diff --git a/pkg/p9/client.go b/pkg/p9/client.go
index 123f54e29..2412aa5e1 100644
--- a/pkg/p9/client.go
+++ b/pkg/p9/client.go
@@ -92,6 +92,10 @@ type Client struct {
 	// version 0 implies 9P2000.L.
 	version uint32
 
+	// closedWg is marked as done when the Client.watch() goroutine, which is
+	// responsible for closing channels and the socket fd, returns.
+	closedWg sync.WaitGroup
+
 	// sendRecv is the transport function.
 	//
 	// This is determined dynamically based on whether or not the server
@@ -104,17 +108,15 @@ type Client struct {
 	// channelsMu protects channels.
 	channelsMu sync.Mutex
 
-	// channelsWg is a wait group for active clients.
+	// channelsWg counts the number of channels for which channel.active ==
+	// true.
 	channelsWg sync.WaitGroup
 
-	// channels are the set of initialized IPCs channels.
+	// channels is the set of all initialized channels.
 	channels []*channel
 
-	// inuse is set when the channels are actually in use.
-	//
-	// This is a fixed-size slice, and the entries will be nil when the
-	// corresponding channel is available.
-	inuse []*channel
+	// availableChannels is a FIFO of inactive channels.
+	availableChannels []*channel
 
 	// -- below corresponds to sendRecvLegacy --
 
@@ -135,7 +137,7 @@ type Client struct {
 // NewClient creates a new client.  It performs a Tversion exchange with
 // the server to assert that messageSize is ok to use.
 //
-// You should not use the same socket for multiple clients.
+// If NewClient succeeds, ownership of socket is transferred to the new Client.
 func NewClient(socket *unet.Socket, messageSize uint32, version string) (*Client, error) {
 	// Need at least one byte of payload.
 	if messageSize <= msgRegistry.largestFixedSize {
@@ -214,13 +216,6 @@ func NewClient(socket *unet.Socket, messageSize uint32, version string) (*Client
 		if len(c.channels) >= 1 {
 			// At least one channel created.
 			c.sendRecv = c.sendRecvChannel
-
-			// If we are using channels for communication, then we must poll
-			// for shutdown events on the main socket. If the socket happens
-			// to shutdown, then we will close the channels as well. This is
-			// necessary because channels can hang forever if the server dies
-			// while we're expecting a response.
-			go c.watch(socket) // S/R-SAFE: not relevant.
 		} else {
 			// Channel setup failed; fallback.
 			c.sendRecv = c.sendRecvLegacy
@@ -230,13 +225,20 @@ func NewClient(socket *unet.Socket, messageSize uint32, version string) (*Client
 		c.sendRecv = c.sendRecvLegacy
 	}
 
+	// Ensure that the socket and channels are closed when the socket is shut
+	// down.
+	c.closedWg.Add(1)
+	go c.watch(socket) // S/R-SAFE: not relevant.
+
 	return c, nil
 }
 
-// watch watches the given socket and calls Close on hang up events.
+// watch watches the given socket and releases resources on hangup events.
 //
 // This is intended to be called as a goroutine.
 func (c *Client) watch(socket *unet.Socket) {
+	defer c.closedWg.Done()
+
 	events := []unix.PollFd{
 		unix.PollFd{
 			Fd:     int32(socket.FD()),
@@ -244,19 +246,49 @@ func (c *Client) watch(socket *unet.Socket) {
 		},
 	}
 
+	// Wait for a shutdown event.
 	for {
-		// Wait for a shutdown event.
 		n, err := unix.Ppoll(events, nil, nil)
-		if n == 0 || err == syscall.EAGAIN {
+		if err == syscall.EINTR || err == syscall.EAGAIN {
 			continue
 		}
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Warningf("p9.Client.watch(): %v", err)
+			break
+		}
+		if n != 1 {
+			log.Warningf("p9.Client.watch(): got %d events, wanted 1", n)
+		}
 		break
 	}
 
-	// Close everything down: this will kick all active clients off any
-	// pending requests. Note that Close must be safe to call concurrently,
-	// and multiple times (see Close below).
-	c.Close()
+	// Set availableChannels to nil so that future calls to c.sendRecvChannel()
+	// don't attempt to activate a channel, and concurrent calls to
+	// c.sendRecvChannel() don't mark released channels as available.
+	c.channelsMu.Lock()
+	c.availableChannels = nil
+
+	// Shut down all active channels.
+	for _, ch := range c.channels {
+		if ch.active {
+			log.Debugf("shutting down active channel@%p...", ch)
+			ch.Shutdown()
+		}
+	}
+	c.channelsMu.Unlock()
+
+	// Wait for active channels to become inactive.
+	c.channelsWg.Wait()
+
+	// Close all channels.
+	c.channelsMu.Lock()
+	for _, ch := range c.channels {
+		ch.Close()
+	}
+	c.channelsMu.Unlock()
+
+	// Close the main socket.
+	c.socket.Close()
 }
 
 // openChannel attempts to open a client channel.
@@ -315,7 +347,7 @@ func (c *Client) openChannel(id int) error {
 	c.channelsMu.Lock()
 	defer c.channelsMu.Unlock()
 	c.channels = append(c.channels, res)
-	c.inuse = append(c.inuse, nil)
+	c.availableChannels = append(c.availableChannels, res)
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -449,23 +481,16 @@ func (c *Client) sendRecvLegacy(t message, r message) error {
 
 // sendRecvChannel uses channels to send a message.
 func (c *Client) sendRecvChannel(t message, r message) error {
+	// Acquire an available channel.
 	c.channelsMu.Lock()
-	if len(c.channels) == 0 {
-		// No channel available.
+	if len(c.availableChannels) == 0 {
 		c.channelsMu.Unlock()
 		return c.sendRecvLegacy(t, r)
 	}
-
-	// Find the last used channel.
-	//
-	// Note that we must add one to the wait group while holding the
-	// channel mutex, in order for the Wait operation to be race-free
-	// below. The Wait operation shuts down all in use channels and
-	// waits for them to return, but must do so holding the mutex.
-	idx := len(c.channels) - 1
-	ch := c.channels[idx]
-	c.channels = c.channels[:idx]
-	c.inuse[idx] = ch
+	idx := len(c.availableChannels) - 1
+	ch := c.availableChannels[idx]
+	c.availableChannels = c.availableChannels[:idx]
+	ch.active = true
 	c.channelsWg.Add(1)
 	c.channelsMu.Unlock()
 
@@ -473,8 +498,12 @@ func (c *Client) sendRecvChannel(t message, r message) error {
 	if !ch.connected {
 		ch.connected = true
 		if err := ch.data.Connect(); err != nil {
-			// The channel is unusable, so don't return it.
-			ch.Close()
+			// The channel is unusable, so don't return it to
+			// c.availableChannels. However, we still have to mark it as
+			// inactive so c.watch() doesn't wait for it.
+			c.channelsMu.Lock()
+			ch.active = false
+			c.channelsMu.Unlock()
 			c.channelsWg.Done()
 			return err
 		}
@@ -482,24 +511,17 @@ func (c *Client) sendRecvChannel(t message, r message) error {
 
 	// Send the message.
 	err := ch.sendRecv(c, t, r)
-	if err != nil {
-		// On shutdown, we'll see ENOENT. This is a normal situation, and
-		// we shouldn't generate a spurious warning message in that case.
-		log.Debugf("error calling sendRecvChannel: %v", err)
-	}
-	c.channelsWg.Done()
 
-	// Return the channel.
-	//
-	// Note that we check the channel from the inuse slice here. This
-	// prevents a race where Close is called, which clears inuse, and
-	// means that we will not actually return the closed channel.
+	// Release the channel.
 	c.channelsMu.Lock()
-	if c.inuse[idx] != nil {
-		c.channels = append(c.channels, ch)
-		c.inuse[idx] = nil
+	ch.active = false
+	// If c.availableChannels is nil, c.watch() has fired and we should not
+	// mark this channel as available.
+	if c.availableChannels != nil {
+		c.availableChannels = append(c.availableChannels, ch)
 	}
 	c.channelsMu.Unlock()
+	c.channelsWg.Done()
 
 	return err
 }
@@ -510,44 +532,9 @@ func (c *Client) Version() uint32 {
 }
 
 // Close closes the underlying socket and channels.
-//
-// Because Close may be called asynchronously from watch, it must be
-// safe to call concurrently and multiple times.
-func (c *Client) Close() error {
-	c.channelsMu.Lock()
-	defer c.channelsMu.Unlock()
-
-	// Close all inactive channels.
-	for _, ch := range c.channels {
-		ch.Shutdown()
-		ch.Close()
-	}
-	// Close all active channels.
-	for _, ch := range c.inuse {
-		if ch != nil {
-			log.Debugf("shutting down active channel@%p...", ch)
-			ch.Shutdown()
-		}
-	}
-
-	// Wait for active users.
-	c.channelsWg.Wait()
-
-	// Close all previously active channels.
-	for i, ch := range c.inuse {
-		if ch != nil {
-			ch.Close()
-
-			// Clear the inuse entry here so that it will not be returned
-			// to the channel slice, which is cleared below. See the
-			// comment at the end of sendRecvChannel.
-			c.inuse[i] = nil
-		}
-	}
-	c.channels = nil // Prevent use again.
-
-	// Close the main socket. Note that operation is safe to be called
-	// multiple times, unlikely the channel Close operations above, which
-	// we are careful to ensure aren't called twice.
-	return c.socket.Close()
+func (c *Client) Close() {
+	// unet.Socket.Shutdown() has no effect if unet.Socket.Close() has already
+	// been called (by c.watch()).
+	c.socket.Shutdown()
+	c.closedWg.Wait()
 }
diff --git a/pkg/p9/p9test/BUILD b/pkg/p9/p9test/BUILD
index 1d34181e0..28707c0ca 100644
--- a/pkg/p9/p9test/BUILD
+++ b/pkg/p9/p9test/BUILD
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ go_library(
 
 go_test(
     name = "client_test",
-    size = "small",
+    size = "medium",
     srcs = ["client_test.go"],
     embed = [":p9test"],
     deps = [
diff --git a/pkg/p9/p9test/p9test.go b/pkg/p9/p9test/p9test.go
index 9d74638bb..4d3271b37 100644
--- a/pkg/p9/p9test/p9test.go
+++ b/pkg/p9/p9test/p9test.go
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ func (h *Harness) NewSocket() Generator {
 
 // Finish completes all checks and shuts down the server.
 func (h *Harness) Finish() {
-	h.clientSocket.Close()
+	h.clientSocket.Shutdown()
 	h.wg.Wait()
 	h.mockCtrl.Finish()
 }
diff --git a/pkg/p9/transport_flipcall.go b/pkg/p9/transport_flipcall.go
index aebb54959..7cdf4ecc3 100644
--- a/pkg/p9/transport_flipcall.go
+++ b/pkg/p9/transport_flipcall.go
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ type channel struct {
 
 	// -- client only --
 	connected bool
+	active    bool
 
 	// -- server only --
 	client *fd.FD
@@ -197,10 +198,18 @@ func (ch *channel) recv(r message, rsz uint32) (message, error) {
 		return nil, &ErrBadResponse{Got: t, Want: r.Type()}
 	}
 
-	// Is there a payload? Set to the latter portion.
+	// Is there a payload? Copy from the latter portion.
 	if payloader, ok := r.(payloader); ok {
 		fs := payloader.FixedSize()
-		payloader.SetPayload(ch.buf.data[fs:])
+		p := payloader.Payload()
+		payloadData := ch.buf.data[fs:]
+		if len(p) < len(payloadData) {
+			p = make([]byte, len(payloadData))
+			copy(p, payloadData)
+			payloader.SetPayload(p)
+		} else if n := copy(p, payloadData); n < len(p) {
+			payloader.SetPayload(p[:n])
+		}
 		ch.buf.data = ch.buf.data[:fs]
 	}