.java
+++ b/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelLocalWrapper.java
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class ChannelLocalWrapper implements ChannelWrapper, ConnectionPoint {
 
     @Override
     public
-    void close(ConnectionImpl connection, ISessionManager sessionManager) {
+    void close(ConnectionImpl connection, ISessionManager sessionManager, boolean hintedClose) {
         long maxShutdownWaitTimeInMilliSeconds = EndPoint.maxShutdownWaitTimeInMilliSeconds;
 
         this.shouldFlush.set(false);
diff --git a/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelNetwork.java b/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelNetwork.java
index 30d14ea9..be265628 100644
--- a/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelNetwork.java
+++ b/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelNetwork.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package dorkbox.network.connection.wrapper;
 
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 
 import dorkbox.network.connection.ConnectionPoint;
@@ -69,12 +70,26 @@ class ChannelNetwork implements ConnectionPoint {
         return channel.eventLoop().newPromise();
     }
 
-    public
-    void close(long maxShutdownWaitTimeInMilliSeconds) {
+    void close(final int delay, final long maxShutdownWaitTimeInMilliSeconds) {
         shouldFlush.set(false);
         if (channel.isActive()) {
-            channel.close()
-                   .awaitUninterruptibly(maxShutdownWaitTimeInMilliSeconds);
+            if (delay > 0) {
+                // for UDP, we send a hint to the other connection that we should close. While not always 100% successful, this helps
+                // clean up connections on the remote end. So we want to wait a short amount of time for this to be successful
+                channel.eventLoop()
+                       .schedule(new Runnable() {
+                           @Override
+                           public
+                           void run() {
+                               channel.close()
+                                      .awaitUninterruptibly(maxShutdownWaitTimeInMilliSeconds);
+                           }
+                       }, delay, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+            }
+            else {
+                channel.close()
+                       .awaitUninterruptibly(maxShutdownWaitTimeInMilliSeconds);
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelNetworkWrapper.java b/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelNetworkWrapper.java
index ed0d45b6..effe011b 100644
--- a/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelNetworkWrapper.java
+++ b/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelNetworkWrapper.java
@@ -154,24 +154,29 @@ class ChannelNetworkWrapper implements ChannelWrapper {
 
     @Override
     public
-    void close(final ConnectionImpl connection, final ISessionManager sessionManager) {
+    void close(final ConnectionImpl connection, final ISessionManager sessionManager, boolean hintedClose) {
         long maxShutdownWaitTimeInMilliSeconds = EndPoint.maxShutdownWaitTimeInMilliSeconds;
 
         if (this.tcp != null) {
-            this.tcp.close(maxShutdownWaitTimeInMilliSeconds);
+            this.tcp.close(0, maxShutdownWaitTimeInMilliSeconds);
         }
 
         if (this.udp != null) {
-            // send a hint to the other connection that we should close. While not always 100% successful, this helps clean up connections
-            // on the remote end
-            try {
-                this.udp.write(new DatagramCloseMessage());
-                this.udp.flush();
-                Thread.yield();
-            } catch (Exception e) {
-                e.printStackTrace();
+            if (hintedClose) {
+                // we already hinted that we should close this channel... don't do it again!
+                this.udp.close(0, maxShutdownWaitTimeInMilliSeconds);
+            }
+            else {
+                // send a hint to the other connection that we should close. While not always 100% successful, this helps clean up connections
+                // on the remote end
+                try {
+                    this.udp.write(new DatagramCloseMessage());
+                    this.udp.flush();
+                } catch (Exception e) {
+                    e.printStackTrace();
+                }
+                this.udp.close(200, maxShutdownWaitTimeInMilliSeconds);
             }
-            this.udp.close(maxShutdownWaitTimeInMilliSeconds);
         }
 
         // we need to yield the thread here, so that the socket has a chance to close
diff --git a/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelWrapper.java b/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelWrapper.java
index 6c27c5ba..c18fb5b3 100644
--- a/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelWrapper.java
+++ b/src/dorkbox/network/connection/wrapper/ChannelWrapper.java
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ interface ChannelWrapper {
      */
     String getRemoteHost();
 
-    void close(ConnectionImpl connection, ISessionManager sessionManager);
+    void close(ConnectionImpl connection, ISessionManager sessionManager, boolean hintedClose);
 
     int id();