diff --git a/cmd/main.go b/cmd/main.go
index 4591dd0..66d9473 100644
--- a/cmd/main.go
+++ b/cmd/main.go
@@ -29,9 +29,11 @@ func main() {
 
 	defer func() {
 		e := recover()
-		defaultLog.Printf("panic:\n%s\n\n", debug.Stack())
-		defaultLog.Printf("error: %t %s", e, e)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		if e != nil {
+			defaultLog.Printf("panic:\n%s\n\n", debug.Stack())
+			defaultLog.Printf("error: %t %s", e, e)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
 	}()
 
 	app := cli.NewApp()
@@ -191,6 +193,32 @@ func doRun(c *cli.Context) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func closeRPCWithTimeout(log Logger, remote rpc.RPCRequester, timeout time.Duration, goodbye string) {
+	log.Printf("closing rpc connection")
+
+	ch := make(chan error)
+	go func() {
+		ch <- remote.CloseRequest(rpc.CloseRequest{goodbye})
+	}()
+
+	var err error
+	select {
+	case <-time.After(timeout):
+		err = fmt.Errorf("timeout exceeded (%s)", timeout)
+	case closeRequestErr := <-ch:
+		err = closeRequestErr
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Printf("error closing connection: %s", err)
+		err = remote.ForceClose()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("error force-closing connection: %s", err)
+		}
+	}
+	return
+}
+
 func doPull(pull Pull, c *cli.Context, log jobrun.Logger) (err error) {
 
 	if lt, ok := pull.From.Transport.(LocalTransport); ok {
@@ -208,7 +236,7 @@ func doPull(pull Pull, c *cli.Context, log jobrun.Logger) (err error) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	defer remote.Close()
+	defer closeRPCWithTimeout(log, remote, time.Second*10, "")
 
 	fsr := rpc.FilesystemRequest{
 		Direction: rpc.DirectionPull,