diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index fccd8bbd0..97954dceb 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-5.11.124
\ No newline at end of file
+5.11.125
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/fdb5/remote/client/ClientConnection.cc b/src/fdb5/remote/client/ClientConnection.cc
index b5244ca40..dd82f63e4 100644
--- a/src/fdb5/remote/client/ClientConnection.cc
+++ b/src/fdb5/remote/client/ClientConnection.cc
@@ -87,13 +87,20 @@ bool ClientConnection::remove(uint32_t clientID) {
     }
 
     if (clients_.empty()) {
-        Connection::write(Message::Exit, true, 0, 0);
         if (!single_) {
-        // if (!controlStopping_)
-        //     Connection::write(Message::Exit, true, 0, 0);
-        // if (!single_ && !dataStopping_) {
             // TODO make the data connection dying automatically, when there are no more async writes
-            Connection::write(Message::Exit, false, 0, 0);
+            try {
+                // all done - disconnecting
+                Connection::write(Message::Exit, false, 0, 0);
+            } catch(...) {
+                // if connection is already down, no need to escalate 
+            }
+        }
+        try {
+            // all done - disconnecting
+            Connection::write(Message::Exit, true, 0, 0);
+        } catch(...) {
+            // if connection is already down, no need to escalate 
         }
 
         ClientConnectionRouter::instance().deregister(*this);
diff --git a/src/fdb5/remote/server/ServerConnection.cc b/src/fdb5/remote/server/ServerConnection.cc
index a72d92d8b..fb872b0a1 100644
--- a/src/fdb5/remote/server/ServerConnection.cc
+++ b/src/fdb5/remote/server/ServerConnection.cc
@@ -441,10 +441,20 @@ void ServerConnection::handle() {
             if (hdr.message == Message::Exit) {
                 ASSERT(hdr.clientID() == 0);
 
-                write(Message::Exit, true, 0, 0);
-                if (!single_) {
-                    write(Message::Exit, false, 0, 0);
-                }
+                // if (!single_) {
+                //     try {
+                //         // all done - disconnecting
+                //         Connection::write(Message::Exit, false, 0, 0);
+                //     } catch(...) {
+                //         // if connection is already down, no need to escalate 
+                //     }
+                // }
+                // try {
+                //     // all done - disconnecting
+                //     Connection::write(Message::Exit, true, 0, 0);
+                // } catch(...) {
+                //     // if connection is already down, no need to escalate 
+                // }
 
                 eckit::Log::status() << "Terminating CONTROL listener" << std::endl;
                 eckit::Log::info() << "Terminating CONTROL listener" << std::endl;
@@ -502,6 +512,26 @@ void ServerConnection::handle() {
     }
     ASSERT(archiveQueue_.empty());
     archiveQueue_.close();
+
+    if (!single_) {
+        try {
+            // all done - disconnecting
+            Connection::write(Message::Exit, false, 0, 0);
+        } catch(...) {
+            // if connection is already down, no need to escalate 
+        }
+    }
+    try {
+        // all done - disconnecting
+        Connection::write(Message::Exit, true, 0, 0);
+    } catch(...) {
+        // if connection is already down, no need to escalate 
+    }
+
+    // write(Message::Exit, true, 0, 0);
+    // if (!single_) {
+    //     write(Message::Exit, false, 0, 0);
+    // }
 }
 
 void ServerConnection::handleException(std::exception_ptr e) {