diff --git a/yaqd-core/CHANGELOG.md b/yaqd-core/CHANGELOG.md
index 5f8d640..0c16604 100644
--- a/yaqd-core/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/yaqd-core/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/).
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 ### Fixed
+- handle cleanup when a client connection is broken
 - type hints for IsSensor attributes are appropriate for _n_-dimensional data
 
 ## [2023.11.0]
diff --git a/yaqd-core/yaqd_core/_protocol.py b/yaqd-core/yaqd_core/_protocol.py
index 6644a08..2ca4a16 100644
--- a/yaqd-core/yaqd_core/_protocol.py
+++ b/yaqd-core/yaqd_core/_protocol.py
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ def connection_made(self, transport):
         self.transport = transport
         self.unpacker = avrorpc.Unpacker(self._avro_protocol)
         self._daemon._connection_made(peername)
-        self.task = asyncio.get_event_loop().create_task(self.process_requests())
+        self.task = self._daemon._loop.create_task(self.process_requests())
+        self._daemon._tasks.append(self.task)
+        self.task.add_done_callback(self._daemon._tasks.remove)
 
     def data_received(self, data):
         """Process an incomming request."""
@@ -38,6 +40,15 @@ def data_received(self, data):
         self.unpacker.feed(data)
 
     async def process_requests(self):
+        try:
+            await self._process_requests()
+        except asyncio.CancelledError as e:
+            self.logger.debug("cancelling process_requests")
+            await self.unpacker.__aexit__(None, None, None)
+            self.transport.close()
+            raise e
+
+    async def _process_requests(self):
         async for hs, meta, name, params in self.unpacker:
             if hs is not None:
                 out = bytes(hs)
@@ -46,13 +57,13 @@ async def process_requests(self):
                 if hs.match == "NONE":
                     name = ""
 
-            out_meta = io.BytesIO()
+            meta_out = io.BytesIO()
             fastavro.schemaless_writer(
-                out_meta, {"type": "map", "values": "bytes"}, meta
+                meta_out, {"type": "map", "values": "bytes"}, meta
             )
-            length = out_meta.tell()
-            self.transport.write(struct.pack(">L", length) + out_meta.getvalue())
-            self.logger.debug(f"Wrote meta, {meta}, {out_meta.getvalue()}")
+            length = meta_out.tell()
+            self.transport.write(struct.pack(">L", length) + meta_out.getvalue())
+            self.logger.debug(f"Wrote meta, {meta}, {meta_out.getvalue()}")
             try:
                 response_out = io.BytesIO()
                 response = None
@@ -82,6 +93,7 @@ async def process_requests(self):
                 fastavro.schemaless_writer(error_out, ["string"], repr(e))
                 length = error_out.tell()
                 self.transport.write(struct.pack(">L", length) + error_out.getvalue())
+                error_out.close()
             else:
                 self.transport.write(struct.pack(">L", 1) + b"\0")
                 self.logger.debug(f"Wrote non-error flag")
@@ -92,7 +104,11 @@ async def process_requests(self):
                 self.logger.debug(
                     f"Wrote response {response}, {response_out.getvalue()}"
                 )
+            finally:
+                response_out.close()
+                meta_out.close()
             self.transport.write(struct.pack(">L", 0))
+            self.unpacker._file = io.BytesIO()
             if name == "shutdown":
                 self.logger.debug("Closing transport")
                 self.transport.close()
diff --git a/yaqd-core/yaqd_core/avrorpc/unpacker.py b/yaqd-core/yaqd_core/avrorpc/unpacker.py
index 1d507f7..60825fb 100644
--- a/yaqd-core/yaqd_core/avrorpc/unpacker.py
+++ b/yaqd-core/yaqd_core/avrorpc/unpacker.py
@@ -67,13 +67,19 @@ async def __anext__(self):
             except (ValueError, struct.error):
                 await self.new_data.wait()
 
+    async def __aexit__(self, exc_type, exc_val, exc_tb):
+        await asyncio.sleep(0)
+        self._file.close()
+        self.buf.close()
+
     def feed(self, data: bytes):
-        # Must support random access, if it does not, must be fed externally (e.g. TCP)
-        pos = self._file.tell()
-        self._file.seek(0, 2)
-        self._file.write(data)
-        self._file.seek(pos)
-        self.new_data.set()
+        if not self._file.closed:
+            # Must support random access, if it does not, must be fed externally (e.g. TCP)
+            pos = self._file.tell()
+            self._file.seek(0, 2)
+            self._file.write(data)
+            self._file.seek(pos)
+            self.new_data.set()
 
     async def _read_object(self, schema):
         schema = fastavro.parse_schema(