diff --git a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/netty/NettyRemoteSupport.scala b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/netty/NettyRemoteSupport.scala
index 19b18fe529..f35fbdd5f6 100644
--- a/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/netty/NettyRemoteSupport.scala
+++ b/akka-remote/src/main/scala/akka/remote/netty/NettyRemoteSupport.scala
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import akka.util._
 import akka.remote.{MessageSerializer, RemoteClientSettings, RemoteServerSettings}
 
 import org.jboss.netty.channel._
-import org.jboss.netty.channel.group.{DefaultChannelGroup,ChannelGroup}
+import org.jboss.netty.channel.group.{DefaultChannelGroup,ChannelGroup,ChannelGroupFuture}
 import org.jboss.netty.channel.socket.nio.NioClientSocketChannelFactory
 import org.jboss.netty.channel.socket.nio.NioServerSocketChannelFactory
 import org.jboss.netty.bootstrap.{ServerBootstrap,ClientBootstrap}
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ class ActiveRemoteClient private[akka] (
 
   def connect(reconnectIfAlreadyConnected: Boolean = false): Boolean = {
     runSwitch switchOn {
-      openChannels = new DefaultChannelGroup(classOf[RemoteClient].getName)
+      openChannels = new DefaultDisposableChannelGroup(classOf[RemoteClient].getName)
       timer = new HashedWheelTimer
 
       bootstrap = new ClientBootstrap(new NioClientSocketChannelFactory(Executors.newCachedThreadPool, Executors.newCachedThreadPool))
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ class NettyRemoteServer(serverModule: NettyRemoteServerModule, val host: String,
   private val bootstrap = new ServerBootstrap(factory)
 
   // group of open channels, used for clean-up
-  private val openChannels: ChannelGroup = new DefaultChannelGroup("akka-remote-server")
+  private val openChannels: ChannelGroup = new DefaultDisposableChannelGroup("akka-remote-server")
 
   val pipelineFactory = new RemoteServerPipelineFactory(name, openChannels, loader, serverModule)
   bootstrap.setPipelineFactory(pipelineFactory)
@@ -1220,3 +1220,25 @@ class RemoteServerHandler(
 
   protected def parseUuid(protocol: UuidProtocol): Uuid = uuidFrom(protocol.getHigh,protocol.getLow)
 }
+
+class DefaultDisposableChannelGroup(name: String) extends DefaultChannelGroup(name) {
+  protected val guard = new ReadWriteGuard
+  protected val open  = new AtomicBoolean(true)
+
+  override def add(channel: Channel): Boolean = guard withReadGuard {
+    if(open.get) {
+      super.add(channel)
+    } else {
+      channel.close
+      false
+    }
+  }
+
+  override def close(): ChannelGroupFuture = guard withWriteGuard {
+    if (open.getAndSet(false)) {
+      super.close
+    } else {
+      throw new IllegalStateException("ChannelGroup already closed, cannot add new channel")
+    }
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file