diff --git a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp
index 00c322cd..12d9e98c 100644
--- a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp
+++ b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp
@@ -84,13 +84,16 @@ namespace ix
 
     void WebSocket::stop()
     {
+        bool automaticReconnection = _automaticReconnection;
+
+        // This value needs to be forced when shutting down, it is restored later
         _automaticReconnection = false;
 
         close();
 
         if (!_thread.joinable())
         {
-            _automaticReconnection = true;
+            _automaticReconnection = automaticReconnection;
             return;
         }
 
@@ -98,7 +101,7 @@ namespace ix
         _thread.join();
         _stop = false;
 
-        _automaticReconnection = true;
+        _automaticReconnection = automaticReconnection;
     }
 
     WebSocketInitResult WebSocket::connect()
@@ -241,6 +244,11 @@ namespace ix
 
                     WebSocket::invokeTrafficTrackerCallback(msg.size(), true);
                 });
+
+            // 4. In blocking mode, getting out of this function is triggered by
+            //    an explicit disconnection from the callback, or by the remote end
+            //    closing the connection, ie isConnected() == false.
+            if (!_thread.joinable() && !isConnected() && !_automaticReconnection) return;
         }
     }
 
@@ -332,4 +340,14 @@ namespace ix
             case WebSocket_ReadyState_Closed: return "CLOSED";
         }
     }
+
+    void WebSocket::enableAutomaticReconnection()
+    {
+        _automaticReconnection = true;
+    }
+
+    void WebSocket::disableAutomaticReconnection()
+    {
+        _automaticReconnection = false;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.h b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.h
index 4b1cbd84..12b616f5 100644
--- a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.h
+++ b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.h
@@ -72,8 +72,14 @@ namespace ix
         void setUrl(const std::string& url);
         void setPerMessageDeflateOptions(const WebSocketPerMessageDeflateOptions& perMessageDeflateOptions);
 
+        // Run asynchronously, by calling start and stop.
         void start();
         void stop();
+
+        // Run in blocking mode, by connecting first manually, and then calling run.
+        WebSocketInitResult connect();
+        void run();
+
         WebSocketSendInfo send(const std::string& text);
         WebSocketSendInfo ping(const std::string& text);
         void close();
@@ -86,12 +92,13 @@ namespace ix
         const std::string& getUrl() const;
         const WebSocketPerMessageDeflateOptions& getPerMessageDeflateOptions() const;
 
+        void enableAutomaticReconnection();
+        void disableAutomaticReconnection();
+
     private:
-        void run();
 
         WebSocketSendInfo sendMessage(const std::string& text, bool ping);
 
-        WebSocketInitResult connect();
         bool isConnected() const;
         bool isClosing() const;
         void reconnectPerpetuallyIfDisconnected();
diff --git a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketServer.cpp b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketServer.cpp
index a0e35679..e822a581 100644
--- a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketServer.cpp
+++ b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketServer.cpp
@@ -130,11 +130,16 @@ namespace ix
         _conditionVariable.wait(lock);
     }
 
-    // FIXME: we should cancel all the async per connections tasks
     void WebSocketServer::stop()
     {
         if (!_thread.joinable()) return; // nothing to do
 
+        auto clients = getClients();
+        for (auto client : clients)
+        {
+            client->close();
+        }
+
         _stop = true;
         _thread.join();
         _stop = false;
@@ -187,20 +192,19 @@ namespace ix
         }
     }
 
-    //
-    // FIXME: make sure we never run into reconnectPerpetuallyIfDisconnected
-    //
     void WebSocketServer::handleConnection(int fd)
     {
         std::shared_ptr<WebSocket> webSocket(new WebSocket);
         _onConnectionCallback(webSocket);
 
+        webSocket->disableAutomaticReconnection();
+
+        // Add this client to our client set
         {
             std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(_clientsMutex);
             _clients.insert(webSocket);
         }
 
-        webSocket->start();
         auto status = webSocket->connectToSocket(fd);
         if (!status.success)
         {
@@ -211,16 +215,17 @@ namespace ix
             return;
         }
 
-        // We can do better than this busy loop, with a condition variable.
-        while (webSocket->isConnected())
-        {
-            std::chrono::duration<double, std::milli> wait(10);
-            std::this_thread::sleep_for(wait);
-        }
+        // Process incoming messages and execute callbacks 
+        // until the connection is closed
+        webSocket->run();
 
+        // Remove this client from our client set
         {
             std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(_clientsMutex);
-            _clients.erase(webSocket);
+            if (_clients.erase(webSocket) != 1)
+            {
+                logError("Cannot delete client");
+            }
         }
 
         logInfo("WebSocketServer::handleConnection() done");
diff --git a/test/cmd_websocket_chat.cpp b/test/cmd_websocket_chat.cpp
index da2db288..2e90c4a7 100644
--- a/test/cmd_websocket_chat.cpp
+++ b/test/cmd_websocket_chat.cpp
@@ -250,6 +250,8 @@ TEST_CASE("Websocket chat", "[websocket_chat]")
             ix::msleep(10);
         }
 
+        REQUIRE(server.getClients().size() == 2);
+
         // Add a bit of extra time, for the subscription to be active
         ix::msleep(200);
 
@@ -269,6 +271,10 @@ TEST_CASE("Websocket chat", "[websocket_chat]")
         REQUIRE(chatA.getReceivedMessagesCount() == 2);
         REQUIRE(chatB.getReceivedMessagesCount() == 3);
 
+        // Give us 500ms for the server to notice that clients went away
+        ix::msleep(500);
+        REQUIRE(server.getClients().size() == 0);
+
         ix::reportWebSocketTraffic();
     }
 }
diff --git a/test/run.sh b/test/run.sh
index ef727cc4..f9ee444c 100644
--- a/test/run.sh
+++ b/test/run.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
 
 mkdir build 
 cd build
-cmake .. 
-make 
+cmake .. || exit 1
+make || exit 1
 ./ixwebsocket_unittest