diff --git a/src/main/java/com/rabbitmq/stream/impl/Client.java b/src/main/java/com/rabbitmq/stream/impl/Client.java
index f5c5121937..56d02862dc 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/rabbitmq/stream/impl/Client.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/rabbitmq/stream/impl/Client.java
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ public long applyAsLong(Object value) {
   private final Map<String, String> connectionProperties;
   private final Duration rpcTimeout;
   private final List<String> saslMechanisms;
-  private volatile ShutdownReason shutdownReason = null;
+  private AtomicReference<ShutdownReason> shutdownReason = new AtomicReference<>();
   private final Runnable streamStatsCommandVersionsCheck;
   private final boolean filteringSupported;
   private final Runnable superStreamManagementCommandVersionsCheck;
@@ -1435,17 +1435,21 @@ public Response unsubscribe(byte subscriptionId) {
 
   public void close() {
     if (closing.compareAndSet(false, true)) {
-      LOGGER.debug("Closing client");
-
-      sendClose(RESPONSE_CODE_OK, "OK");
-
-      closingSequence(ShutdownContext.ShutdownReason.CLIENT_CLOSE);
-
+      LOGGER.debug("Closing client, channel still active? {}", this.channel.isActive());
+      ShutdownReason reason;
+      if (this.channel.isActive()) {
+        sendClose(RESPONSE_CODE_OK, "OK");
+        reason = ShutdownReason.CLIENT_CLOSE;
+      } else {
+        reason = ShutdownReason.UNKNOWN;
+      }
+      closingSequence(reason);
       LOGGER.debug("Client closed");
     }
   }
 
   void closingSequence(ShutdownContext.ShutdownReason reason) {
+    this.shutdownReason(reason);
     if (reason != null) {
       this.shutdownListenerCallback.accept(reason);
     }
@@ -1713,7 +1717,7 @@ public void consumerUpdateResponse(
   }
 
   void shutdownReason(ShutdownReason reason) {
-    this.shutdownReason = reason;
+    this.shutdownReason.compareAndSet(null, reason);
   }
 
   public SocketAddress localAddress() {
@@ -2858,16 +2862,14 @@ public void channelInactive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) {
       // the event is actually dispatched to the listener, emitting
       // an UNKNOWN reason instead of SERVER_CLOSE. So we skip the closing here
       // because it will be handled later anyway.
-      if (shutdownReason == null) {
+      if (shutdownReason.get() == null) {
+        LOGGER.debug("No shutdown reason");
         if (closing.compareAndSet(false, true)) {
+          LOGGER.debug("Closing with 'unknown' shutdown reason");
           if (executorService == null) {
             // the TCP connection is closed before the state is initialized
             // we do our best the execute the closing sequence
-            new Thread(
-                    () -> {
-                      closingSequence(ShutdownReason.UNKNOWN);
-                    })
-                .start();
+            new Thread(() -> closingSequence(ShutdownReason.UNKNOWN)).start();
           } else {
             executorService.submit(() -> closingSequence(ShutdownReason.UNKNOWN));
           }