diff --git a/rpc/client.go b/rpc/client.go
index f9a8f1116b..af59125a1a 100644
--- a/rpc/client.go
+++ b/rpc/client.go
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ func (c *Client) newClientConn(conn ServerCodec) *clientConn {
 }
 
 func (cc *clientConn) close(err error, inflightReq *requestOp) {
-	cc.handler.close(err, inflightReq)
+	cc.handler.close(err, inflightReq, true)
 	cc.codec.close()
 }
 
diff --git a/rpc/handler.go b/rpc/handler.go
index 2b80fefe4c..cbf46b4b99 100644
--- a/rpc/handler.go
+++ b/rpc/handler.go
@@ -313,10 +313,16 @@ func (h *handler) handleNonBatchCall(cp *callProc, msg *jsonrpcMessage) {
 
 // close cancels all requests except for inflightReq and waits for
 // call goroutines to shut down.
-func (h *handler) close(err error, inflightReq *requestOp) {
+// force = true must be user only for client-side handlers.
+func (h *handler) close(err error, inflightReq *requestOp, force bool) {
 	h.cancelAllRequests(err, inflightReq)
-	h.cancelRoot()
-	h.callWG.Wait()
+	if force {
+		h.cancelRoot()
+		h.callWG.Wait()
+	} else {
+		h.callWG.Wait()
+		h.cancelRoot()
+	}
 	h.cancelServerSubscriptions(err)
 }
 
diff --git a/rpc/server.go b/rpc/server.go
index 42b59f8f6f..7ec9dd202e 100644
--- a/rpc/server.go
+++ b/rpc/server.go
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ func (s *Server) serveSingleRequest(ctx context.Context, codec ServerCodec) {
 
 	h := newHandler(ctx, codec, s.idgen, &s.services, s.batchItemLimit, s.batchResponseLimit)
 	h.allowSubscribe = false
-	defer h.close(io.EOF, nil)
+	defer h.close(io.EOF, nil, false)
 
 	reqs, batch, err := codec.readBatch()
 	if err != nil {