diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 4ed33e668..c2cadc652 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -331,6 +331,7 @@ github.com/jsimonetti/rtnetlink v0.0.0-20190606172950-9527aa82566a h1:84IpUNXj4m
 github.com/jsimonetti/rtnetlink v0.0.0-20190606172950-9527aa82566a/go.mod h1:Oz+70psSo5OFh8DBl0Zv2ACw7Esh6pPUphlvZG9x7uw=
 github.com/jsimonetti/rtnetlink v0.0.0-20200117123717-f846d4f6c1f4 h1:nwOc1YaOrYJ37sEBrtWZrdqzK22hiJs3GpDmP3sR2Yw=
 github.com/jsimonetti/rtnetlink v0.0.0-20200117123717-f846d4f6c1f4/go.mod h1:WGuG/smIU4J/54PblvSbh+xvCZmpJnFgr3ds6Z55XMQ=
+github.com/jsimonetti/rtnetlink v0.0.0-20201009170750-9c6f07d100c1 h1:Q6uM1SfwyYPCBtezf829EqAqolrIGhAm6KfVx3QBRWg=
 github.com/jsimonetti/rtnetlink v0.0.0-20201009170750-9c6f07d100c1/go.mod h1:hqoO/u39cqLeBLebZ8fWdE96O7FxrAsRYhnVOdgHxok=
 github.com/json-iterator/go v1.1.6/go.mod h1:+SdeFBvtyEkXs7REEP0seUULqWtbJapLOCVDaaPEHmU=
 github.com/jstemmer/go-junit-report v0.0.0-20190106144839-af01ea7f8024/go.mod h1:6v2b51hI/fHJwM22ozAgKL4VKDeJcHhJFhtBdhmNjmU=
@@ -404,6 +405,7 @@ github.com/mdlayher/netlink v1.0.0 h1:vySPY5Oxnn/8lxAPn2cK6kAzcZzYJl3KriSLO46OT1
 github.com/mdlayher/netlink v1.0.0/go.mod h1:KxeJAFOFLG6AjpyDkQ/iIhxygIUKD+vcwqcnu43w/+M=
 github.com/mdlayher/netlink v1.1.0 h1:mpdLgm+brq10nI9zM1BpX1kpDbh3NLl3RSnVq6ZSkfg=
 github.com/mdlayher/netlink v1.1.0/go.mod h1:H4WCitaheIsdF9yOYu8CFmCgQthAPIWZmcKp9uZHgmY=
+github.com/mdlayher/netlink v1.1.1 h1:VqG+Voq9V4uZ+04vjIrcSCWDpf91B1xxbP4QBUmUJE8=
 github.com/mdlayher/netlink v1.1.1/go.mod h1:WTYpFb/WTvlRJAyKhZL5/uy69TDDpHHu2VZmb2XgV7o=
 github.com/mgutz/ansi v0.0.0-20170206155736-9520e82c474b h1:j7+1HpAFS1zy5+Q4qx1fWh90gTKwiN4QCGoY9TWyyO4=
 github.com/mgutz/ansi v0.0.0-20170206155736-9520e82c474b/go.mod h1:01TrycV0kFyexm33Z7vhZRXopbI8J3TDReVlkTgMUxE=
@@ -412,8 +414,7 @@ github.com/michaelquigley/pfxlog v0.0.0-20190813191113-2be43bd0dccc h1:PQrqw9XKY
 github.com/michaelquigley/pfxlog v0.0.0-20190813191113-2be43bd0dccc/go.mod h1:Z0K0l/NScHvLeGoy4SZTps+ZxGv85ql4AvZqTqOxBY8=
 github.com/microcosm-cc/bluemonday v1.0.1/go.mod h1:hsXNsILzKxV+sX77C5b8FSuKF00vh2OMYv+xgHpAMF4=
 github.com/miekg/dns v1.0.14/go.mod h1:W1PPwlIAgtquWBMBEV9nkV9Cazfe8ScdGz/Lj7v3Nrg=
-github.com/miekg/dns v1.1.31 h1:sJFOl9BgwbYAWOGEwr61FU28pqsBNdpRBnhGXtO06Oo=
-github.com/miekg/dns v1.1.31/go.mod h1:KNUDUusw/aVsxyTYZM1oqvCicbwhgbNgztCETuNZ7xM=
+github.com/miekg/dns v1.1.35 h1:oTfOaDH+mZkdcgdIjH6yBajRGtIwcwcaR+rt23ZSrJs=
 github.com/miekg/dns v1.1.35/go.mod h1:KNUDUusw/aVsxyTYZM1oqvCicbwhgbNgztCETuNZ7xM=
 github.com/miekg/pkcs11 v1.0.3 h1:iMwmD7I5225wv84WxIG/bmxz9AXjWvTWIbM/TYHvWtw=
 github.com/miekg/pkcs11 v1.0.3/go.mod h1:XsNlhZGX73bx86s2hdc/FuaLm2CPZJemRLMA+WTFxgs=
@@ -688,6 +689,7 @@ golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20200602114024-627f9648deb9 h1:pNX+40auqi2JqRfOP1akLGtYc
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20200602114024-627f9648deb9/go.mod h1:qpuaurCH72eLCgpAm/N6yyVIVM9cpaDIP3A8BGJEC5A=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20200707034311-ab3426394381 h1:VXak5I6aEWmAXeQjA+QSZzlgNrpq9mjcfDemuexIKsU=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20200707034311-ab3426394381/go.mod h1:/O7V0waA8r7cgGh81Ro3o1hOxt32SMVPicZroKQ2sZA=
+golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20201010224723-4f7140c49acb h1:mUVeFHoDKis5nxCAzoAi7E8Ghb86EXh/RK6wtvJIqRY=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20201010224723-4f7140c49acb/go.mod h1:sp8m0HH+o8qH0wwXwYZr8TS3Oi6o0r6Gce1SSxlDquU=
 golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.0.0-20180821212333-d2e6202438be/go.mod h1:N/0e6XlmueqKjAGxoOufVs8QHGRruUQn6yWY3a++T0U=
 golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.0.0-20181017192945-9dcd33a902f4/go.mod h1:N/0e6XlmueqKjAGxoOufVs8QHGRruUQn6yWY3a++T0U=
@@ -750,6 +752,7 @@ golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20200615200032-f1bc736245b1/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7w
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20200625212154-ddb9806d33ae h1:Ih9Yo4hSPImZOpfGuA4bR/ORKTAbhZo2AbWNRCnevdo=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20200625212154-ddb9806d33ae/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20200930185726-fdedc70b468f/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20201009025420-dfb3f7c4e634 h1:bNEHhJCnrwMKNMmOx3yAynp5vs5/gRy+XWFtZFu7NBM=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20201009025420-dfb3f7c4e634/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
 golang.org/x/text v0.0.0-20170915032832-14c0d48ead0c/go.mod h1:NqM8EUOU14njkJ3fqMW+pc6Ldnwhi/IjpwHt7yyuwOQ=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.0/go.mod h1:NqM8EUOU14njkJ3fqMW+pc6Ldnwhi/IjpwHt7yyuwOQ=
diff --git a/router/xgress_edge_transport/connection.go b/router/xgress_edge_transport/connection.go
index a0f7dfb47..9f6f1a55d 100644
--- a/router/xgress_edge_transport/connection.go
+++ b/router/xgress_edge_transport/connection.go
@@ -183,15 +183,21 @@ func (c *edgeTransportXgressConn) WritePayload(p []byte, headers map[uint8][]byt
 		n, err = c.Write(p)
 	}
 
-	if flags, found := headers[xgress_edge.PayloadFlagsHeader]; found {
-		if flags[0]&edge.FIN != 0 {
-			c.finSent = true
-			conn, ok := c.Conn().(edge.CloseWriter)
-			// if connection does not support half-close just let xgress tear it down
-			if ok {
-				_ = conn.CloseWrite()
+	if err != nil {
+		pfxlog.ContextLogger(c.LogContext()).WithError(err).Error("write failed, closing connection")
+		close(c.writeDone)
+		_ = c.Conn().Close()
+	} else {
+		if flags, found := headers[xgress_edge.PayloadFlagsHeader]; found {
+			if flags[0]&edge.FIN != 0 {
+				c.finSent = true
+				conn, ok := c.Conn().(edge.CloseWriter)
+				// if connection does not support half-close just let xgress tear it down
+				if ok {
+					_ = conn.CloseWrite()
+				}
+				close(c.writeDone)
 			}
-			close(c.writeDone)
 		}
 	}
 	return n, err