diff --git a/plugin/forward/persistent.go b/plugin/forward/persistent.go
index 2f488e485..decac412c 100644
--- a/plugin/forward/persistent.go
+++ b/plugin/forward/persistent.go
@@ -44,7 +44,14 @@ func newTransport(addr string, tlsConfig *tls.Config) *transport {
 		ret:    make(chan connErr),
 		stop:   make(chan bool),
 	}
-	go t.connManager()
+	go func() {
+		t.connManager()
+		// if connManager returns it has been stopped.
+		close(t.stop)
+		close(t.yield)
+		close(t.dial)
+		// close(t.ret) // we can still be dialing and wanting to send back the socket on t.ret
+	}()
 	return t
 }
 
diff --git a/plugin/forward/proxy_test.go b/plugin/forward/proxy_test.go
index 8c53f3150..e33e274c0 100644
--- a/plugin/forward/proxy_test.go
+++ b/plugin/forward/proxy_test.go
@@ -25,9 +25,7 @@ func TestProxyClose(t *testing.T) {
 	state := request.Request{W: &test.ResponseWriter{}, Req: req}
 	ctx := context.TODO()
 
-	repeatCnt := 1000
-	for repeatCnt > 0 {
-		repeatCnt--
+	for i := 0; i < 100; i++ {
 		p := NewProxy(s.Addr, nil /* no TLS */)
 		p.start(hcDuration)