diff --git a/src/wormhole/servers/relay_server.py b/src/wormhole/servers/relay_server.py
index b0a2681..1ab1124 100644
--- a/src/wormhole/servers/relay_server.py
+++ b/src/wormhole/servers/relay_server.py
@@ -160,9 +160,9 @@ class GetterOrWatcher(RelayResource):
         request.setHeader(b"content-type", b"text/event-stream; charset=utf-8")
         ep = EventsProtocol(request)
         ep.sendEvent(json.dumps(self._welcome), name="welcome")
-        old_events = channel.add_listener(ep.sendEvent)
+        old_events = channel.add_listener(ep)
         request.notifyFinish().addErrback(lambda f:
-                                          channel.remove_listener(ep.sendEvent))
+                                          channel.remove_listener(ep))
         for old_event in old_events:
             ep.sendEvent(old_event)
         return server.NOT_DONE_YET
@@ -179,9 +179,9 @@ class Watcher(RelayResource):
         request.setHeader(b"content-type", b"text/event-stream; charset=utf-8")
         ep = EventsProtocol(request)
         ep.sendEvent(json.dumps(self._welcome), name="welcome")
-        old_events = channel.add_listener(ep.sendEvent)
+        old_events = channel.add_listener(ep)
         request.notifyFinish().addErrback(lambda f:
-                                          channel.remove_listener(ep.sendEvent))
+                                          channel.remove_listener(ep))
         for old_event in old_events:
             ep.sendEvent(old_event)
         return server.NOT_DONE_YET
@@ -218,7 +218,8 @@ class Channel:
         self._log_requests = log_requests
         self._appid = appid
         self._channelid = channelid
-        self._listeners = set() # callbacks that take JSONable object
+        self._listeners = set() # EventsProtocol instances, with a .sendEvent
+                                # that takes a JSONable object
 
     def get_messages(self):
         messages = []
@@ -233,8 +234,8 @@ class Channel:
         data = {"welcome": self._welcome, "messages": messages}
         return data
 
-    def add_listener(self, listener):
-        self._listeners.add(listener)
+    def add_listener(self, ep):
+        self._listeners.add(ep)
         db = self._db
         for row in db.execute("SELECT * FROM `messages`"
                               " WHERE `appid`=? AND `channelid`=?"
@@ -243,13 +244,13 @@ class Channel:
             if row["phase"] in (u"_allocate", u"_deallocate"):
                 continue
             yield json.dumps({"phase": row["phase"], "body": row["body"]})
-    def remove_listener(self, listener):
-        self._listeners.discard(listener)
+    def remove_listener(self, ep):
+        self._listeners.discard(ep)
 
     def broadcast_message(self, phase, body):
         data = json.dumps({"phase": phase, "body": body})
-        for listener in self._listeners:
-            listener(data)
+        for ep in self._listeners:
+            ep.sendEvent(data)
 
     def _add_message(self, side, phase, body):
         db = self._db
@@ -375,18 +376,17 @@ class Channel:
                    (self._appid, self._channelid))
         db.commit()
 
-        # It'd be nice to shut down any EventSource listeners here. But we
-        # don't hang on to the EventsProtocol, so we can't really shut it
-        # down here: any listeners will stick around until they shut down
-        # from the client side. That will keep the Channel object in memory,
-        # but it won't be reachable from the AppNamespace, so no further
-        # messages will be sent to it. Eventually, when they close the TCP
-        # connection, self.remove_listener() will be called, ep.sendEvent
-        # will be removed from self._listeners, breaking the circular
-        # reference, and everything will get freed.
+        # Shut down any EventSource listeners, just in case they're still
+        # lingering around.
+        for ep in self._listeners:
+            ep.stop()
 
         self._app.free_channel(self._channelid)
 
+    def _shutdown(self):
+        # used at test shutdown to accelerate client disconnects
+        for ep in self._listeners:
+            ep.stop()
 
 class AppNamespace:
     def __init__(self, db, welcome, blur_usage, log_requests, appid):
@@ -465,6 +465,10 @@ class AppNamespace:
         log.msg("  channel prune done, %r left" % (self._channels.keys(),))
         return bool(self._channels)
 
+    def _shutdown(self):
+        for channel in self._channels.values():
+            channel._shutdown()
+
 class Relay(resource.Resource, service.MultiService):
     def __init__(self, db, welcome, blur_usage):
         resource.Resource.__init__(self)
@@ -516,3 +520,14 @@ class Relay(resource.Resource, service.MultiService):
                 log.msg("prune pops app %r" % (appid,))
                 self._apps.pop(appid)
         log.msg("app prune ends, %d remaining apps" % len(self._apps))
+
+    def stopService(self):
+        # This forcibly boots any clients that are still connected, which
+        # helps with unit tests that use threads for both clients. One client
+        # hits an exception, which terminates the test (and .tearDown calls
+        # stopService on the relay), but the other client (in its thread) is
+        # still waiting for a message. By killing off all connections, that
+        # other client gets an error, and exits promptly.
+        for app in self._apps.values():
+            app._shutdown()
+        return service.MultiService.stopService(self)