diff --git a/src/platform/windows/win_ipcconn.c b/src/platform/windows/win_ipcconn.c
index 41b3c5080..b2136a89e 100644
--- a/src/platform/windows/win_ipcconn.c
+++ b/src/platform/windows/win_ipcconn.c
@@ -46,48 +46,46 @@ ipc_recv_start(ipc_conn *c)
 	DWORD    len;
 	int      rv;
 
-	if (c->closed) {
-		while ((aio = nni_list_first(&c->recv_aios)) != NULL) {
-			nni_list_remove(&c->recv_aios, aio);
+	while ((aio = nni_list_first(&c->recv_aios)) != NULL) {
+		if (c->closed) {
+			nni_aio_list_remove(aio);
 			nni_aio_finish_error(aio, NNG_ECLOSED);
+			continue;
 		}
-		nni_cv_wake(&c->cv);
-	}
-again:
-	if ((aio = nni_list_first(&c->recv_aios)) == NULL) {
-		return;
-	}
 
-	nni_aio_get_iov(aio, &naiov, &aiov);
+		nni_aio_get_iov(aio, &naiov, &aiov);
 
-	idx = 0;
-	while ((idx < naiov) && (aiov[idx].iov_len == 0)) {
-		idx++;
-	}
-	NNI_ASSERT(idx < naiov);
-	// Now start a transfer.  We assume that only one send can be
-	// outstanding on a pipe at a time.  This is important to avoid
-	// scrambling the data anyway.  Note that Windows named pipes do
-	// not appear to support scatter/gather, so we have to process
-	// each element in turn.
-	buf = aiov[idx].iov_buf;
-	len = (DWORD) aiov[idx].iov_len;
-	NNI_ASSERT(buf != NULL);
-	NNI_ASSERT(len != 0);
-
-	// We limit ourselves to writing 16MB at a time.  Named Pipes
-	// on Windows have limits of between 31 and 64MB.
-	if (len > 0x1000000) {
-		len = 0x1000000;
-	}
+		idx = 0;
+		while ((idx < naiov) && (aiov[idx].iov_len == 0)) {
+			idx++;
+		}
+		NNI_ASSERT(idx < naiov);
+		// Now start a transfer.  We assume that only one send can be
+		// outstanding on a pipe at a time.  This is important to avoid
+		// scrambling the data anyway.  Note that Windows named pipes
+		// do not appear to support scatter/gather, so we have to
+		// process each element in turn.
+		buf = aiov[idx].iov_buf;
+		len = (DWORD) aiov[idx].iov_len;
+		NNI_ASSERT(buf != NULL);
+		NNI_ASSERT(len != 0);
+
+		// We limit ourselves to writing 16MB at a time.  Named Pipes
+		// on Windows have limits of between 31 and 64MB.
+		if (len > 0x1000000) {
+			len = 0x1000000;
+		}
 
-	if ((!ReadFile(c->f, buf, len, NULL, &c->recv_io.olpd)) &&
-	    ((rv = GetLastError()) != ERROR_IO_PENDING)) {
-		// Synchronous failure.
-		nni_aio_list_remove(aio);
-		nni_aio_finish_error(aio, nni_win_error(rv));
-		goto again;
+		if ((!ReadFile(c->f, buf, len, NULL, &c->recv_io.olpd)) &&
+		    ((rv = GetLastError()) != ERROR_IO_PENDING)) {
+			// Synchronous failure.
+			nni_aio_list_remove(aio);
+			nni_aio_finish_error(aio, nni_win_error(rv));
+		} else {
+			return;
+		}
 	}
+	nni_cv_wake(&c->cv);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -96,11 +94,8 @@ ipc_recv_cb(nni_win_io *io, int rv, size_t num)
 	nni_aio  *aio;
 	ipc_conn *c = io->ptr;
 	nni_mtx_lock(&c->mtx);
-	if ((aio = nni_list_first(&c->recv_aios)) == NULL) {
-		// Should indicate that it was closed.
-		nni_mtx_unlock(&c->mtx);
-		return;
-	}
+	aio = nni_list_first(&c->recv_aios);
+	NNI_ASSERT(aio != NULL);
 	if (c->recv_rv != 0) {
 		rv         = c->recv_rv;
 		c->recv_rv = 0;
@@ -110,11 +105,7 @@ ipc_recv_cb(nni_win_io *io, int rv, size_t num)
 		rv = NNG_ECONNSHUT;
 	}
 	nni_aio_list_remove(aio);
-	if (c->closed) {
-		nni_cv_wake(&c->cv);
-	} else {
-		ipc_recv_start(c);
-	}
+	ipc_recv_start(c);
 	nni_mtx_unlock(&c->mtx);
 
 	nni_aio_finish_sync(aio, rv, num);
@@ -128,10 +119,16 @@ ipc_recv_cancel(nni_aio *aio, void *arg, int rv)
 	if (aio == nni_list_first(&c->recv_aios)) {
 		c->recv_rv = rv;
 		CancelIoEx(c->f, &c->recv_io.olpd);
-	} else if (nni_aio_list_active(aio)) {
-		nni_aio_list_remove(aio);
-		nni_aio_finish_error(aio, rv);
-		nni_cv_wake(&c->cv);
+	} else {
+		nni_aio *srch;
+		NNI_LIST_FOREACH (&c->recv_aios, srch) {
+			if (srch == aio) {
+				nni_aio_list_remove(aio);
+				nni_aio_finish_error(aio, rv);
+				nni_cv_wake(&c->cv);
+				break;
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	nni_mtx_unlock(&c->mtx);
 }
@@ -174,48 +171,41 @@ ipc_send_start(ipc_conn *c)
 	DWORD    len;
 	int      rv;
 
-	if (c->closed) {
-		while ((aio = nni_list_first(&c->send_aios)) != NULL) {
-			nni_list_remove(&c->send_aios, aio);
-			nni_aio_finish_error(aio, NNG_ECLOSED);
-		}
-		nni_cv_wake(&c->cv);
-	}
-again:
-	if ((aio = nni_list_first(&c->send_aios)) == NULL) {
-		return;
-	}
+	while ((aio = nni_list_first(&c->send_aios)) != NULL) {
 
-	nni_aio_get_iov(aio, &naiov, &aiov);
+		nni_aio_get_iov(aio, &naiov, &aiov);
 
-	idx = 0;
-	while ((idx < naiov) && (aiov[idx].iov_len == 0)) {
-		idx++;
-	}
-	NNI_ASSERT(idx < naiov);
-	// Now start a transfer.  We assume that only one send can be
-	// outstanding on a pipe at a time.  This is important to avoid
-	// scrambling the data anyway.  Note that Windows named pipes do
-	// not appear to support scatter/gather, so we have to process
-	// each element in turn.
-	buf = aiov[idx].iov_buf;
-	len = (DWORD) aiov[idx].iov_len;
-	NNI_ASSERT(buf != NULL);
-	NNI_ASSERT(len != 0);
-
-	// We limit ourselves to writing 16MB at a time.  Named Pipes
-	// on Windows have limits of between 31 and 64MB.
-	if (len > 0x1000000) {
-		len = 0x1000000;
-	}
+		idx = 0;
+		while ((idx < naiov) && (aiov[idx].iov_len == 0)) {
+			idx++;
+		}
+		NNI_ASSERT(idx < naiov);
+		// Now start a transfer.  We assume that only one send can be
+		// outstanding on a pipe at a time.  This is important to avoid
+		// scrambling the data anyway.  Note that Windows named pipes
+		// do not appear to support scatter/gather, so we have to
+		// process each element in turn.
+		buf = aiov[idx].iov_buf;
+		len = (DWORD) aiov[idx].iov_len;
+		NNI_ASSERT(buf != NULL);
+		NNI_ASSERT(len != 0);
+
+		// We limit ourselves to writing 16MB at a time.  Named Pipes
+		// on Windows have limits of between 31 and 64MB.
+		if (len > 0x1000000) {
+			len = 0x1000000;
+		}
 
-	if ((!WriteFile(c->f, buf, len, NULL, &c->send_io.olpd)) &&
-	    ((rv = GetLastError()) != ERROR_IO_PENDING)) {
-		// Synchronous failure.
-		nni_aio_list_remove(aio);
-		nni_aio_finish_error(aio, nni_win_error(rv));
-		goto again;
+		if ((!WriteFile(c->f, buf, len, NULL, &c->send_io.olpd)) &&
+		    ((rv = GetLastError()) != ERROR_IO_PENDING)) {
+			// Synchronous failure.
+			nni_aio_list_remove(aio);
+			nni_aio_finish_error(aio, nni_win_error(rv));
+		} else {
+			return;
+		}
 	}
+	nni_cv_wake(&c->cv);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -224,20 +214,14 @@ ipc_send_cb(nni_win_io *io, int rv, size_t num)
 	nni_aio  *aio;
 	ipc_conn *c = io->ptr;
 	nni_mtx_lock(&c->mtx);
-	if ((aio = nni_list_first(&c->send_aios)) == NULL) {
-		// Should indicate that it was closed.
-		nni_mtx_unlock(&c->mtx);
-		return;
-	}
+	aio = nni_list_first(&c->send_aios);
+	NNI_ASSERT(aio != NULL);
+	nni_aio_list_remove(aio);
 	if (c->send_rv != 0) {
 		rv         = c->send_rv;
 		c->send_rv = 0;
 	}
-	nni_aio_list_remove(aio);
 	ipc_send_start(c);
-	if (c->closed) {
-		nni_cv_wake(&c->cv);
-	}
 	nni_mtx_unlock(&c->mtx);
 
 	nni_aio_finish_sync(aio, rv, num);
@@ -251,10 +235,16 @@ ipc_send_cancel(nni_aio *aio, void *arg, int rv)
 	if (aio == nni_list_first(&c->send_aios)) {
 		c->send_rv = rv;
 		CancelIoEx(c->f, &c->send_io.olpd);
-	} else if (nni_aio_list_active(aio)) {
-		nni_aio_list_remove(aio);
-		nni_aio_finish_error(aio, rv);
-		nni_cv_wake(&c->cv);
+	} else {
+		nni_aio *srch;
+		NNI_LIST_FOREACH (&c->recv_aios, srch) {
+			if (srch == aio) {
+				nni_aio_list_remove(aio);
+				nni_aio_finish_error(aio, rv);
+				nni_cv_wake(&c->cv);
+				break;
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	nni_mtx_unlock(&c->mtx);
 }
@@ -269,11 +259,6 @@ ipc_send(void *arg, nni_aio *aio)
 		return;
 	}
 	nni_mtx_lock(&c->mtx);
-	if (c->closed) {
-		nni_mtx_unlock(&c->mtx);
-		nni_aio_finish_error(aio, NNG_ECLOSED);
-		return;
-	}
 	if ((rv = nni_aio_schedule(aio, ipc_send_cancel, c)) != 0) {
 		nni_mtx_unlock(&c->mtx);
 		nni_aio_finish_error(aio, rv);
@@ -292,12 +277,13 @@ ipc_close(void *arg)
 	ipc_conn *c = arg;
 	nni_mtx_lock(&c->mtx);
 	if (!c->closed) {
+		HANDLE f  = c->f;
 		c->closed = true;
-		CancelIoEx(c->f, NULL); // cancel all requests
+		c->f      = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
 
-		if (c->f != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
-			// NB: closing the pipe is dangerous at this point.
-			DisconnectNamedPipe(c->f);
+		if (f != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
+			DisconnectNamedPipe(f);
+			CloseHandle(f);
 		}
 	}
 	nni_mtx_unlock(&c->mtx);