diff --git a/socketserver/cmd/ffzsocketserver/console.go b/socketserver/cmd/ffzsocketserver/console.go
index 793d73d0..21da6e4c 100644
--- a/socketserver/cmd/ffzsocketserver/console.go
+++ b/socketserver/cmd/ffzsocketserver/console.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/gorilla/websocket"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
+	"strconv"
 )
 
 func commandLineConsole() {
@@ -88,6 +89,41 @@ func commandLineConsole() {
 		return "Usage: authorizeeveryone [ on | off ]", nil
 	})
 
+	shell.Register("kickclients", func(args ...string) (string, error) {
+		if len(args) == 0 {
+			return "Please enter either a count or a fraction of clients to kick.", nil
+		}
+		input, err := strconv.ParseFloat(args[0], 64)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "Argument must be a number", err
+		}
+		var count int
+		if input >= 1 {
+			count = int(input)
+		} else {
+			server.GlobalSubscriptionLock.RLock()
+			count = int(float64(len(server.GlobalSubscriptionInfo)) * input)
+			server.GlobalSubscriptionLock.RUnlock()
+		}
+
+		msg := server.ClientMessage{ Arguments: &server.CloseRebalance }
+		server.GlobalSubscriptionLock.RLock()
+		defer server.GlobalSubscriptionLock.RUnlock()
+
+		kickCount := 0
+		for i, cl := range server.GlobalSubscriptionInfo {
+			if i >= count {
+				break
+			}
+			select {
+			case cl.MessageChannel <- msg:
+			case <-cl.MsgChannelIsDone:
+			}
+			kickCount++
+		}
+		return fmt.Sprintf("Kicked %d clients", kickCount), nil
+	})
+
 	shell.Register("panic", func(args ...string) (string, error) {
 		go func() {
 			panic("requested panic")
diff --git a/socketserver/server/handlecore.go b/socketserver/server/handlecore.go
index 4200b758..46c8adfd 100644
--- a/socketserver/server/handlecore.go
+++ b/socketserver/server/handlecore.go
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ import (
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 	"unicode/utf8"
+	"os"
+	"os/signal"
+	"syscall"
 )
 
 // SuccessCommand is a Reply Command to indicate success in reply to a C2S Command.
@@ -97,6 +100,20 @@ func SetupServerAndHandle(config *ConfigFile, serveMux *http.ServeMux) {
 	go aggregateDataSender()
 
 	go ircConnection()
+	go shutdownHandler()
+}
+
+func shutdownHandler() {
+	ch := make(chan os.Signal)
+	signal.Notify(ch, syscall.SIGUSR1)
+	<-ch
+	log.Println("Shutting down...")
+
+	StopAcceptingConnections = true
+	close(StopAcceptingConnectionsCh)
+
+	time.Sleep(1*time.Second)
+	os.Exit(0)
 }
 
 // SocketUpgrader is the websocket.Upgrader currently in use.
@@ -112,6 +129,10 @@ var SocketUpgrader = websocket.Upgrader{
 // Memes go here.
 var BannerHTML []byte
 
+// StopAcceptingConnections is closed while the server is shutting down.
+var StopAcceptingConnectionsCh = make(chan struct{})
+var StopAcceptingConnections = false
+
 // HTTPHandleRootURL is the http.HandleFunc for requests on `/`.
 // It either uses the SocketUpgrader or writes out the BannerHTML.
 func HTTPHandleRootURL(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
@@ -120,6 +141,14 @@ func HTTPHandleRootURL(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		fmt.Println(404)
 		return
 	}
+
+	// racy, but should be ok?
+	if StopAcceptingConnections {
+		w.WriteHeader(503)
+		fmt.Fprint(w, "server is shutting down")
+		return
+	}
+
 	if r.Header.Get("Connection") == "Upgrade" {
 		updateSysMem()
 
@@ -165,6 +194,12 @@ var ErrExpectedStringAndInt = errors.New("Error: Expected array of string, int a
 // ErrExpectedStringAndIntGotFloat is sent in a ErrorCommand Reply when the Arguments are of the wrong type.
 var ErrExpectedStringAndIntGotFloat = errors.New("Error: Second argument was a float, expected an integer.")
 
+// CloseGoingAway is sent when the server is restarting.
+var CloseGoingAway = websocket.CloseError{Code: websocket.CloseGoingAway, Text: "server restarting"}
+
+// CloseRebalance is sent when the server has too many clients and needs to shunt some to another server.
+var CloseRebalance = websocket.CloseError{Code: websocket.CloseGoingAway, Text: "kicked for rebalancing, please select a new server"}
+
 // CloseGotBinaryMessage is the termination reason when the client sends a binary websocket frame.
 var CloseGotBinaryMessage = websocket.CloseError{Code: websocket.CloseUnsupportedData, Text: "got binary packet"}
 
@@ -232,6 +267,10 @@ func RunSocketConnection(conn *websocket.Conn) {
 		var messageType int
 		var packet []byte
 		var err error
+
+		defer close(errorChan)
+		defer close(clientChan)
+
 		for ; err == nil; messageType, packet, err = conn.ReadMessage() {
 			if messageType == websocket.BinaryMessage {
 				err = &CloseGotBinaryMessage
@@ -249,8 +288,6 @@ func RunSocketConnection(conn *websocket.Conn) {
 			select {
 			case clientChan <- msg:
 			case <-stoppedChan:
-				close(errorChan)
-				close(clientChan)
 				return
 			}
 		}
@@ -259,8 +296,6 @@ func RunSocketConnection(conn *websocket.Conn) {
 		case errorChan <- err:
 		case <-stoppedChan:
 		}
-		close(errorChan)
-		close(clientChan)
 		// exit goroutine
 	}(_errorChan, _clientChan, stoppedChan)
 
@@ -318,6 +353,10 @@ RunLoop:
 				closeReason = CloseTooManyBufferedMessages
 				break RunLoop
 			}
+			if cls, ok := msg.Arguments.(*websocket.CloseError); ok {
+				closeReason = *cls
+				break RunLoop
+			}
 			SendMessage(conn, msg)
 
 		case <-time.After(1 * time.Minute):
@@ -331,6 +370,10 @@ RunLoop:
 			} else {
 				conn.WriteControl(websocket.PingMessage, []byte(strconv.FormatInt(time.Now().Unix(), 10)), getDeadline())
 			}
+
+		case <-StopAcceptingConnectionsCh:
+			closeReason = CloseGoingAway
+			break RunLoop
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -343,6 +386,7 @@ RunLoop:
 		}
 	}()
 
+	// Closes client.MsgChannelIsDone and also stops the reader thread
 	close(stoppedChan)
 
 	// Stop getting messages...
@@ -356,8 +400,11 @@ RunLoop:
 	// Close the channel so the draining goroutine can finish, too.
 	close(_serverMessageChan)
 
-	atomic.AddUint64(&Statistics.ClientDisconnectsTotal, 1)
-	atomic.AddUint64(&Statistics.CurrentClientCount, ^uint64(0))
+	if !StopAcceptingConnections {
+		// Don't perform high contention operations when server is closing
+		atomic.AddUint64(&Statistics.ClientDisconnectsTotal, 1)
+		atomic.AddUint64(&Statistics.CurrentClientCount, ^uint64(0))
+	}
 }
 
 func getDeadline() time.Time {
diff --git a/socketserver/server/subscriptions.go b/socketserver/server/subscriptions.go
index c9e85a1c..3a139165 100644
--- a/socketserver/server/subscriptions.go
+++ b/socketserver/server/subscriptions.go
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ func UnsubscribeSingleChat(client *ClientInfo, channelName string) {
 //   - write lock to SubscriptionInfos
 //   - write lock to ClientInfo
 func UnsubscribeAll(client *ClientInfo) {
+	if StopAcceptingConnections {
+		return // no need to remove from a high-contention list when the server is closing
+	}
+
 	client.Mutex.Lock()
 	client.PendingSubscriptionsBacklog = nil
 	client.PendingSubscriptionsBacklog = nil