diff --git a/include/udx.h b/include/udx.h
index 5dd0554..782cd8b 100644
--- a/include/udx.h
+++ b/include/udx.h
@@ -405,6 +405,8 @@ struct udx_packet_s {
 
   udx_stream_t *stream; // for incrementing counters when packet is sent
 
+  bool cancelled; // true if the stream was closed while this packet is in the uv_udp_send queue
+                  // immediateyl call on_ack(UV_ECANCELLED) in the callback
   bool lost;
   bool retransmitted;
   uint8_t transmits;
diff --git a/src/udx.c b/src/udx.c
index 4c9b634..9249cc7 100644
--- a/src/udx.c
+++ b/src/udx.c
@@ -200,25 +200,11 @@ on_bytes_acked (udx_stream_write_buf_t *wbuf, size_t bytes, bool cancelled) {
   }
 }
 
-static void
-deref_packet (udx_packet_t *pkt) {
-  if (--pkt->ref_count == 0) {
-    if (pkt->bufs != &pkt->buf_sml[0]) {
-      free(pkt->bufs);
-      free(pkt->wbufs);
-    }
-    free(pkt);
-  }
-}
-
 static void
 cancel_packet (udx_packet_t *pkt) {
-  uv_buf_t *bufs = pkt->bufs;
-  udx_stream_write_buf_t **wbufs = pkt->wbufs;
-
   for (int i = 0; i < pkt->nwbufs; i++) {
-    size_t buf_len = bufs[i + 1].len;
-    udx_stream_write_buf_t *wbuf = wbufs[i];
+    size_t buf_len = pkt->bufs[i + 1].len;
+    udx_stream_write_buf_t *wbuf = pkt->wbufs[i];
     on_bytes_acked(wbuf, buf_len, true);
 
     // todo: move into on_bytes_acked itself
@@ -228,8 +214,20 @@ cancel_packet (udx_packet_t *pkt) {
       write->on_ack(write, UV_ECANCELED, 0);
     }
   }
+}
 
-  deref_packet(pkt);
+static void
+deref_packet (udx_packet_t *pkt) {
+  if (--pkt->ref_count == 0) {
+    if (pkt->cancelled) {
+      cancel_packet(pkt);
+    }
+    if (pkt->bufs != &pkt->buf_sml[0]) {
+      free(pkt->bufs);
+      free(pkt->wbufs);
+    }
+    free(pkt);
+  }
 }
 
 static void
@@ -242,6 +240,7 @@ clear_outgoing_packets (udx_stream_t *stream) {
   if (stream->pkt) {
     assert(stream->pkt->ref_count == 1);
     cancel_packet(stream->pkt);
+    deref_packet(stream->pkt);
   }
 
   // We should make sure all existing packets do not send, and notify the user that they failed
@@ -249,8 +248,8 @@ clear_outgoing_packets (udx_stream_t *stream) {
     udx_packet_t *pkt = (udx_packet_t *) udx__cirbuf_remove(&(stream->outgoing), seq);
 
     if (pkt == NULL) continue;
-
-    cancel_packet(pkt);
+    pkt->cancelled = true;
+    deref_packet(pkt);
   }
 
   while (stream->write_queue.len > 0) {
@@ -310,8 +309,9 @@ udx_write_header (uint8_t header[20], udx_stream_t *stream, int type) {
 // returns 1 on success, zero if packet can't be promoted to a probe packet
 static int
 mtu_probeify_packet (udx_packet_t *pkt, int wanted_size) {
-
-  assert(wanted_size > pkt->size);
+  if (wanted_size > pkt->size) {
+    return 0;
+  }
 
   // cannot probeify a packet with 1) no data 2) already has padding
   if (pkt->nwbufs < 1 || pkt->header[3] != 0) {
@@ -370,8 +370,19 @@ finalize_maybe (uv_handle_t *timer) {
 // 2. if you call this on the send path, you must immediately return from
 // send_stream_packets
 
-static int
+static void
+close_stream_internal (udx_stream_t *stream, int err);
+
+void
 close_stream (udx_stream_t *stream, int err) {
+  if (stream->status & UDX_STREAM_DESTROYING) {
+    return;
+  }
+  close_stream_internal(stream, err);
+}
+
+void
+close_stream_internal (udx_stream_t *stream, int err) {
   assert((stream->status & UDX_STREAM_CLOSED) == 0);
   stream->status |= UDX_STREAM_CLOSED;
   stream->status &= ~UDX_STREAM_CONNECTED;
@@ -441,8 +452,6 @@ close_stream (udx_stream_t *stream, int err) {
   if (udx->teardown && socket != NULL && socket->streams == NULL) {
     udx_socket_close(socket);
   }
-
-  return 1;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -873,7 +882,7 @@ send_new_packet (udx_stream_t *stream, int probe_type) {
 
       if (first_alloc) {
         pkt->bufs = malloc((pkt->nwbufs_capacity + 1) * sizeof(pkt->bufs[0]));
-        pkt->wbufs = malloc((pkt->nwbufs_capacity + 1) * sizeof(pkt->wbufs[0]));
+        pkt->wbufs = malloc((pkt->nwbufs_capacity) * sizeof(pkt->wbufs[0]));
         memcpy(pkt->bufs, pkt->buf_sml, sizeof(pkt->buf_sml));
         memcpy(pkt->wbufs, pkt->wbuf_sml, sizeof(pkt->wbuf_sml));
       } else {
@@ -1798,12 +1807,21 @@ static void
 on_uv_udp_recv (uv_udp_t *handle, ssize_t nread, const uv_buf_t *buf, const struct sockaddr *addr, unsigned flags) {
   if (nread == 0 && addr == NULL) return;
 
+  if (nread < 0) {
+    debug_printf("udx: uv_udp_recv err=%s\n", uv_strerror(nread));
+    assert(nread != UV_EBADF);
+    assert(nread != UV_ENOTSOCK);
+    assert(nread != UV_EINVAL);
+    assert(nread != UV_EFAULT);
+    return;
+  }
+
   udx_socket_t *socket = handle->data; // todo: cast instead, save a dereference ?
 
   assert(!(socket->status & UDX_SOCKET_CLOSED));
 
   if (flags & UV_UDP_PARTIAL) {
-    assert(false && "todo: log error for large messages?");
+    debug_printf("udx: uv_udp_recv received partial packet\n");
   }
 
   assert((size_t) nread <= buf->len);
@@ -2681,7 +2699,7 @@ stream_on_destroy_send (udx_stream_t *stream) {
   udx->packets_tx++;
   udx->bytes_tx += UDX_HEADER_SIZE;
 
-  close_stream(stream, 0);
+  close_stream_internal(stream, 0);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 6a9e91c..6627ceb 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ list(APPEND tests
   socket-send-recv-dualstack
   socket-send-recv-ipv6
   stream-destroy
+  stream-destroy-slowpath
   stream-destroy-before-connect
   stream-preconnect
   stream-preconnect-same-socket
diff --git a/test/stream-destroy-slowpath.c b/test/stream-destroy-slowpath.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f1b5bf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/stream-destroy-slowpath.c
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+#include "../include/udx.h"
+
+int
+close_stream (udx_stream_t *stream, int status);
+
+uv_loop_t loop;
+udx_t udx;
+udx_socket_t sock;
+
+bool close_called = false;
+
+void
+on_close (udx_stream_t *handle, int status) {
+  assert(status == 0);
+
+  int e = udx_socket_close(&sock);
+
+  assert(e == 0);
+
+  close_called = true;
+}
+
+void
+ack_cb (udx_stream_write_t *req, int status, int unordered) {
+
+  printf("ack status=%d unordered=%d\n", status, unordered);
+}
+
+int
+main () {
+  int e;
+
+  uv_loop_init(&loop);
+
+  e = udx_init(&loop, &udx, NULL);
+  assert(e == 0);
+
+  e = udx_socket_init(&udx, &sock, NULL);
+  assert(e == 0);
+
+  struct sockaddr_in addr;
+  uv_ip4_addr("127.0.0.1", 8081, &addr);
+  e = udx_socket_bind(&sock, (struct sockaddr *) &addr, 0);
+  assert(e == 0);
+
+  udx_stream_t stream;
+  e = udx_stream_init(&udx, &stream, 1, on_close, NULL);
+  assert(e == 0);
+
+  e = udx_stream_connect(&stream, &sock, 2, (struct sockaddr *) &addr);
+  assert(e == 0);
+
+  uv_buf_t buf = uv_buf_init("hello", 5);
+  udx_stream_write_t *req = malloc(udx_stream_write_sizeof(1));
+
+  udx_stream_write(req, &stream, &buf, 1, ack_cb);
+  e = udx_stream_destroy(&stream);
+  close_stream(&stream, 0);
+
+  uv_run(&loop, UV_RUN_DEFAULT);
+  free(req);
+
+  assert(close_called);
+
+  return 0;
+}