diff --git a/lib/socket.js b/lib/socket.js
index b1314899b..5d07ce12e 100644
--- a/lib/socket.js
+++ b/lib/socket.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ function Socket (id, server, transport, req) {
   this.writeBuffer = [];
   this.packetsFn = [];
   this.sentCallbackFn = [];
+  this.cleanupFn = [];
   this.request = req;
 
   // Cache IP since it might not be in the req later
@@ -93,7 +94,6 @@ Socket.prototype.onPacket = function (packet) {
         break;
 
       case 'error':
-        this.transport.close();
         this.onClose('parse error');
         break;
 
@@ -129,7 +129,6 @@ Socket.prototype.setPingTimeout = function () {
   var self = this;
   clearTimeout(self.pingTimeoutTimer);
   self.pingTimeoutTimer = setTimeout(function () {
-    self.transport.close();
     self.onClose('ping timeout');
   }, self.server.pingInterval + self.server.pingTimeout);
 };
@@ -142,13 +141,25 @@ Socket.prototype.setPingTimeout = function () {
  */
 
 Socket.prototype.setTransport = function (transport) {
+  var onError = this.onError.bind(this);
+  var onPacket = this.onPacket.bind(this);
+  var flush = this.flush.bind(this);
+  var onClose = this.onClose.bind(this, 'transport close');
+
   this.transport = transport;
-  this.transport.once('error', this.onError.bind(this));
-  this.transport.on('packet', this.onPacket.bind(this));
-  this.transport.on('drain', this.flush.bind(this));
-  this.transport.once('close', this.onClose.bind(this, 'transport close'));
+  this.transport.once('error', onError);
+  this.transport.on('packet', onPacket);
+  this.transport.on('drain', flush);
+  this.transport.once('close', onClose);
   //this function will manage packet events (also message callbacks)
   this.setupSendCallback();
+
+  this.cleanupFn.push(function() {
+    transport.removeListener('error', onError);
+    transport.removeListener('packet', onPacket);
+    transport.removeListener('drain', flush);
+    transport.removeListener('close', onClose);
+  });
 };
 
 /**
@@ -178,6 +189,7 @@ Socket.prototype.maybeUpgrade = function (transport) {
   function onPacket(packet){
     if ('ping' == packet.type && 'probe' == packet.data) {
       transport.send([{ type: 'pong', data: 'probe', options: { compress: true } }]);
+      self.emit('upgrading', transport);
       clearInterval(self.checkIntervalTimer);
       self.checkIntervalTimer = setInterval(check, 100);
     } else if ('upgrade' == packet.type && self.readyState != 'closed') {
@@ -252,6 +264,9 @@ Socket.prototype.maybeUpgrade = function (transport) {
  */
 
 Socket.prototype.clearTransport = function () {
+  var cleanup;
+  while (cleanup = this.cleanupFn.shift()) cleanup();
+
   // silence further transport errors and prevent uncaught exceptions
   this.transport.on('error', function(){
     debug('error triggered by discarded transport');
@@ -271,6 +286,7 @@ Socket.prototype.clearTransport = function () {
 
 Socket.prototype.onClose = function (reason, description) {
   if ('closed' != this.readyState) {
+    this.readyState = 'closed';
     clearTimeout(this.pingTimeoutTimer);
     clearInterval(this.checkIntervalTimer);
     this.checkIntervalTimer = null;
@@ -284,7 +300,6 @@ Socket.prototype.onClose = function (reason, description) {
     this.packetsFn = [];
     this.sentCallbackFn = [];
     this.clearTransport();
-    this.readyState = 'closed';
     this.emit('close', reason, description);
   }
 };
@@ -297,8 +312,14 @@ Socket.prototype.onClose = function (reason, description) {
 
 Socket.prototype.setupSendCallback = function () {
   var self = this;
+  this.transport.on('drain', onDrain);
+
+  this.cleanupFn.push(function() {
+    self.transport.removeListener('drain', onDrain);
+  });
+
   //the message was sent successfully, execute the callback
-  this.transport.on('drain', function() {
+  function onDrain() {
     if (self.sentCallbackFn.length > 0) {
       var seqFn = self.sentCallbackFn.splice(0,1)[0];
       if ('function' == typeof seqFn) {
@@ -313,7 +334,7 @@ Socket.prototype.setupSendCallback = function () {
         }
       }
     }
-  });
+  }
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/transports/polling.js b/lib/transports/polling.js
index c2d6d6436..a659d77c1 100644
--- a/lib/transports/polling.js
+++ b/lib/transports/polling.js
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ module.exports = Polling;
 
 function Polling (req) {
   Transport.call(this, req);
+
+  this.closeTimeout = 30 * 1000;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -364,6 +366,9 @@ Polling.prototype.compress = function (data, encoding, callback) {
 Polling.prototype.doClose = function (fn) {
   debug('closing');
 
+  var self = this;
+  var closeTimeoutTimer;
+
   if (this.dataReq) {
     debug('aborting ongoing data request');
     this.dataReq.destroy();
@@ -372,9 +377,16 @@ Polling.prototype.doClose = function (fn) {
   if (this.writable) {
     debug('transport writable - closing right away');
     this.send([{ type: 'close', options: { compress: true } }]);
-    fn();
+    onClose();
   } else {
     debug('transport not writable - buffering orderly close');
-    this.shouldClose = fn;
+    this.shouldClose = onClose;
+    closeTimeoutTimer = setTimeout(onClose, this.closeTimeout);
+  }
+
+  function onClose() {
+    clearTimeout(closeTimeoutTimer);
+    fn();
+    self.onClose();
   }
 };
diff --git a/test/server.js b/test/server.js
index ad1f8deb0..4868076a5 100644
--- a/test/server.js
+++ b/test/server.js
@@ -843,6 +843,84 @@ describe('server', function () {
       });
     });
 
+    it('should close transport upon ping timeout (ws)', function (done) {
+      var opts = { allowUpgrades: false, transports: ['websocket'], pingInterval: 50, pingTimeout: 30 };
+      var engine = listen(opts, function (port) {
+        engine.on('connection', function (conn) {
+          conn.transport.on('close', done);
+        });
+        var socket = new eioc.Socket('ws://localhost:%d'.s(port), { transports: ['websocket'] });
+        // override to simulate an inactive client
+        socket.sendPacket = socket.onHeartbeat = function (){};
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should close transport upon ping timeout (polling)', function (done) {
+      var opts = { allowUpgrades: false, transports: ['polling'], pingInterval: 50, pingTimeout: 30 };
+      var engine = listen(opts, function (port) {
+        engine.on('connection', function (conn) {
+          conn.transport.on('close', done);
+        });
+        var socket = new eioc.Socket('ws://localhost:%d'.s(port), { transports: ['polling'] });
+        // override to simulate an inactive client
+        socket.sendPacket = socket.onHeartbeat = function (){};
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should close transport upon parse error (ws)', function (done) {
+      var opts = { allowUpgrades: false, transports: ['websocket'] };
+      var engine = listen(opts, function (port) {
+        engine.on('connection', function (conn) {
+          conn.transport.on('close', done);
+        });
+        var socket = new eioc.Socket('ws://localhost:%d'.s(port), { transports: ['websocket'] });
+        socket.on('open', function () {
+          socket.transport.ws.send('invalid');
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should close transport upon parse error (polling)', function (done) {
+      var opts = { allowUpgrades: false, transports: ['polling'] };
+      var engine = listen(opts, function (port) {
+        engine.on('connection', function (conn) {
+          conn.transport.closeTimeout = 100;
+          conn.transport.on('close', done);
+        });
+        var socket = new eioc.Socket('ws://localhost:%d'.s(port), { transports: ['polling'] });
+        socket.on('open', function () {
+          socket.transport.doWrite('invalid', function (){});
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should close upgrading transport upon socket close', function (done) {
+      var engine = listen(function (port) {
+        engine.on('connection', function (conn) {
+          conn.on('upgrading', function (transport) {
+            transport.on('close', done);
+            conn.close();
+          });
+        });
+        new eioc.Socket('ws://localhost:%d'.s(port));
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should close upgrading transport upon upgrade timeout', function (done) {
+      var opts = { upgradeTimeout: 100 };
+      var engine = listen(opts, function (port) {
+        engine.on('connection', function (conn) {
+          conn.on('upgrading', function (transport) {
+            transport.on('close', done);
+          });
+        });
+        var socket = new eioc.Socket('ws://localhost:%d'.s(port));
+        socket.on('upgrading', function (transport) {
+          // override not to complete upgrading
+          transport.send = function (){};
+        });
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   describe('messages', function () {