diff --git a/cmd/lotus/rpc.go b/cmd/lotus/rpc.go
index 598be1f7d..d3c1d8295 100644
--- a/cmd/lotus/rpc.go
+++ b/cmd/lotus/rpc.go
@@ -33,12 +33,12 @@ func serveRPC(a api.FullNode, stop node.StopFunc, addr string) error {
 	sigChan := make(chan os.Signal, 2)
 	go func() {
 		<-sigChan
-		if err := stop(context.TODO()); err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("graceful shutting down failed: %s", err)
-		}
 		if err := srv.Shutdown(context.TODO()); err != nil {
 			log.Errorf("shutting down RPC server failed: %s", err)
 		}
+		if err := stop(context.TODO()); err != nil {
+			log.Errorf("graceful shutting down failed: %s", err)
+		}
 	}()
 	signal.Notify(sigChan, syscall.SIGTERM, syscall.SIGINT)
 
diff --git a/lib/jsonrpc/client.go b/lib/jsonrpc/client.go
index 7218d087e..360e36aef 100644
--- a/lib/jsonrpc/client.go
+++ b/lib/jsonrpc/client.go
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ type client struct {
 	namespace string
 
 	requests chan clientRequest
+	exiting  <-chan struct{}
 	idCtr    int64
 }
 
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ func NewMergeClient(addr string, namespace string, outs []interface{}, requestHe
 	stop := make(chan struct{})
 	exiting := make(chan struct{})
 	c.requests = make(chan clientRequest)
+	c.exiting = exiting
 
 	handlers := map[string]rpcHandler{}
 	go (&wsConn{
@@ -189,14 +191,20 @@ func (c *client) makeOutChan(ctx context.Context, ftyp reflect.Type, valOut int)
 	return func() reflect.Value { return retVal }, chCtor
 }
 
-func (c *client) sendRequest(ctx context.Context, req request, chCtor makeChanSink) clientResponse {
+func (c *client) sendRequest(ctx context.Context, req request, chCtor makeChanSink) (clientResponse, error) {
 	rchan := make(chan clientResponse, 1)
-	c.requests <- clientRequest{
+	creq := clientRequest{
 		req:   req,
 		ready: rchan,
 
 		retCh: chCtor,
 	}
+	select {
+	case c.requests <- creq:
+	case <-c.exiting:
+		return clientResponse{}, fmt.Errorf("websocket routine exiting")
+	}
+
 	var ctxDone <-chan struct{}
 	var resp clientResponse
 
@@ -213,18 +221,22 @@ loop:
 		case <-ctxDone: // send cancel request
 			ctxDone = nil
 
-			c.requests <- clientRequest{
-
+			cancelReq := clientRequest{
 				req: request{
 					Jsonrpc: "2.0",
 					Method:  wsCancel,
 					Params:  []param{{v: reflect.ValueOf(*req.ID)}},
 				},
 			}
+			select {
+			case c.requests <- cancelReq:
+			case <-c.exiting:
+				log.Warn("failed to send request cancellation, websocket routing exited")
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	return resp
+	return resp, nil
 }
 
 type rpcFunc struct {
@@ -314,7 +326,10 @@ func (fn *rpcFunc) handleRpcCall(args []reflect.Value) (results []reflect.Value)
 		}
 	}
 
-	resp := fn.client.sendRequest(ctx, req, chCtor)
+	resp, err := fn.client.sendRequest(ctx, req, chCtor)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fn.processError(fmt.Errorf("sendRequest failed: %w", err))
+	}
 
 	if resp.ID != *req.ID {
 		return fn.processError(xerrors.New("request and response id didn't match"))