diff --git a/src/remote/remote_driver.c b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
index c2f8bbde06d6d4268e719e469ad911016d8dc569..6bae353c75c5041888cf2859e92916605f5f0875 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote_driver.c
+++ b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
@@ -684,6 +684,7 @@ doRemoteOpen (virConnectPtr conn,
         free_qparam_set (vars);
 
  failed:
+    virNetClientClose(priv->client);
     virNetClientFree(priv->client);
     priv->client = NULL;
 
@@ -834,6 +835,7 @@ doRemoteClose (virConnectPtr conn, struct private_data *priv)
 
     virNetTLSContextFree(priv->tls);
     priv->tls = NULL;
+    virNetClientClose(priv->client);
     virNetClientFree(priv->client);
     priv->client = NULL;
     virNetClientProgramFree(priv->remoteProgram);
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetclient.c b/src/rpc/virnetclient.c
index 27542a57ac3808f2efe86432ea30176a11054e93..dfc4ed94948128edfde9f335e6600c752ee1cab5 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetclient.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetclient.c
@@ -255,7 +255,8 @@ void virNetClientFree(virNetClientPtr client)
 
     VIR_FREE(client->hostname);
 
-    virNetSocketRemoveIOCallback(client->sock);
+    if (client->sock)
+        virNetSocketRemoveIOCallback(client->sock);
     virNetSocketFree(client->sock);
     virNetTLSSessionFree(client->tls);
 #if HAVE_SASL
@@ -268,6 +269,22 @@ void virNetClientFree(virNetClientPtr client)
 }
 
 
+void virNetClientClose(virNetClientPtr client)
+{
+    virNetClientLock(client);
+    virNetSocketRemoveIOCallback(client->sock);
+    virNetSocketFree(client->sock);
+    client->sock = NULL;
+    virNetTLSSessionFree(client->tls);
+    client->tls = NULL;
+#if HAVE_SASL
+    virNetSASLSessionFree(client->sasl);
+    client->sasl = NULL;
+#endif
+    virNetClientUnlock(client);
+}
+
+
 #if HAVE_SASL
 void virNetClientSetSASLSession(virNetClientPtr client,
                                 virNetSASLSessionPtr sasl)
@@ -1118,6 +1135,9 @@ void virNetClientIncomingEvent(virNetSocketPtr sock,
 
     virNetClientLock(client);
 
+    if (!client->sock)
+        goto done;
+
     /* This should be impossible, but it doesn't hurt to check */
     if (client->waitDispatch)
         goto done;
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetclient.h b/src/rpc/virnetclient.h
index 6acdf508a057a8e1e63135438919a17e63342e68..a0983bc734b195e1c9f2762da8f2704570d5cbc6 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetclient.h
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetclient.h
@@ -81,5 +81,6 @@ const char *virNetClientRemoteAddrString(virNetClientPtr client);
 int virNetClientGetTLSKeySize(virNetClientPtr client);
 
 void virNetClientFree(virNetClientPtr client);
+void virNetClientClose(virNetClientPtr client);
 
 #endif /* __VIR_NET_CLIENT_H__ */