diff --git a/lib/libwebsockets.c b/lib/libwebsockets.c
index fe2c5aab..b35ccdcb 100644
--- a/lib/libwebsockets.c
+++ b/lib/libwebsockets.c
@@ -641,6 +641,9 @@ __lws_close_free_wsi(struct lws *wsi, enum lws_close_status reason, const char *
 	    wsi->http.fop_fd != NULL)
 		lws_vfs_file_close(&wsi->http.fop_fd);
 
+	if (lwsi_state(wsi) == LRS_DEAD_SOCKET)
+		return;
+
 	if (wsi->socket_is_permanently_unusable ||
 	    reason == LWS_CLOSE_STATUS_NOSTATUS_CONTEXT_DESTROY ||
 	    lwsi_state(wsi) == LRS_SHUTDOWN)
diff --git a/lib/service.c b/lib/service.c
index 3468c970..dd3ef3b9 100644
--- a/lib/service.c
+++ b/lib/service.c
@@ -868,6 +868,16 @@ close_and_handled:
 		lwsl_debug("%p: Close and handled\n", wsi);
 		lws_close_free_wsi(wsi, LWS_CLOSE_STATUS_NOSTATUS,
 				   "close_and_handled");
+#if defined(_DEBUG)
+		/*
+		 * confirm close has no problem being called again while
+		 * it waits for libuv service to complete the first async
+		 * close
+		 */
+		if (LWS_LIBUV_ENABLED(context))
+			lws_close_free_wsi(wsi, LWS_CLOSE_STATUS_NOSTATUS,
+					   "close_and_handled uv repeat test");
+#endif
 		/*
 		 * pollfd may point to something else after the close
 		 * due to pollfd swapping scheme on delete on some platforms