diff --git a/Sources/NIO/Channel.swift b/Sources/NIO/Channel.swift
index 9881156f..d12a5378 100644
--- a/Sources/NIO/Channel.swift
+++ b/Sources/NIO/Channel.swift
@@ -1141,13 +1141,15 @@ class BaseSocketChannel<T : BaseSocket> : SelectableChannel, ChannelCore {
         } catch let err {
             promise?.fail(error: err)
         }
-        if !neverRegistered {
-            pipeline.fireChannelUnregistered0()
-        }
-        pipeline.fireChannelInactive0()
         
         // Fail all pending writes and so ensure all pending promises are notified
         self.pendingWrites.failAll(error: error)
+
+        if !neverRegistered {
+            pipeline.fireChannelUnregistered0()
+        }
+
+        pipeline.fireChannelInactive0()
         
         eventLoop.execute {
             // ensure this is executed in a delayed fashion as the users code may still traverse the pipeline
diff --git a/Sources/NIO/ChannelPipeline.swift b/Sources/NIO/ChannelPipeline.swift
index e06698f1..066ae776 100644
--- a/Sources/NIO/ChannelPipeline.swift
+++ b/Sources/NIO/ChannelPipeline.swift
@@ -548,35 +548,67 @@ private final class HeadChannelHandler : _ChannelOutboundHandler {
     private init() { }
 
     func register(ctx: ChannelHandlerContext, promise: Promise<Void>?) {
-        ctx.channel!._unsafe.register0(promise: promise)
+        if let channel = ctx.channel {
+            channel._unsafe.register0(promise: promise)
+        } else {
+            promise?.fail(error: ChannelError.ioOnClosedChannel)
+        }
     }
     
     func bind(ctx: ChannelHandlerContext, to address: SocketAddress, promise: Promise<Void>?) {
-        ctx.channel!._unsafe.bind0(to: address, promise: promise)
+        if let channel = ctx.channel {
+            channel._unsafe.bind0(to: address, promise: promise)
+        } else {
+            promise?.fail(error: ChannelError.ioOnClosedChannel)
+        }
     }
     
     func connect(ctx: ChannelHandlerContext, to address: SocketAddress, promise: Promise<Void>?) {
-        ctx.channel!._unsafe.connect0(to: address, promise: promise)
+        if let channel = ctx.channel {
+            channel._unsafe.connect0(to: address, promise: promise)
+        } else {
+            promise?.fail(error: ChannelError.ioOnClosedChannel)
+        }
     }
     
     func write(ctx: ChannelHandlerContext, data: IOData, promise: Promise<Void>?) {
-        ctx.channel!._unsafe.write0(data: data, promise: promise)
+        if let channel = ctx.channel {
+            channel._unsafe.write0(data: data, promise: promise)
+        } else {
+            promise?.fail(error: ChannelError.ioOnClosedChannel)
+        }
     }
     
     func flush(ctx: ChannelHandlerContext, promise: Promise<Void>?) {
-        ctx.channel!._unsafe.flush0(promise: promise)
+        if let channel = ctx.channel {
+            channel._unsafe.flush0(promise: promise)
+        } else {
+            promise?.fail(error: ChannelError.ioOnClosedChannel)
+        }
     }
     
     func close(ctx: ChannelHandlerContext, promise: Promise<Void>?) {
-        ctx.channel!._unsafe.close0(error: ChannelError.alreadyClosed, promise: promise)
+        if let channel = ctx.channel {
+            channel._unsafe.close0(error: ChannelError.alreadyClosed, promise: promise)
+        } else {
+            promise?.fail(error: ChannelError.alreadyClosed)
+        }
     }
     
     func read(ctx: ChannelHandlerContext, promise: Promise<Void>?) {
-        ctx.channel!._unsafe.read0(promise: promise)
+        if let channel = ctx.channel {
+            channel._unsafe.read0(promise: promise)
+        } else {
+            promise?.fail(error: ChannelError.ioOnClosedChannel)
+        }
     }
     
     func triggerUserOutboundEvent(ctx: ChannelHandlerContext, event: Any, promise: Promise<Void>?) {
-        ctx.channel!._unsafe.triggerUserOutboundEvent0(event: event, promise: promise)
+        if let channel = ctx.channel {
+            channel._unsafe.triggerUserOutboundEvent0(event: event, promise: promise)
+        } else {
+            promise?.fail(error: ChannelError.ioOnClosedChannel)
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/Tests/NIOTests/EchoServerClientTest.swift b/Tests/NIOTests/EchoServerClientTest.swift
index 8b447f11..2b97a8bc 100644
--- a/Tests/NIOTests/EchoServerClientTest.swift
+++ b/Tests/NIOTests/EchoServerClientTest.swift
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 import Foundation
 import XCTest
+import ConcurrencyHelpers
 @testable import NIO
 
 class EchoServerClientTest : XCTestCase {
@@ -180,4 +181,98 @@ class EchoServerClientTest : XCTestCase {
             ctx.flush(promise: nil)
         }
     }
+
+    private final class CloseInInActiveAndUnregisteredChannelHandler: ChannelInboundHandler {
+        typealias InboundIn = Never
+        let alreadyClosedInChannelInactive = Atomic<Bool>(value: false)
+        let alreadyClosedInChannelUnregistered = Atomic<Bool>(value: false)
+        let channelUnregisteredPromise: Promise<()>
+        let channelInactivePromise: Promise<()>
+
+        public init(channelUnregisteredPromise: Promise<()>,
+                    channelInactivePromise: Promise<()>) {
+            self.channelUnregisteredPromise = channelUnregisteredPromise
+            self.channelInactivePromise = channelInactivePromise
+        }
+
+        public func channelActive(ctx: ChannelHandlerContext) {
+            ctx.close().whenComplete { val in
+                switch val {
+                case .success(()):
+                    ()
+                default:
+                    XCTFail("bad, initial close failed")
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        public func channelInactive(ctx: ChannelHandlerContext) {
+            if alreadyClosedInChannelInactive.compareAndExchange(expected: false, desired: true) {
+                ctx.close().whenComplete { val in
+                    switch val {
+                    case .failure(ChannelError.alreadyClosed):
+                        ()
+                    case .success(()):
+                        XCTFail("unexpected success")
+                    case .failure(let e):
+                        XCTFail("unexpected error: \(e)")
+                    }
+                    self.channelInactivePromise.succeed(result: ())
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        public func channelUnregistered(ctx: ChannelHandlerContext) {
+            if alreadyClosedInChannelUnregistered.compareAndExchange(expected: false, desired: true) {
+                ctx.close().whenComplete { val in
+                    switch val {
+                    case .failure(ChannelError.alreadyClosed):
+                        ()
+                    case .success(()):
+                        XCTFail("unexpected success")
+                    case .failure(let e):
+                        XCTFail("unexpected error: \(e)")
+                    }
+                    self.channelUnregisteredPromise.succeed(result: ())
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    func testCloseInInactive() throws {
+
+        let group = try MultiThreadedEventLoopGroup(numThreads: 1)
+        defer {
+            _ = try? group.close()
+        }
+
+        let inactivePromise = group.next().newPromise() as Promise<()>
+        let unregistredPromise = group.next().newPromise() as Promise<()>
+        let handler = CloseInInActiveAndUnregisteredChannelHandler(channelUnregisteredPromise: unregistredPromise,
+                                                                   channelInactivePromise: inactivePromise)
+
+        let serverChannel = try ServerBootstrap(group: group)
+            .option(option: ChannelOptions.Socket(SocketOptionLevel(SOL_SOCKET), SO_REUSEADDR), value: 1)
+
+            // Set the handlers that are appled to the accepted Channels
+            .handler(childHandler: ChannelInitializer(initChannel: { channel in
+                // Ensure we not read faster then we can write by adding the BackPressureHandler into the pipeline.
+                return channel.pipeline.add(handler: handler)
+            })).bind(to: "127.0.0.1", on: 0).wait()
+
+        defer {
+            _ = serverChannel.close()
+        }
+
+        let clientChannel = try ClientBootstrap(group: group).connect(to: serverChannel.localAddress!).wait()
+
+        defer {
+            _ = clientChannel.close()
+        }
+
+        _ = try inactivePromise.futureResult.and(unregistredPromise.futureResult).wait()
+
+        XCTAssertTrue(handler.alreadyClosedInChannelInactive.load())
+        XCTAssertTrue(handler.alreadyClosedInChannelUnregistered.load())
+    }
 }