diff --git a/lib/mqtt/client.rb b/lib/mqtt/client.rb
index def2619..ae971b6 100644
--- a/lib/mqtt/client.rb
+++ b/lib/mqtt/client.rb
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ def initialize(*args)
       @read_queue = Queue.new
       @pubacks = {}
       @read_thread = nil
-      @write_semaphore = Mutex.new
+      @socket_semaphore = Mutex.new
       @pubacks_semaphore = Mutex.new
     end
 
@@ -227,7 +227,9 @@ def connect(clientid = nil)
 
       raise 'No MQTT server host set when attempting to connect' if @host.nil?
 
-      unless connected?
+      @socket_semaphore.synchronize do
+        break if socket_alive?
+
         # Create network socket
         tcp_socket = TCPSocket.new(@host, @port)
 
@@ -261,7 +263,7 @@ def connect(clientid = nil)
         )
 
         # Send packet
-        send_packet(packet)
+        send_packet(packet, false)
 
         # Receive response
         receive_connack
@@ -290,21 +292,16 @@ def disconnect(send_msg = true)
       @read_thread.kill if @read_thread && @read_thread.alive?
       @read_thread = nil
 
-      return unless connected?
-
-      # Close the socket if it is open
-      if send_msg
-        packet = MQTT::Packet::Disconnect.new
-        send_packet(packet)
+      @socket_semaphore.synchronize do
+        close_socket(send_msg)
       end
-      @socket.close unless @socket.nil?
-      handle_close
-      @socket = nil
     end
 
     # Checks whether the client is connected to the server.
     def connected?
-      !@socket.nil? && !@socket.closed?
+      @socket_semaphore.synchronize do
+        socket_alive?
+      end
     end
 
     # Publish a message on a particular topic to the MQTT server.
@@ -454,24 +451,28 @@ def unsubscribe(*topics)
 
     private
 
+    def socket_alive?
+      !@socket.nil? && !@socket.closed?
+    end
+
     # Try to read a packet from the server
     # Also sends keep-alive ping packets.
     def receive_packet
       # Poll socket - is there data waiting?
       result = IO.select([@socket], [], [], SELECT_TIMEOUT)
       handle_timeouts
-      unless result.nil?
-        # Yes - read in the packet
-        packet = MQTT::Packet.read(@socket)
-        handle_packet packet
+      @socket_semaphore.synchronize do
+        unless result.nil?
+          # Yes - read in the packet
+          packet = MQTT::Packet.read(@socket)
+          handle_packet packet
+        end
+        keep_alive!
       end
-      keep_alive!
     # Pass exceptions up to parent thread
     rescue Exception => exp
-      unless @socket.nil?
-        @socket.close
-        @socket = nil
-        handle_close
+      @socket_semaphore.synchronize do
+        close_socket(false)
       end
       Thread.current[:parent].raise(exp)
     end
@@ -509,6 +510,19 @@ def handle_close
       end
     end
 
+    def close_socket(send_msg = true)
+      return unless socket_alive?
+
+      # Close the socket if it is open
+      if send_msg
+        packet = MQTT::Packet::Disconnect.new
+        send_packet(packet, false)
+      end
+      @socket.close unless @socket.nil?
+      handle_close
+      @socket = nil
+    end
+
     if Process.const_defined? :CLOCK_MONOTONIC
       def current_time
         Process.clock_gettime(Process::CLOCK_MONOTONIC)
@@ -521,12 +535,12 @@ def current_time
     end
 
     def keep_alive!
-      return unless @keep_alive > 0 && connected?
+      return unless @keep_alive > 0 && socket_alive?
 
       response_timeout = (@keep_alive * 1.5).ceil
       if current_time >= @last_ping_request + @keep_alive
         packet = MQTT::Packet::Pingreq.new
-        send_packet(packet)
+        send_packet(packet, false)
         @last_ping_request = current_time
       elsif current_time > @last_ping_response + response_timeout
         raise MQTT::ProtocolException, "No Ping Response received for #{response_timeout} seconds"
@@ -556,12 +570,15 @@ def receive_connack
     end
 
     # Send a packet to server
-    def send_packet(data)
-      # Raise exception if we aren't connected
-      raise MQTT::NotConnectedException unless connected?
-
+    def send_packet(data, with_lock = true)
       # Only allow one thread to write to socket at a time
-      @write_semaphore.synchronize do
+      if with_lock
+        @socket_semaphore.synchronize do
+          raise MQTT::NotConnectedException unless socket_alive?
+          @socket.write(data.to_s)
+        end
+      else
+        raise MQTT::NotConnectedException unless socket_alive?
         @socket.write(data.to_s)
       end
     end
diff --git a/spec/mqtt_client_spec.rb b/spec/mqtt_client_spec.rb
index 5ae92ab..5611ca2 100644
--- a/spec/mqtt_client_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/mqtt_client_spec.rb
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ def now
     end
 
     it "should not create a new TCP Socket if connected" do
-      allow(client).to receive(:connected?).and_return(true)
+      allow(client).to receive(:socket_alive?).and_return(true)
       expect(TCPSocket).to receive(:new).never
       client.connect('myclient')
     end
@@ -558,19 +558,19 @@ def now
     end
 
     it "should not do anything if the socket is already disconnected" do
-      allow(client).to receive(:connected?).and_return(false)
+      allow(client).to receive(:socket_alive?).and_return(false)
       client.disconnect(true)
       expect(socket.string).to eq("")
     end
 
     it "should write a valid DISCONNECT packet to the socket if connected and the send_msg=true an" do
-      allow(client).to receive(:connected?).and_return(true)
+      allow(client).to receive(:socket_alive?).and_return(true)
       client.disconnect(true)
       expect(socket.string).to eq("\xE0\x00")
     end
 
     it "should not write anything to the socket if the send_msg=false" do
-      allow(client).to receive(:connected?).and_return(true)
+      allow(client).to receive(:socket_alive?).and_return(true)
       client.disconnect(false)
       expect(socket.string).to be_empty
     end