diff --git a/kube-client/src/api/portforward.rs b/kube-client/src/api/portforward.rs
index 6dee12b4c..4a009b7be 100644
--- a/kube-client/src/api/portforward.rs
+++ b/kube-client/src/api/portforward.rs
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ pub enum Error {
 
     #[error("failed to complete the background task: {0}")]
     Spawn(#[source] tokio::task::JoinError),
+
+    /// Failed to shutdown a pod writer channel.
+    #[error("failed to shutdown write to Pod channel: {0}")]
+    Shutdown(#[source] std::io::Error),
 }
 
 type ErrorReceiver = oneshot::Receiver<String>;
@@ -69,6 +73,8 @@ type ErrorSender = oneshot::Sender<String>;
 enum Message {
     FromPod(u8, Bytes),
     ToPod(u8, Bytes),
+    FromPodClose,
+    ToPodClose(u8),
 }
 
 /// Manages port-forwarded streams.
@@ -139,7 +145,16 @@ impl Portforwarder {
 
     /// Waits for port forwarding task to complete.
     pub async fn join(self) -> Result<(), Error> {
-        self.task.await.unwrap_or_else(|e| Err(Error::Spawn(e)))
+        let Self {
+            mut ports,
+            mut errors,
+            task,
+        } = self;
+        // Start by terminating any streams that have not yet been taken
+        // since they would otherwise keep the connection open indefinitely
+        ports.clear();
+        errors.clear();
+        task.await.unwrap_or_else(|e| Err(Error::Spawn(e)))
     }
 }
 
@@ -192,6 +207,10 @@ async fn to_pod_loop(
                 .map_err(Error::ForwardToPod)?;
         }
     }
+    sender
+        .send(Message::ToPodClose(ch))
+        .await
+        .map_err(Error::ForwardToPod)?;
     Ok(())
 }
 
@@ -217,6 +236,13 @@ where
                     .await
                     .map_err(Error::ForwardFromPod)?;
             }
+            message if message.is_close() => {
+                sender
+                    .send(Message::FromPodClose)
+                    .await
+                    .map_err(Error::ForwardFromPod)?;
+                break;
+            }
             // REVIEW should we error on unexpected websocket message?
             _ => {}
         }
@@ -238,19 +264,25 @@ async fn forwarder_loop<S>(
 where
     S: AsyncRead + AsyncWrite + Unpin + Sized + Send + 'static,
 {
-    // Keep track if the channel has received the initialization frame.
-    let mut initialized = vec![false; 2 * ports.len()];
+    #[derive(Default, Clone)]
+    struct ChannelState {
+        // Keep track if the channel has received the initialization frame.
+        initialized: bool,
+        // Keep track if the channel has shutdown.
+        shutdown: bool,
+    }
+    let mut chan_state = vec![ChannelState::default(); 2 * ports.len()];
+    let mut closed_ports = 0;
+    let mut socket_shutdown = false;
     while let Some(msg) = receiver.next().await {
         match msg {
             Message::FromPod(ch, mut bytes) => {
                 let ch = ch as usize;
-                if ch >= initialized.len() {
-                    return Err(Error::InvalidChannel(ch));
-                }
+                let channel = chan_state.get_mut(ch).ok_or(Error::InvalidChannel(ch))?;
 
                 let port_index = ch / 2;
                 // Initialization
-                if !initialized[ch] {
+                if !channel.initialized {
                     // The initial message must be 3 bytes including the channel prefix.
                     if bytes.len() != 2 {
                         return Err(Error::InvalidInitialFrameSize);
@@ -264,7 +296,7 @@ where
                         });
                     }
 
-                    initialized[ch] = true;
+                    channel.initialized = true;
                     continue;
                 }
 
@@ -276,7 +308,7 @@ where
                             .map_err(Error::InvalidErrorMessage)?;
                         sender.send(s).map_err(Error::ForwardErrorMessage)?;
                     }
-                } else {
+                } else if !channel.shutdown {
                     writers[port_index]
                         .write_all(&bytes)
                         .await
@@ -293,6 +325,31 @@ where
                     .await
                     .map_err(Error::SendWebSocketMessage)?;
             }
+            Message::ToPodClose(ch) => {
+                let ch = ch as usize;
+                let channel = chan_state.get_mut(ch).ok_or(Error::InvalidChannel(ch))?;
+                let port_index = ch / 2;
+
+                if !channel.shutdown {
+                    writers[port_index].shutdown().await.map_err(Error::Shutdown)?;
+                    channel.shutdown = true;
+
+                    closed_ports += 1;
+                }
+            }
+            Message::FromPodClose => {
+                for writer in &mut writers {
+                    writer.shutdown().await.map_err(Error::Shutdown)?;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        if closed_ports == ports.len() && !socket_shutdown {
+            ws_sink
+                .send(ws::Message::Close(None))
+                .await
+                .map_err(Error::SendWebSocketMessage)?;
+            socket_shutdown = true;
         }
     }
     Ok(())