diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 2f41b52..7b595eb 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ except:
 
 setuptools.setup(
         name='warcprox',
-        version='2.4b3.dev185',
+        version='2.4b3.dev186',
         description='WARC writing MITM HTTP/S proxy',
         url='https://github.com/internetarchive/warcprox',
         author='Noah Levitt',
diff --git a/warcprox/controller.py b/warcprox/controller.py
index 9d20e71..9ec369d 100644
--- a/warcprox/controller.py
+++ b/warcprox/controller.py
@@ -321,15 +321,24 @@ class WarcproxController(object):
                 processor.start()
 
     def shutdown(self):
+        '''
+        Shut down, aborting active connections, but allowing completed fetches
+        to finish processing.
+
+        1. stop accepting new connections
+        2. shut down active connections to remote servers (resulting in sending
+           http 502 to the proxy clients)
+        3. shut down the postfetch processors one by one, in order, letting
+           them finish process their queues
+        '''
         with self._start_stop_lock:
             if not self.proxy_thread or not self.proxy_thread.is_alive():
                 self.logger.info('warcprox is not running')
                 return
 
-            for processor in self._postfetch_chain:
-                processor.stop.set()
             self.proxy.shutdown()
             self.proxy.server_close()
+            self.proxy_thread.join()
 
             if self.playback_proxy is not None:
                 self.playback_proxy.shutdown()
@@ -338,9 +347,9 @@ class WarcproxController(object):
                     self.playback_proxy.playback_index_db.close()
 
             for processor in self._postfetch_chain:
+                processor.stop.set()
                 processor.join()
 
-            self.proxy_thread.join()
             if self.playback_proxy is not None:
                 self.playback_proxy_thread.join()
 
diff --git a/warcprox/mitmproxy.py b/warcprox/mitmproxy.py
index 4153e54..13492e0 100644
--- a/warcprox/mitmproxy.py
+++ b/warcprox/mitmproxy.py
@@ -382,6 +382,8 @@ class MitmProxyHandler(http_server.BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
             return
 
         try:
+            self.server.register_remote_server_sock(
+                    self._remote_server_conn.sock)
             return self._proxy_request()
         except Exception as e:
             self.logger.error(
@@ -389,6 +391,9 @@ class MitmProxyHandler(http_server.BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
                     self.requestline, e, exc_info=True)
             self.send_error(502, str(e))
             return
+        finally:
+            self.server.unregister_remote_server_sock(
+                    self._remote_server_conn.sock)
 
     def send_error(self, code, message=None, explain=None):
         # BaseHTTPRequestHandler.send_response_only() in http/server.py
@@ -556,6 +561,18 @@ class PooledMixIn(socketserver.ThreadingMixIn):
         return res
 
 class MitmProxy(http_server.HTTPServer):
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        self.remote_server_socks = set()
+        self.remote_server_socks_lock = threading.Lock()
+
+    def register_remote_server_sock(self, sock):
+        with self.remote_server_socks_lock:
+            self.remote_server_socks.add(sock)
+
+    def unregister_remote_server_sock(self, sock):
+        with self.remote_server_socks_lock:
+            self.remote_server_socks.discard(sock)
+
     def finish_request(self, request, client_address):
         '''
         We override socketserver.BaseServer.finish_request to get at
@@ -593,6 +610,7 @@ class PooledMitmProxy(PooledMixIn, MitmProxy):
 
     def __init__(self, options=warcprox.Options()):
         PooledMixIn.__init__(self, options.max_threads)
+        MitmProxy.__init__(self)
         self.profilers = collections.defaultdict(cProfile.Profile)
 
         if options.profile:
@@ -622,3 +640,10 @@ class PooledMitmProxy(PooledMixIn, MitmProxy):
             self.handle_error(request, client_address)
             self.shutdown_request(request)
 
+    def server_close(self):
+        '''
+        Abort active connections to remote servers to achieve prompt shutdown.
+        '''
+        for sock in self.remote_server_socks:
+            self.shutdown_request(sock)
+
diff --git a/warcprox/warcproxy.py b/warcprox/warcproxy.py
index 4ee194c..e2649f0 100644
--- a/warcprox/warcproxy.py
+++ b/warcprox/warcproxy.py
@@ -525,6 +525,7 @@ class WarcProxy(SingleThreadedWarcProxy, warcprox.mitmproxy.PooledMitmProxy):
     def server_close(self):
         self.logger.notice('shutting down')
         http_server.HTTPServer.server_close(self)
+        warcprox.mitmproxy.PooledMitmProxy.server_close(self)
         self.remote_connection_pool.clear()
 
     def handle_error(self, request, client_address):