diff --git a/iocore/net/UnixNetVConnection.cc b/iocore/net/UnixNetVConnection.cc
index 181420e512d..dc112a6e5f7 100644
--- a/iocore/net/UnixNetVConnection.cc
+++ b/iocore/net/UnixNetVConnection.cc
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ read_signal_and_update(int event, UnixNetVConnection *vc)
     case VC_EVENT_ACTIVE_TIMEOUT:
     case VC_EVENT_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT:
       Debug("inactivity_cop", "event %d: null read.vio cont, closing vc %p", event, vc);
+      Warning("read: Closing orphaned vc %p", vc);
       vc->closed = 1;
       break;
     default:
@@ -119,6 +120,7 @@ write_signal_and_update(int event, UnixNetVConnection *vc)
     case VC_EVENT_ACTIVE_TIMEOUT:
     case VC_EVENT_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT:
       Debug("inactivity_cop", "event %d: null write.vio cont, closing vc %p", event, vc);
+      Warning("write: Closing orphaned vc %p", vc);
       vc->closed = 1;
       break;
     default:
diff --git a/proxy/http/Http1ClientSession.cc b/proxy/http/Http1ClientSession.cc
index a998a802ef4..a289847697b 100644
--- a/proxy/http/Http1ClientSession.cc
+++ b/proxy/http/Http1ClientSession.cc
@@ -111,9 +111,6 @@ Http1ClientSession::free()
     conn_decrease = false;
   }
 
-  // Clean up the write VIO in case of inactivity timeout
-  this->do_io_write(nullptr, 0, nullptr);
-
   // Free the transaction resources
   this->trans.super_type::destroy();
 
@@ -228,12 +225,13 @@ Http1ClientSession::do_io_close(int alerrno)
     slave_ka_vio = nullptr;
   }
   // Completed the last transaction.  Just shutdown already
-  if (transact_count == released_transactions) {
+  // Or the do_io_close is due to a network error
+  if (transact_count == released_transactions || alerrno == HTTP_ERRNO) {
     half_close = false;
   }
 
   // Clean up the write VIO in case of inactivity timeout
-  this->do_io_write(nullptr, 0, nullptr);
+  this->do_io_write(this, 0, nullptr);
 
   if (half_close && this->trans.get_sm()) {
     read_state = HCS_HALF_CLOSED;
@@ -293,11 +291,7 @@ Http1ClientSession::state_wait_for_close(int event, void *data)
   case VC_EVENT_ACTIVE_TIMEOUT:
   case VC_EVENT_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT:
     half_close = false;
-    this->do_io_close();
-    if (_vc != nullptr) {
-      _vc->do_io_close();
-      _vc = nullptr;
-    }
+    this->do_io_close(EHTTP_ERROR);
     break;
   case VC_EVENT_READ_READY:
     // Drain any data read
@@ -373,11 +367,7 @@ Http1ClientSession::state_keep_alive(int event, void *data)
     break;
 
   case VC_EVENT_EOS:
-    this->do_io_close();
-    if (_vc != nullptr) {
-      _vc->do_io_close();
-      _vc = nullptr;
-    }
+    this->do_io_close(EHTTP_ERROR);
     break;
 
   case VC_EVENT_READ_COMPLETE:
@@ -389,7 +379,7 @@ Http1ClientSession::state_keep_alive(int event, void *data)
   case VC_EVENT_ACTIVE_TIMEOUT:
   case VC_EVENT_INACTIVITY_TIMEOUT:
     // Keep-alive timed out
-    this->do_io_close();
+    this->do_io_close(EHTTP_ERROR);
     break;
   }
 
@@ -403,7 +393,7 @@ Http1ClientSession::release(ProxyTransaction *trans)
   ink_assert(read_state == HCS_ACTIVE_READER || read_state == HCS_INIT);
 
   // Clean up the write VIO in case of inactivity timeout
-  this->do_io_write(nullptr, 0, nullptr);
+  this->do_io_write(this, 0, nullptr);
 
   // Check to see there is remaining data in the
   //  buffer.  If there is, spin up a new state
diff --git a/proxy/http/HttpSM.cc b/proxy/http/HttpSM.cc
index 9b47469b008..2d8b71d8b6e 100644
--- a/proxy/http/HttpSM.cc
+++ b/proxy/http/HttpSM.cc
@@ -581,7 +581,8 @@ HttpSM::attach_client_session(ProxyTransaction *client_vc, IOBufferReader *buffe
   //  this hook maybe asynchronous, we need to disable IO on
   //  client but set the continuation to be the state machine
   //  so if we get an timeout events the sm handles them
-  ua_entry->read_vio = client_vc->do_io_read(this, 0, buffer_reader->mbuf);
+  ua_entry->read_vio  = client_vc->do_io_read(this, 0, buffer_reader->mbuf);
+  ua_entry->write_vio = client_vc->do_io_write(this, 0, nullptr);
 
   /////////////////////////
   // set up timeouts     //
@@ -2763,7 +2764,7 @@ HttpSM::tunnel_handler_post(int event, void *data)
     if (ua_entry->write_buffer) {
       free_MIOBuffer(ua_entry->write_buffer);
       ua_entry->write_buffer = nullptr;
-      ua_entry->vc->do_io_write(nullptr, 0, nullptr);
+      ua_entry->vc->do_io_write(this, 0, nullptr);
     }
     if (!p->handler_state) {
       p->handler_state = HTTP_SM_POST_UA_FAIL;
@@ -3510,7 +3511,7 @@ HttpSM::tunnel_handler_post_ua(int event, HttpTunnelProducer *p)
       // if it is active timeout case, we need to give another chance to send 408 response;
       ua_txn->set_active_timeout(HRTIME_SECONDS(t_state.txn_conf->transaction_active_timeout_in));
 
-      p->vc->do_io_write(nullptr, 0, nullptr);
+      p->vc->do_io_write(this, 0, nullptr);
       p->vc->do_io_shutdown(IO_SHUTDOWN_READ);
 
       return 0;
@@ -3524,7 +3525,7 @@ HttpSM::tunnel_handler_post_ua(int event, HttpTunnelProducer *p)
     //   server and close the ua
     p->handler_state = HTTP_SM_POST_UA_FAIL;
     set_ua_abort(HttpTransact::ABORTED, event);
-    p->vc->do_io_write(nullptr, 0, nullptr);
+    p->vc->do_io_write(this, 0, nullptr);
     p->vc->do_io_shutdown(IO_SHUTDOWN_READ);
     tunnel.chain_abort_all(p);
     server_session = nullptr;
@@ -3552,8 +3553,7 @@ HttpSM::tunnel_handler_post_ua(int event, HttpTunnelProducer *p)
       }
     }
 
-    // Initiate another read to watch catch aborts and
-    //   timeouts
+    // Initiate another read to catch aborts and timeouts.
     ua_entry->vc_handler = &HttpSM::state_watch_for_client_abort;
     ua_entry->read_vio   = p->vc->do_io_read(this, INT64_MAX, ua_buffer_reader->mbuf);
     break;
diff --git a/proxy/http2/Http2ClientSession.cc b/proxy/http2/Http2ClientSession.cc
index 361f2f847d5..eedafa0647a 100644
--- a/proxy/http2/Http2ClientSession.cc
+++ b/proxy/http2/Http2ClientSession.cc
@@ -282,8 +282,8 @@ Http2ClientSession::do_io_close(int alerrno)
 
   this->clear_session_active();
 
-  // Clean up the write VIO in case of inactivity timeout
-  this->do_io_write(nullptr, 0, nullptr);
+  // Point the write_vio at the session in case of inactivity timeout
+  this->do_io_write(this, 0, nullptr);
 }
 
 void
@@ -345,10 +345,6 @@ Http2ClientSession::main_event_handler(int event, void *edata)
   case VC_EVENT_EOS:
     this->set_dying_event(event);
     this->do_io_close();
-    if (_vc != nullptr) {
-      _vc->do_io_close();
-      _vc = nullptr;
-    }
     retval = 0;
     break;
 
diff --git a/proxy/http2/Http2Stream.cc b/proxy/http2/Http2Stream.cc
index 1a72de1e739..eaebea8cf71 100644
--- a/proxy/http2/Http2Stream.cc
+++ b/proxy/http2/Http2Stream.cc
@@ -661,7 +661,8 @@ Http2Stream::signal_read_event(int event)
 void
 Http2Stream::signal_write_event(int event)
 {
-  if (this->write_vio.cont == nullptr || this->write_vio.cont->mutex == nullptr || this->write_vio.op == VIO::NONE) {
+  if (this->write_vio.cont == nullptr || this->write_vio.cont->mutex == nullptr || this->write_vio.op == VIO::NONE ||
+      this->write_vio.nbytes == 0) {
     return;
   }
 
@@ -684,7 +685,7 @@ Http2Stream::signal_write_event(bool call_update)
     return;
   }
 
-  if (this->write_vio.get_writer()->write_avail() == 0) {
+  if (this->write_vio.get_writer()->write_avail() == 0 || this->write_vio.nbytes == 0) {
     return;
   }