diff --git a/src/lib/empthread/io.c b/src/lib/empthread/io.c
index ef285a74..47a2b109 100644
--- a/src/lib/empthread/io.c
+++ b/src/lib/empthread/io.c
@@ -108,7 +108,16 @@ io_open(int fd, int flags, int bufsize, struct timeval timeout)
 void
 io_close(struct iop *iop)
 {
+    char buf[IO_BUFSIZE];
+    int ret;
 
+    while (io_output(iop, 1) > 0) ;
+    shutdown(iop->fd, SHUT_WR);
+    while (empth_select(iop->fd, EMPTH_FD_READ, &iop->input_timeout) > 0) {
+	ret = read(iop->fd, buf, sizeof(buf));
+	if (ret <= 0)
+	    break;
+    }
     if (iop->input)
 	ioq_destroy(iop->input);
     if (iop->output)
@@ -201,15 +210,15 @@ io_output(struct iop *iop, int wait)
     if (wait)
 	ef_make_stale();
 
-    if (!ioq_qsize(iop->output))
-	return 0;
-
     if ((iop->flags & IO_WRITE) == 0)
 	return -1;
 
     if (iop->flags & IO_ERROR)
 	return -1;
 
+    if (!ioq_qsize(iop->output))
+	return 0;
+
     if (wait) {
 	res = empth_select(iop->fd, EMPTH_FD_WRITE, NULL);
 	if (res == 0)
diff --git a/src/lib/player/accept.c b/src/lib/player/accept.c
index 70133ff8..87eb9124 100644
--- a/src/lib/player/accept.c
+++ b/src/lib/player/accept.c
@@ -100,14 +100,14 @@ player_delete(struct player *lp)
 {
     struct player *back;
 
-    back = (struct player *)lp->queue.q_back;
-    if (back)
-	emp_remque(&lp->queue);
     if (lp->iop) {
 	/* it's a real player */
 	io_close(lp->iop);
 	lp->iop = NULL;
     }
+    back = (struct player *)lp->queue.q_back;
+    if (back)
+	emp_remque(&lp->queue);
     free(lp);
     /* XXX may need to free bigmap here */
     return back;
diff --git a/src/lib/player/login.c b/src/lib/player/login.c
index fc002149..1f5400c9 100644
--- a/src/lib/player/login.c
+++ b/src/lib/player/login.c
@@ -122,7 +122,6 @@ player_login(void *ud)
     }
     player->state = PS_SHUTDOWN;
     pr_id(player, C_EXIT, "so long...\n");
-    while (io_output(player->iop, 1) > 0) ;
     player_delete(player);
     empth_exit();
     /*NOTREACHED*/
diff --git a/src/server/main.c b/src/server/main.c
index becfeb34..da02ccdf 100644
--- a/src/server/main.c
+++ b/src/server/main.c
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ shutdwn(int sig)
 {
     struct player *p;
     time_t now;
-    int i, queues_drained;
+    int i;
 
     logerror("Shutdown commencing (cleaning up threads.)");
 
@@ -431,22 +431,13 @@ shutdwn(int sig)
 
     now = time(NULL);
     empth_yield();
-    for (i = 1; i <= 3; i++) {
-	queues_drained = 1;
-	for (p = player_next(NULL); p; p = player_next(p)) {
-	    if (io_outputwaiting(p->iop))
-		queues_drained = 0;
-	}
-	if (queues_drained)
-	    break;
-	logerror("Waiting for player output to drain\n");
+    for (i = 1; i <= 3 && player_next(NULL); i++) {
+	logerror("Waiting for player threads to terminate\n");
 	empth_sleep(now + i);
     }
 
-    for (p = player_next(NULL); p; p = player_next(p)) {
-	if (io_outputwaiting(p->iop))
-	    logerror("Output for player %d lost", p->cnum);
-    }
+    for (p = player_next(NULL); p; p = player_next(p))
+	logerror("Player %d lingers, output might be lost", p->cnum);
 
     if (sig)
 	logerror("Server shutting down on signal %d", sig);