diff --git a/core/src/nats.ts b/core/src/nats.ts
index d6b6c075..2e54f291 100644
--- a/core/src/nats.ts
+++ b/core/src/nats.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ import { RequestMany, RequestOne } from "./request.ts";
 import type {
   ConnectionOptions,
   Context,
-  Dispatcher,
   Msg,
   NatsConnection,
   Payload,
@@ -49,12 +48,10 @@ export class NatsConnectionImpl implements NatsConnection {
   options: ConnectionOptions;
   protocol!: ProtocolHandler;
   draining: boolean;
-  listeners: Dispatcher<Status>[];
 
   private constructor(opts: ConnectionOptions) {
     this.draining = false;
     this.options = parseOptions(opts);
-    this.listeners = [];
   }
 
   public static connect(opts: ConnectionOptions = {}): Promise<NatsConnection> {
@@ -63,13 +60,6 @@ export class NatsConnectionImpl implements NatsConnection {
       ProtocolHandler.connect(nc.options, nc)
         .then((ph: ProtocolHandler) => {
           nc.protocol = ph;
-          (async function () {
-            for await (const s of ph.status()) {
-              nc.listeners.forEach((l) => {
-                l.push(s);
-              });
-            }
-          })();
           resolve(nc);
         })
         .catch((err: Error) => {
@@ -482,10 +472,12 @@ export class NatsConnectionImpl implements NatsConnection {
   status(): AsyncIterable<Status> {
     const iter = new QueuedIteratorImpl<Status>();
     iter.iterClosed.then(() => {
-      const idx = this.listeners.indexOf(iter);
-      this.listeners.splice(idx, 1);
+      const idx = this.protocol.listeners.indexOf(iter);
+      if (idx > -1) {
+        this.protocol.listeners.splice(idx, 1);
+      }
     });
-    this.listeners.push(iter);
+    this.protocol.listeners.push(iter);
     return iter;
   }
 
diff --git a/core/src/protocol.ts b/core/src/protocol.ts
index 78965cc3..9553cc30 100644
--- a/core/src/protocol.ts
+++ b/core/src/protocol.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 import { decode, Empty, encode, TE } from "./encoders.ts";
 import type { Transport } from "./transport.ts";
 import { CR_LF, CRLF, getResolveFn, newTransport } from "./transport.ts";
-import type { Deferred, Timeout } from "./util.ts";
+import type { Deferred, Delay, Timeout } from "./util.ts";
 import { deferred, delay, extend, timeout } from "./util.ts";
 import { DataBuffer } from "./databuffer.ts";
 import type { ServerImpl } from "./servers.ts";
@@ -397,6 +397,7 @@ export class ProtocolHandler implements Dispatcher<ParserEvent> {
   server!: ServerImpl;
   features: Features;
   connectPromise: Promise<void> | null;
+  dialDelay: Delay | null;
   raceTimer?: Timeout<void>;
 
   constructor(options: ConnectionOptions, publisher: Publisher) {
@@ -423,6 +424,7 @@ export class ProtocolHandler implements Dispatcher<ParserEvent> {
     this.pendingLimit = options.pendingLimit || this.pendingLimit;
     this.features = new Features({ major: 0, minor: 0, micro: 0 });
     this.connectPromise = null;
+    this.dialDelay = null;
 
     const servers = typeof options.servers === "string"
       ? [options.servers]
@@ -462,12 +464,6 @@ export class ProtocolHandler implements Dispatcher<ParserEvent> {
     });
   }
 
-  status(): AsyncIterable<Status> {
-    const iter = new QueuedIteratorImpl<Status>();
-    this.listeners.push(iter);
-    return iter;
-  }
-
   private prepare(): Deferred<void> {
     if (this.transport) {
       this.transport.discard();
@@ -541,10 +537,10 @@ export class ProtocolHandler implements Dispatcher<ParserEvent> {
           }
         })
         .catch((err) => {
-          this._close(err);
+          this.close(err).catch();
         });
     } else {
-      await this._close(err);
+      await this.close(err).catch();
     }
   }
 
@@ -671,7 +667,8 @@ export class ProtocolHandler implements Dispatcher<ParserEvent> {
         }
       } else {
         maxWait = Math.min(maxWait, srv.lastConnect + wait - now);
-        await delay(maxWait);
+        this.dialDelay = delay(maxWait);
+        await this.dialDelay;
       }
     }
   }
@@ -819,7 +816,7 @@ export class ProtocolHandler implements Dispatcher<ParserEvent> {
         this.transport.send(PING_CMD);
       } catch (err) {
         // if we are dying here, this is likely some an authenticator blowing up
-        this._close(err as Error);
+        this.close(err as Error).catch();
       }
     }
     if (updates) {
@@ -1025,7 +1022,7 @@ export class ProtocolHandler implements Dispatcher<ParserEvent> {
     }
   }
 
-  private async _close(err?: Error): Promise<void> {
+  async close(err?: Error): Promise<void> {
     if (this._closed) {
       return;
     }
@@ -1037,19 +1034,24 @@ export class ProtocolHandler implements Dispatcher<ParserEvent> {
     }
     this.muxSubscriptions.close();
     this.subscriptions.close();
-    this.listeners.forEach((l) => {
-      l.stop();
-    });
+    const proms = [];
+    for (let i = 0; i < this.listeners.length; i++) {
+      const qi = this.listeners[i];
+      if (qi) {
+        qi.stop();
+        proms.push(qi.iterClosed);
+      }
+    }
+    if (proms.length) {
+      await Promise.all(proms);
+    }
     this._closed = true;
     await this.transport.close(err);
     this.raceTimer?.cancel();
+    this.dialDelay?.cancel();
     this.closed.resolve(err);
   }
 
-  close(): Promise<void> {
-    return this._close();
-  }
-
   isClosed(): boolean {
     return this._closed;
   }
diff --git a/core/tests/events_test.ts b/core/tests/events_test.ts
index 935188e2..273fec65 100644
--- a/core/tests/events_test.ts
+++ b/core/tests/events_test.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ import { assertEquals } from "jsr:@std/assert";
 import { delay } from "../src/internal_mod.ts";
 import type { NatsConnectionImpl } from "../src/internal_mod.ts";
 import { setup } from "test_helpers";
+import { cleanup } from "../../test_helpers/mod.ts";
+import { deferred } from "https://deno.land/x/nats@v1.10.2/nats-base-client/mod.ts";
 
 Deno.test("events - close on close", async () => {
   const { ns, nc } = await setup();
@@ -148,3 +150,24 @@ Deno.test("events - ignore server updates", async () => {
   await nc.close();
   await NatsServer.stopAll(cluster, true);
 });
+
+Deno.test("events - clean up", async () => {
+  const { ns, nc } = await setup();
+  const finished = deferred();
+
+  const done = (async () => {
+    for await (const _ of nc.status()) {
+      // nothing
+    }
+    // let's make sure the iter broke...
+    finished.resolve();
+  })();
+  await nc.reconnect();
+  await nc.close();
+
+  await finished;
+  await done;
+  await nc.closed();
+
+  await cleanup(ns, nc);
+});
diff --git a/jetstream/tests/fetch_test.ts b/jetstream/tests/fetch_test.ts
index 0608c2e4..c7d65ad4 100644
--- a/jetstream/tests/fetch_test.ts
+++ b/jetstream/tests/fetch_test.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import {
   jetstream,
   jetstreamManager,
 } from "../src/mod.ts";
-import type { PullConsumerMessagesImpl } from "../src/consumer.ts";
 
 Deno.test("fetch - no messages", async () => {
   const { ns, nc } = await setup(jetstreamServerConf());
@@ -219,37 +218,23 @@ Deno.test("fetch - listener leaks", async () => {
   await jsm.streams.add({ name: "messages", subjects: ["hello"] });
 
   const js = jetstream(nc);
-  await js.publish("hello");
 
   await jsm.consumers.add("messages", {
     durable_name: "myconsumer",
     deliver_policy: DeliverPolicy.All,
     ack_policy: AckPolicy.Explicit,
-    ack_wait: nanos(3000),
-    max_waiting: 500,
   });
 
   const nci = nc as NatsConnectionImpl;
   const base = nci.protocol.listeners.length;
 
   const consumer = await js.consumers.get("messages", "myconsumer");
-
-  let done = false;
-  while (!done) {
-    const iter = await consumer.fetch({
-      max_messages: 1,
-    }) as PullConsumerMessagesImpl;
-    for await (const m of iter) {
-      assertEquals(nci.protocol.listeners.length, base);
-      m?.nak();
-      if (m.info.redeliveryCount > 100) {
-        done = true;
-      }
-    }
+  const iter = await consumer.fetch({ max_messages: 1, expires: 2000 });
+  for await (const _ of iter) {
+    // nothing
   }
 
   assertEquals(nci.protocol.listeners.length, base);
-
   await cleanup(ns, nc);
 });