diff --git a/zk/conn.go b/zk/conn.go
index f79a51b3..e7019d59 100644
--- a/zk/conn.go
+++ b/zk/conn.go
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ type Conn struct {
 	eventChan      chan Event
 	eventCallback  EventCallback // may be nil
 	shouldQuit     chan struct{}
+	shouldQuitOnce sync.Once
 	pingInterval   time.Duration
 	recvTimeout    time.Duration
 	connectTimeout time.Duration
@@ -310,12 +311,14 @@ func WithMaxConnBufferSize(maxBufferSize int) connOption {
 }
 
 func (c *Conn) Close() {
-	close(c.shouldQuit)
+	c.shouldQuitOnce.Do(func() {
+		close(c.shouldQuit)
 
-	select {
-	case <-c.queueRequest(opClose, &closeRequest{}, &closeResponse{}, nil):
-	case <-time.After(time.Second):
-	}
+		select {
+		case <-c.queueRequest(opClose, &closeRequest{}, &closeResponse{}, nil):
+		case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		}
+	})
 }
 
 // State returns the current state of the connection.
@@ -939,10 +942,30 @@ func (c *Conn) queueRequest(opcode int32, req interface{}, res interface{}, recv
 		opcode:     opcode,
 		pkt:        req,
 		recvStruct: res,
-		recvChan:   make(chan response, 1),
+		recvChan:   make(chan response, 2),
 		recvFunc:   recvFunc,
 	}
-	c.sendChan <- rq
+
+	switch opcode {
+	case opClose:
+		// always attempt to send close ops.
+		c.sendChan <- rq
+	default:
+		// otherwise avoid deadlocks for dumb clients who aren't aware that
+		// the ZK connection is closed yet.
+		select {
+		case <-c.shouldQuit:
+			rq.recvChan <- response{-1, ErrConnectionClosed}
+		case c.sendChan <- rq:
+			// check for a tie
+			select {
+			case <-c.shouldQuit:
+				// maybe the caller gets this, maybe not- we tried.
+				rq.recvChan <- response{-1, ErrConnectionClosed}
+			default:
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	return rq.recvChan
 }
 
diff --git a/zk/zk_test.go b/zk/zk_test.go
index c81ef9fb..07d29927 100644
--- a/zk/zk_test.go
+++ b/zk/zk_test.go
@@ -93,6 +93,37 @@ func TestCreate(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestOpsAfterCloseDontDeadlock(t *testing.T) {
+	ts, err := StartTestCluster(1, nil, logWriter{t: t, p: "[ZKERR] "})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer ts.Stop()
+	zk, _, err := ts.ConnectAll()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Connect returned error: %+v", err)
+	}
+	zk.Close()
+
+	path := "/gozk-test"
+
+	ch := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		defer close(ch)
+		for range make([]struct{}, 30) {
+			if _, err := zk.Create(path, []byte{1, 2, 3, 4}, 0, WorldACL(PermAll)); err == nil {
+				t.Fatal("Create did not return error")
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+	select {
+	case <-ch:
+		// expected
+	case <-time.After(10 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("ZK connection deadlocked when executing ops after a Close operation")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestMulti(t *testing.T) {
 	ts, err := StartTestCluster(1, nil, logWriter{t: t, p: "[ZKERR] "})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -139,6 +170,7 @@ func TestIfAuthdataSurvivesReconnect(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	defer ts.Stop()
 
 	zk, _, err := ts.ConnectAll()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -666,6 +698,16 @@ func TestRequestFail(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestIdempotentClose(t *testing.T) {
+	zk, _, err := Connect([]string{"127.0.0.1:32444"}, time.Second*15)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	// multiple calls to Close() should not panic
+	zk.Close()
+	zk.Close()
+}
+
 func TestSlowServer(t *testing.T) {
 	ts, err := StartTestCluster(1, nil, logWriter{t: t, p: "[ZKERR] "})
 	if err != nil {