diff --git a/lib/websocket.js b/lib/websocket.js
index 32f092f81..af8108400 100644
--- a/lib/websocket.js
+++ b/lib/websocket.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ const {
 
 const readyStates = ['CONNECTING', 'OPEN', 'CLOSING', 'CLOSED'];
 const protocolVersions = [8, 13];
-const closeTimeout = 30 * 1000; // Allow 30 seconds to terminate the connection cleanly.
+const closeTimeout = 30 * 1000;
 
 /**
  * Class representing a WebSocket.
@@ -87,8 +87,9 @@ class WebSocket extends EventEmitter {
   }
 
   /**
-   * This deviates from the WHATWG interface since ws doesn't support the required
-   * default "blob" type (instead we define a custom "nodebuffer" type).
+   * This deviates from the WHATWG interface since ws doesn't support the
+   * required default "blob" type (instead we define a custom "nodebuffer"
+   * type).
    *
    * @type {String}
    */
@@ -230,20 +231,16 @@ class WebSocket extends EventEmitter {
       if (err) return;
 
       this._closeFrameSent = true;
-
-      if (this._socket.writable) {
-        if (this._closeFrameReceived) this._socket.end();
-
-        //
-        // Ensure that the connection is closed even if the closing handshake
-        // fails.
-        //
-        this._closeTimer = setTimeout(
-          this._socket.destroy.bind(this._socket),
-          closeTimeout
-        );
-      }
+      if (this._closeFrameReceived) this._socket.end();
     });
+
+    //
+    // Specify a timeout for the closing handshake to complete.
+    //
+    this._closeTimer = setTimeout(
+      this._socket.destroy.bind(this._socket),
+      closeTimeout
+    );
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/test/websocket.test.js b/test/websocket.test.js
index 8e63d0757..49edd1ce2 100644
--- a/test/websocket.test.js
+++ b/test/websocket.test.js
@@ -1305,27 +1305,6 @@ describe('WebSocket', () => {
       });
     });
 
-    it('ends connection to the server', (done) => {
-      const wss = new WebSocket.Server(
-        {
-          clientTracking: false,
-          port: 0
-        },
-        () => {
-          const ws = new WebSocket(`ws://localhost:${wss.address().port}`);
-
-          ws.on('open', () => {
-            ws.on('close', (code, reason) => {
-              assert.strictEqual(reason, 'some reason');
-              assert.strictEqual(code, 1000);
-              wss.close(done);
-            });
-            ws.close(1000, 'some reason');
-          });
-        }
-      );
-    });
-
     it('permits all buffered data to be delivered', (done) => {
       const wss = new WebSocket.Server(
         {
@@ -1383,6 +1362,37 @@ describe('WebSocket', () => {
 
       wss.on('connection', (ws) => ws.close());
     });
+
+    it('sets a timer for the closing handshake to complete', (done) => {
+      const wss = new WebSocket.Server({ port: 0 }, () => {
+        const ws = new WebSocket(`ws://localhost:${wss.address().port}`);
+
+        ws.on('close', (code, reason) => {
+          assert.strictEqual(code, 1000);
+          assert.strictEqual(reason, 'some reason');
+          wss.close(done);
+        });
+
+        ws.on('open', () => {
+          let callbackCalled = false;
+
+          assert.strictEqual(ws._closeTimer, null);
+
+          ws.send('foo', () => {
+            callbackCalled = true;
+          });
+
+          ws.close(1000, 'some reason');
+
+          //
+          // Check that the close timer is set even if the `Sender.close()`
+          // callback is not called.
+          //
+          assert.strictEqual(callbackCalled, false);
+          assert.strictEqual(ws._closeTimer._idleTimeout, 30000);
+        });
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   describe('#terminate', () => {