diff --git a/internal/multiplex/session.go b/internal/multiplex/session.go
index c146b26..23be6fa 100644
--- a/internal/multiplex/session.go
+++ b/internal/multiplex/session.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
+
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -105,27 +107,30 @@ func (sesh *Session) delStream(id uint32) {
 	sesh.streamsM.Unlock()
 }
 
-// either fetch an existing stream or instantiate a new stream and put it in the dict, and return it
-func (sesh *Session) getStream(id uint32, closingFrame bool) *Stream {
-	// it would have been neater to use defer Unlock(), however it gives
-	// non-negligable overhead and this function is performance critical
+func (sesh *Session) recvDataFromRemote(data []byte) {
+	frame, err := sesh.Deobfs(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Debugf("Failed to decrypt a frame for session %v: %v", sesh.id, err)
+	}
+
 	sesh.streamsM.Lock()
 	defer sesh.streamsM.Unlock()
-	stream := sesh.streams[id]
-	if stream != nil {
-		return stream
+	stream, existing := sesh.streams[frame.StreamID]
+	if existing {
+		stream.writeFrame(frame)
 	} else {
-		if closingFrame {
-			// If the stream has been closed and the current frame is a closing frame,
-			// we return nil
-			return nil
+		if frame.Closing == 1 {
+			// If the stream has been closed and the current frame is a closing frame, we do noop
+			return
 		} else {
-			stream = makeStream(id, sesh)
-			sesh.streams[id] = stream
+			stream = makeStream(frame.StreamID, sesh)
+			sesh.streams[frame.StreamID] = stream
 			sesh.acceptCh <- stream
-			return stream
+			stream.writeFrame(frame)
+			return
 		}
 	}
+
 }
 
 func (sesh *Session) SetTerminalMsg(msg string) {
@@ -156,6 +161,7 @@ func (sesh *Session) Close() error {
 	sesh.streamsM.Unlock()
 
 	sesh.sb.closeAll()
+	log.Debugf("session %v closed gracefully", sesh.id)
 	return nil
 
 }
diff --git a/internal/multiplex/stream.go b/internal/multiplex/stream.go
index cbc5b7b..c8b4611 100644
--- a/internal/multiplex/stream.go
+++ b/internal/multiplex/stream.go
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ func makeStream(id uint32, sesh *Session) *Stream {
 
 func (s *Stream) isClosed() bool { return atomic.LoadUint32(&s.closed) == 1 }
 
+func (s *Stream) writeFrame(frame *Frame) { s.sorter.writeNewFrame(frame) }
+
 func (s *Stream) Read(buf []byte) (n int, err error) {
 	if len(buf) == 0 {
 		if s.isClosed() {
@@ -94,7 +96,7 @@ func (s *Stream) Write(in []byte) (n int, err error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return i, err
 	}
-	n, err = s.session.sb.send(s.obfsBuf[:i])
+	n, err = s.session.sb.Write(s.obfsBuf[:i])
 	return
 
 }
@@ -137,7 +139,7 @@ func (s *Stream) Close() error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	_, err = s.session.sb.send(s.obfsBuf[:i])
+	_, err = s.session.sb.Write(s.obfsBuf[:i])
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/multiplex/switchboard.go b/internal/multiplex/switchboard.go
index a0788b7..79b03d2 100644
--- a/internal/multiplex/switchboard.go
+++ b/internal/multiplex/switchboard.go
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ type switchboard struct {
 	optimum atomic.Value // *connEnclave
 	cesM    sync.RWMutex
 	ces     []*connEnclave
+
+	broken uint32
 }
 
 func (sb *switchboard) getOptimum() *connEnclave {
@@ -48,9 +50,13 @@ func makeSwitchboard(sesh *Session, valve *Valve) *switchboard {
 	return sb
 }
 
-var errNilOptimum error = errors.New("The optimal connection is nil")
+var errNilOptimum = errors.New("The optimal connection is nil")
+var errBrokenSwitchboard = errors.New("the switchboard is broken")
 
-func (sb *switchboard) send(data []byte) (int, error) {
+func (sb *switchboard) Write(data []byte) (int, error) {
+	if atomic.LoadUint32(&sb.broken) == 1 {
+		return 0, errBrokenSwitchboard
+	}
 	ce := sb.getOptimum()
 	if ce == nil {
 		return 0, errNilOptimum
@@ -104,17 +110,20 @@ func (sb *switchboard) removeConn(closing *connEnclave) {
 			break
 		}
 	}
-	if len(sb.ces) == 0 {
-		sb.session.SetTerminalMsg("no underlying connection left")
-		sb.cesM.Unlock()
-		sb.session.Close()
-		return
-	}
+	remaining := len(sb.ces)
 	sb.cesM.Unlock()
+	if remaining == 0 {
+		atomic.StoreUint32(&sb.broken, 1)
+		sb.session.SetTerminalMsg("no underlying connection left")
+		sb.session.Close()
+	}
 }
 
 // actively triggered by session.Close()
 func (sb *switchboard) closeAll() {
+	if atomic.SwapUint32(&sb.broken, 1) == 1 {
+		return
+	}
 	sb.cesM.RLock()
 	for _, ce := range sb.ces {
 		ce.remoteConn.Close()
@@ -122,8 +131,7 @@ func (sb *switchboard) closeAll() {
 	sb.cesM.RUnlock()
 }
 
-// deplex function costantly reads from a TCP connection, call Deobfs and distribute it
-// to the corresponding stream
+// deplex function costantly reads from a TCP connection
 func (sb *switchboard) deplex(ce *connEnclave) {
 	buf := make([]byte, 20480)
 	for {
@@ -137,18 +145,6 @@ func (sb *switchboard) deplex(ce *connEnclave) {
 			return
 		}
 
-		frame, err := sb.session.Deobfs(buf[:n])
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Debugf("Failed to decrypt a frame for session %v: %v", sb.session.id, err)
-			continue
-		}
-
-		stream := sb.session.getStream(frame.StreamID, frame.Closing == 1)
-		// if the frame is telling us to close a closed stream
-		// (this happens when ss-server and ss-local closes the stream
-		// simutaneously), we don't do anything
-		if stream != nil {
-			stream.sorter.writeNewFrame(frame)
-		}
+		sb.session.recvDataFromRemote(buf[:n])
 	}
 }