diff --git a/wire.ts b/wire.ts
index eaaefa9..ec1e6b2 100644
--- a/wire.ts
+++ b/wire.ts
@@ -585,6 +585,7 @@ function wire_impl(
   }
 
   // wire supports re-connection; socket and read/write channels are null when closed
+  let connected = false;
   let socket: Deno.Conn | null = null;
   let read_pop: Receiver<Uint8Array> | null = null;
   let write_push: Sender<Uint8Array> | null = null;
@@ -601,25 +602,31 @@ function wire_impl(
     else throw new WireError(`connection closed`);
   }
 
-  // socket reader channel worker
   async function read_socket(socket: Deno.Conn, push: Sender<Uint8Array>) {
-    const header_size = 5;
-    const read_buf = new Uint8Array(64 * 1024); // shared buffer for all socket reads
-    let buf = new Uint8Array(); // concatenated messages read so far
+    let err;
+    try {
+      const header_size = 5;
+      const read_buf = new Uint8Array(64 * 1024); // shared buffer for all socket reads
+      let buf = new Uint8Array(); // concatenated messages read so far
 
-    for (let read; (read = await socket.read(read_buf)) !== null; ) {
-      buf = buf_concat_fast(buf, read_buf.subarray(0, read)); // push read bytes to buf
-      while (buf.length >= header_size) {
-        const size = ser_decode(Header, buf).length + 1;
-        if (buf.length < size) break;
-        const msg = buf.subarray(0, size); // shift one message from buf
-        buf = buf.subarray(size);
-        if (!handle_msg(msg)) push(msg);
+      for (let read; (read = await socket.read(read_buf)) !== null; ) {
+        buf = buf_concat_fast(buf, read_buf.subarray(0, read)); // push read bytes to buf
+        while (buf.length >= header_size) {
+          const size = ser_decode(Header, buf).length + 1;
+          if (buf.length < size) break;
+          const msg = buf.subarray(0, size); // shift one message from buf
+          buf = buf.subarray(size);
+          if (!handle_msg(msg)) push(msg);
+        }
       }
-    }
 
-    // there should be nothing left in buf if we gracefully exited
-    if (buf.length !== 0) throw new WireError(`unexpected end of stream`);
+      // there should be nothing left in buf if we gracefully exited
+      if (buf.length !== 0) throw new WireError(`unexpected end of stream`);
+    } catch (e) {
+      throw (err = e);
+    } finally {
+      if (connected) close(err);
+    }
   }
 
   function handle_msg(msg: Uint8Array) {
@@ -668,26 +675,33 @@ function wire_impl(
     else throw new WireError(`connection closed`);
   }
 
-  // socket writer channel worker
   async function write_socket(socket: Deno.Conn, pop: Receiver<Uint8Array>) {
-    for (let buf; (buf = await pop()) !== null; ) {
-      const bufs = [buf]; // proactively dequeue more queued msgs synchronously, if any
-      for (let i = 1, buf; (buf = pop.try()) !== null; ) bufs[i++] = buf;
-      if (bufs.length !== 1) buf = buf_concat(bufs); // write queued msgs concatenated, reduce write syscalls
-      for (let i = 0, n = buf.length; i < n; )
-        i += await socket.write(buf.subarray(i));
+    let err;
+    try {
+      for (let buf; (buf = await pop()) !== null; ) {
+        const bufs = [buf]; // proactively dequeue more queued msgs synchronously, if any
+        for (let i = 1, buf; (buf = pop.try()) !== null; ) bufs[i++] = buf;
+        if (bufs.length !== 1) buf = buf_concat(bufs); // write queued msgs concatenated, reduce write syscalls
+        for (let i = 0, n = buf.length; i < n; )
+          i += await socket.write(buf.subarray(i));
+      }
+    } catch (e) {
+      throw (err = e);
+    } finally {
+      if (connected) close(err);
     }
   }
 
   async function connect() {
     using _rlock = await rlock();
     using _wlock = await wlock();
-    close(new WireError(`reconnecting`));
+    if (connected) return;
     try {
       const s = (socket = await socket_connect(host, port));
       read_pop = channel.receiver((push) => read_socket(s, push));
       write_push = channel.sender((pop) => write_socket(s, pop));
       await handle_auth(); // run auth with rw lock
+      connected = true;
     } catch (e) {
       throw (close(e), e);
     }
@@ -701,6 +715,7 @@ function wire_impl(
       delete (params as Record<string, string>)[name];
     st_cache.clear(), (st_ids = 0);
     (tx_status = "I"), (tx_stack.length = 0);
+    connected &&= (wire.emit("close", reason), false);
   }
 
   // https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/protocol-flow.html#PROTOCOL-FLOW-PIPELINING