diff --git a/rpc/client.go b/rpc/client.go
index 97b5546..262b9d1 100644
--- a/rpc/client.go
+++ b/rpc/client.go
@@ -28,10 +28,35 @@ func (c *Client) SetLogger(logger Logger, logMessageLayer bool) {
 }
 
 func (c *Client) Close() (err error) {
-	err = c.ml.HangUp()
-	if err == RST {
-		return nil
+
+	c.logger.Printf("sending Close request")
+	header := Header{
+		DataType: DataTypeControl,
+		Endpoint: ControlEndpointClose,
+		Accept:   DataTypeControl,
 	}
+	err = c.ml.WriteHeader(&header)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	c.logger.Printf("reading Close ACK")
+	ack, err := c.ml.ReadHeader()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	c.logger.Printf("received Close ACK: %#v", ack)
+	if ack.Error != StatusOK {
+		err = errors.Errorf("error hanging up: remote error (%s) %s", ack.Error, ack.ErrorMessage)
+		return
+	}
+
+	c.logger.Printf("closing MessageLayer")
+	if err = c.ml.Close(); err != nil {
+		c.logger.Printf("error closing RWC: %+v", err)
+		return
+	}
+
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/rpc/frame_layer.go b/rpc/frame_layer.go
index 1316ec5..47e5d4b 100644
--- a/rpc/frame_layer.go
+++ b/rpc/frame_layer.go
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ type DataType uint8
 
 const (
 	DataTypeNone DataType = 1 + iota
+	DataTypeControl
 	DataTypeMarshaledJSON
 	DataTypeOctets
 )
@@ -83,12 +84,14 @@ func NewFrameBridgingReader(l *MessageLayer, frameType FrameType, totalLimit int
 
 func (r *frameBridgingReader) Read(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
 	if r.bytesLeftToLimit == 0 {
+		r.l.logger.Printf("limit reached, returning EOF")
 		return 0, io.EOF
 	}
 	log := r.l.logger
 	if r.f.PayloadLength == 0 {
 
 		if r.f.NoMoreFrames {
+			r.l.logger.Printf("no more frames flag set, returning EOF")
 			err = io.EOF
 			return
 		}
@@ -96,6 +99,7 @@ func (r *frameBridgingReader) Read(b []byte) (n int, err error) {
 		log.Printf("reading frame")
 		r.f, err = r.l.readFrame()
 		if err != nil {
+			log.Printf("error reading frame: %+v", err)
 			return 0, err
 		}
 		log.Printf("read frame: %#v", r.f)
@@ -197,22 +201,16 @@ func NewMessageLayer(rwc io.ReadWriteCloser) *MessageLayer {
 	return &MessageLayer{rwc, noLogger{}}
 }
 
-// Always returns an error, RST error if no error occurred while sending RST frame
-func (l *MessageLayer) HangUp() (err error) {
-	l.logger.Printf("hanging up")
+func (l *MessageLayer) Close() (err error) {
 	f := Frame{
 		Type:         FrameTypeRST,
 		NoMoreFrames: true,
 	}
-	rstFrameError := l.writeFrame(f)
-	closeErr := l.rwc.Close()
-	if rstFrameError != nil {
-		return errors.WithStack(rstFrameError)
-	} else if closeErr != nil {
-		return errors.WithStack(closeErr)
-	} else {
-		return RST
+	if err = l.writeFrame(f); err != nil {
+		l.logger.Printf("error sending RST frame: %s", err)
+		return errors.WithStack(err)
 	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 var RST error = fmt.Errorf("reset frame observed on connection")
@@ -234,6 +232,7 @@ func (l *MessageLayer) readFrame() (f Frame, err error) {
 		return
 	}
 	if f.Type == FrameTypeRST {
+		l.logger.Printf("read RST frame")
 		err = RST
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/rpc/server.go b/rpc/server.go
index f9f59e4..14b4521 100644
--- a/rpc/server.go
+++ b/rpc/server.go
@@ -84,9 +84,12 @@ func (s *Server) recvRequest() (h *Header, err error) {
 }
 
 var doneServeNext error = errors.New("this should not cause a HangUp() in the server")
+var doneStopServing error = errors.New("this should cause the server to close the connection")
 
 var ProtocolError error = errors.New("protocol error, server should hang up")
 
+const ControlEndpointClose string = "Close"
+
 // Serve the connection until failure or the client hangs up
 func (s *Server) Serve() (err error) {
 	for {
@@ -96,16 +99,31 @@ func (s *Server) Serve() (err error) {
 		if err == nil {
 			continue
 		}
-
 		if err == doneServeNext {
 			s.logger.Printf("subroutine returned pseudo-error indicating early-exit")
+			err = nil
 			continue
 		}
 
-		s.logger.Printf("hanging up after ServeRequest returned error: %s", err)
-		s.ml.HangUp()
-		return err
+		if err == doneStopServing {
+			s.logger.Printf("subroutine returned pseudo-error indicating close request")
+			err = nil
+			break
+		}
+
+		break
 	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		s.logger.Printf("an error occurred that could not be handled on PRC protocol level: %+v", err)
+	}
+
+	s.logger.Printf("cloing MessageLayer")
+	if mlErr := s.ml.Close(); mlErr != nil {
+		s.logger.Printf("error closing MessageLayer: %+v", mlErr)
+	}
+
+	return err
 }
 
 // Serve a single request
@@ -129,6 +147,22 @@ func (s *Server) ServeRequest() (err error) {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if h.DataType == DataTypeControl {
+		switch h.Endpoint {
+		case ControlEndpointClose:
+			ack := Header{Error: StatusOK, DataType: DataTypeControl}
+			err = s.writeResponse(&ack)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			return doneStopServing
+		default:
+			r := NewErrorHeader(StatusRequestError, "unregistered control endpoint %s", h.Endpoint)
+			return s.writeResponse(r)
+		}
+		panic("implementation error")
+	}
+
 	ep, ok := s.endpoints[h.Endpoint]
 	if !ok {
 		r := NewErrorHeader(StatusRequestError, "unregistered endpoint %s", h.Endpoint)