diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b0ff919..c6dad6d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ void dispatch(Callable callable);
 // Sends a TEXT type message (gets put into a buffer for poll() to send
 // later):
 void send(std::string message);
+
+// Close the WebSocket (N.B. - this is an abrupt/rude message at the moment, as
+// it simply closes the socket without sending an official CLOSE message.)
+void close();
 ```
 
 Put together, the usage looks like this:
diff --git a/easywsclient.cpp b/easywsclient.cpp
index f9e010e..d9d36ed 100644
--- a/easywsclient.cpp
+++ b/easywsclient.cpp
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ struct _DummyWebSocket : public WebSocket
 {
     void poll() { }
     void send(std::string message) { }
-    void _dispatch(Callback & callable) { }
+    void close() { } void _dispatch(Callback & callable) { }
 };
 
 
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ struct _RealWebSocket : public WebSocket
             else if (ret == 0) {
                 rxbuf.resize(N);
                 closed = true;
-                close(sockfd);
+                ::close(sockfd);
                 break;
             }
             else {
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ struct _RealWebSocket : public WebSocket
     // Should work with C functions, C++ functors, and C++11 std::function and
     // lambda:
     //template<class Callable>
-    //void dispatch(Callable callable) {
+    //void dispatch(Callable callable)
     virtual void _dispatch(WebSocket::Callback & callable) {
         // TODO: consider acquiring a lock on rxbuf...
         while (true) {
@@ -207,8 +207,8 @@ struct _RealWebSocket : public WebSocket
             }
             else if (ws.opcode == wsheader_type::PING) { }
             else if (ws.opcode == wsheader_type::PONG) { }
-            else if (ws.opcode == wsheader_type::CLOSE) { closed = true; close(sockfd); }
-            else { fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: Got unexpected WebSocket message.\n"); closed = true; close(sockfd); }
+            else if (ws.opcode == wsheader_type::CLOSE) { closed = true; ::close(sockfd); }
+            else { fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: Got unexpected WebSocket message.\n"); closed = true; ::close(sockfd); }
 
             rxbuf.erase(rxbuf.begin(), rxbuf.begin() + ws.header_size+ws.N);
         }
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ struct _RealWebSocket : public WebSocket
 
     void send(std::string message) {
         // TODO: consider acquiring a lock on txbuf...
+        if (closed) { return; }
         std::vector<uint8_t> header;
         header.assign(2 + (message.size() >= 126 ? 2 : 0) + (message.size() >= 65536 ? 6 : 0), 0);
         header[0] = 0x80 | wsheader_type::TEXT_FRAME;
@@ -243,6 +244,11 @@ struct _RealWebSocket : public WebSocket
         txbuf.insert(txbuf.end(), message.begin(), message.end());
     }
 
+    void close() {
+        closed = true;
+        ::close(sockfd);
+    }
+
 };
 
 
diff --git a/easywsclient.hpp b/easywsclient.hpp
index a94bd1d..f62ca28 100644
--- a/easywsclient.hpp
+++ b/easywsclient.hpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ struct WebSocket {
     virtual ~WebSocket() { }
     virtual void poll() = 0;
     virtual void send(std::string message) = 0;
+    virtual void close() = 0;
     template<class Callable>
     void dispatch(Callable callable) { // N.B. this is compatible with both C++11 lambdas, functors and C function pointers
         struct _Callback : public Callback {