diff --git a/rosbridge_library/src/rosbridge_library/capabilities/subscribe.py b/rosbridge_library/src/rosbridge_library/capabilities/subscribe.py
index 6d5cc8c92..eefdb889a 100644
--- a/rosbridge_library/src/rosbridge_library/capabilities/subscribe.py
+++ b/rosbridge_library/src/rosbridge_library/capabilities/subscribe.py
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def unregister(self):
         """ Unsubscribes this subscription and cleans up resources """
         manager.unsubscribe(self.client_id, self.topic)
         with self.handler_lock:
-            self.handler.finish()
+            self.handler.finish(block=False)
         self.clients.clear()
 
     def subscribe(self, sid=None, msg_type=None, throttle_rate=0,
diff --git a/rosbridge_library/src/rosbridge_library/internal/subscription_modifiers.py b/rosbridge_library/src/rosbridge_library/internal/subscription_modifiers.py
index 00172c864..77052ceb5 100644
--- a/rosbridge_library/src/rosbridge_library/internal/subscription_modifiers.py
+++ b/rosbridge_library/src/rosbridge_library/internal/subscription_modifiers.py
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ def transition(self):
         else:
             return QueueMessageHandler(self)
 
-    def finish(self):
+    def finish(self, block=True):
         pass
 
 
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ def transition(self):
         else:
             return QueueMessageHandler(self)
 
-    def finish(self):
+    def finish(self, block=True):
         pass
 
 
@@ -115,6 +115,9 @@ def __init__(self, previous_handler):
 
     def handle_message(self, msg):
         with self.c:
+            if not self.alive:
+                return
+
             should_notify = len(self.queue) == 0
             self.queue.append(msg)
             if should_notify:
@@ -136,14 +139,15 @@ def transition(self):
                 self.c.notify()
             return self
 
-    def finish(self):
+    def finish(self, block=True):
         """ If throttle was set to 0, this pushes all buffered messages """
         # Notify the thread to finish
         with self.c:
             self.alive = False
             self.c.notify()
 
-        self.join()
+        if block:
+            self.join()
 
     def run(self):
         while self.alive:
diff --git a/rosbridge_server/src/rosbridge_server/autobahn_websocket.py b/rosbridge_server/src/rosbridge_server/autobahn_websocket.py
index d31242ab5..9af0f29ae 100755
--- a/rosbridge_server/src/rosbridge_server/autobahn_websocket.py
+++ b/rosbridge_server/src/rosbridge_server/autobahn_websocket.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 import threading
 import traceback
 from functools import wraps
+from collections import deque
 
 from autobahn.twisted.websocket import WebSocketServerProtocol
 from twisted.internet import interfaces, reactor
@@ -66,6 +67,48 @@ def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
     return wrapper
 
 
+class IncomingQueue(threading.Thread):
+    """Decouples incoming messages from the Autobahn thread.
+
+    This mitigates cases where outgoing messages are blocked by incoming,
+    and vice versa.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, protocol):
+        threading.Thread.__init__(self)
+        self.daemon = True
+        self.queue = deque()
+        self.protocol = protocol
+
+        self.cond = threading.Condition()
+        self._finished = False
+
+    def finish(self):
+        """Clear the queue and do not accept further messages."""
+        with self.cond:
+            self._finished = True
+            while len(self.queue) > 0:
+                self.queue.popleft()
+            self.cond.notify()
+
+    def push(self, msg):
+        with self.cond:
+            self.queue.append(msg)
+            self.cond.notify()
+
+    def run(self):
+        while True:
+            with self.cond:
+                if len(self.queue) == 0 and not self._finished:
+                    self.cond.wait()
+
+                if self._finished:
+                    break
+
+                msg = self.queue.popleft()
+
+            self.protocol.incoming(msg)
+
+
 @implementer(interfaces.IPushProducer)
 class OutgoingValve:
     """Allows the Autobahn transport to pause outgoing messages from rosbridge.
@@ -131,6 +174,8 @@ def onOpen(self):
         }
         try:
             self.protocol = RosbridgeProtocol(cls.client_id_seed, parameters=parameters)
+            self.incoming_queue = IncomingQueue(self.protocol)
+            self.incoming_queue.start()
             producer = OutgoingValve(self)
             self.transport.registerProducer(producer, True)
             producer.resumeProducing()
@@ -177,10 +222,10 @@ def onMessage(self, message, binary):
                 self.sendClose()
             except:
                 # proper error will be handled in the protocol class
-                self.protocol.incoming(message)
+                self.incoming_queue.push(message)
         else:
             # no authentication required
-            self.protocol.incoming(message)
+            self.incoming_queue.push(message)
 
     def outgoing(self, message):
         if type(message) == bson.BSON:
@@ -201,6 +246,7 @@ def onClose(self, was_clean, code, reason):
         cls = self.__class__
         cls.clients_connected -= 1
         self.protocol.finish()
+        self.incoming_queue.finish()
         if cls.client_manager:
             cls.client_manager.remove_client(self.client_id, self.peer)
         rospy.loginfo("Client disconnected. %d clients total.", cls.clients_connected)