3 files changed, 16 insertions, 13 deletions
diff --git a/src/core/endpt.c b/src/core/endpt.c
index d8f94d9b..7784de73 100644
--- a/src/core/endpt.c
+++ b/src/core/endpt.c
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ nni_ep_connect_sync(nni_ep *ep)
 	}
 	rv = nni_ep_connect_aio(ep, &pipe->p_tran_data);
 	if (rv != 0) {
-		nni_pipe_remove(pipe);
+		nni_pipe_stop(pipe);
 		return (rv);
 	}
 	nni_pipe_start(pipe);
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ nni_ep_accept_sync(nni_ep *ep)
 	}
 	rv = nni_ep_accept_aio(ep, &pipe->p_tran_data);
 	if (rv != 0) {
-		nni_pipe_remove(pipe);
+		nni_pipe_stop(pipe);
 		return (rv);
 	}
 	nni_pipe_start(pipe);
diff --git a/src/core/pipe.c b/src/core/pipe.c
index a912e736..aceff611 100644
--- a/src/core/pipe.c
+++ b/src/core/pipe.c
@@ -110,15 +110,17 @@ nni_pipe_close(nni_pipe *p)
 	nni_mtx_unlock(&p->p_mtx);
 }
 
-// We have to stop asynchronously using a task, because otherwise we can
-// wind up having a callback from an AIO trying to cancel itself.  That
-// simply will not work.
-void
-nni_pipe_remove(nni_pipe *p)
+// Pipe reap is called on a taskq when the pipe should be closed.  No
+// locks are held.  This routine must take care to synchronously ensure
+// that no further references to the pipe are possible, then it may
+// destroy the pipe.
+static void
+nni_pipe_reap(nni_pipe *p)
 {
 	// Transport close...
 	nni_pipe_close(p);
 
+	// Unlink the endpoint and pipe.
 	nni_ep_pipe_remove(p->p_ep, p);
 
 	// Tell the protocol to stop.
@@ -139,7 +141,7 @@ nni_pipe_stop(nni_pipe *p)
 	}
 	p->p_stop = 1;
 	nni_mtx_unlock(&p->p_mtx);
-	nni_taskq_ent_init(&p->p_reap_tqe, (nni_cb) nni_pipe_remove, p);
+	nni_taskq_ent_init(&p->p_reap_tqe, (nni_cb) nni_pipe_reap, p);
 	nni_taskq_dispatch(NULL, &p->p_reap_tqe);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/pipe.h b/src/core/pipe.h
index 8fba2c52..2f56e788 100644
--- a/src/core/pipe.h
+++ b/src/core/pipe.h
@@ -50,11 +50,12 @@ extern uint32_t nni_pipe_id(nni_pipe *);
 // operations against will return NNG_ECLOSED.
 extern void nni_pipe_close(nni_pipe *);
 
-// nni_pipe_remove is called by the protocol when it is done with the socket.
-// The pipe should already be closed; it will be unregistered and it's
-// resources released back to the system.  The protocol MUST not reference
-// the pipe after this.
-extern void nni_pipe_remove(nni_pipe *);
+// nni_pipe_stop is called to begin the process of tearing down the socket.
+// This function runs asynchronously, and takes care to ensure that no
+// other consumers are referencing the pipe.  We assume that either the
+// socket (protocol code) or endpoint may have references to the pipe
+// when this function is called.  The pipe cleanup is asynchronous and
+// make take a while depending on scheduling, etc.
 extern void nni_pipe_stop(nni_pipe *);
 
 // Used only by the socket core - as we don't wish to expose the details