diff --git a/source/glest_game/network/client_interface.cpp b/source/glest_game/network/client_interface.cpp
index aecc1d596..2feb314b4 100644
--- a/source/glest_game/network/client_interface.cpp
+++ b/source/glest_game/network/client_interface.cpp
@@ -1887,7 +1887,7 @@ NetworkMessageType ClientInterface::waitForMessage(int waitMicroseconds)
 
 		msg = getNextMessageType(waitMicroseconds);
 		if(msg == nmtInvalid) {
-			if(chrono.getMillis() % 250 == 0 && isConnected() == false) {
+			if(getSocket() == NULL || (chrono.getMillis() % 250 == 0 && isConnected() == false)) {
 				if(getQuit() == false) {
 					//throw megaglest_runtime_error("Disconnected");
 					//sendTextMessage("Server has Disconnected.",-1);
diff --git a/source/glest_game/network/network_interface.cpp b/source/glest_game/network/network_interface.cpp
index 6f89e9e13..477788087 100644
--- a/source/glest_game/network/network_interface.cpp
+++ b/source/glest_game/network/network_interface.cpp
@@ -184,6 +184,9 @@ NetworkMessageType NetworkInterface::getNextMessageType(int waitMilliseconds) {
 		//	if(SystemFlags::getSystemSettingType(SystemFlags::debugNetwork).enabled) SystemFlags::OutputDebug(SystemFlags::debugNetwork,"In [%s::%s Line: %d] PEEK WARNING, socket->getDataToRead() messageType = %d [size = %d], dataSize = %d\n",extractFileFromDirectoryPath(__FILE__).c_str(),__FUNCTION__,__LINE__,messageType,sizeof(messageType),dataSize);
 		//}
 
+		if (socket->isSocketValid() == false) {
+			return nmtInvalid;
+		}
         //sanity check new message type
         if(messageType < 0 || messageType >= nmtCount) {
         	if(getConnectHasHandshaked() == true) {
diff --git a/source/glest_game/network/network_message.cpp b/source/glest_game/network/network_message.cpp
index cc5f7c15f..254b46b63 100644
--- a/source/glest_game/network/network_message.cpp
+++ b/source/glest_game/network/network_message.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ bool NetworkMessage::receive(Socket* socket, void* data, int dataSize, bool tryR
 			if(SystemFlags::getSystemSettingType(SystemFlags::debugNetwork).enabled) SystemFlags::OutputDebug(SystemFlags::debugNetwork,"In [%s::%s Line: %d] WARNING, dataReceived = %d dataSize = %d\n",extractFileFromDirectoryPath(__FILE__).c_str(),__FUNCTION__,__LINE__,dataReceived,dataSize);
 			if(SystemFlags::VERBOSE_MODE_ENABLED) printf("\nIn [%s::%s Line: %d] WARNING, dataReceived = %d dataSize = %d\n",extractFileFromDirectoryPath(__FILE__).c_str(),__FUNCTION__,__LINE__,dataReceived,dataSize);
 
-			if(socket != NULL && socket->getSocketId() > 0) {
+			if(socket != NULL && socket->isSocketValid() == true) {
 				throw megaglest_runtime_error("Error receiving NetworkMessage, dataReceived = " + intToStr(dataReceived) + ", dataSize = " + intToStr(dataSize));
 			}
 			else {
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ void NetworkMessage::send(Socket* socket, const void* data, int dataSize) {
 		dump_packet("\nOUTGOING PACKET:\n",data, dataSize, true);
 		int sendResult = socket->send(data, dataSize);
 		if(sendResult != dataSize) {
-			if(socket != NULL && socket->getSocketId() > 0) {
+			if(socket != NULL && socket->isSocketValid() == true) {
 				char szBuf[8096]="";
 				snprintf(szBuf,8096,"Error sending NetworkMessage, sendResult = %d, dataSize = %d",sendResult,dataSize);
 				throw megaglest_runtime_error(szBuf);
diff --git a/source/shared_lib/sources/platform/posix/socket.cpp b/source/shared_lib/sources/platform/posix/socket.cpp
index 35344558f..0ae9889bc 100644
--- a/source/shared_lib/sources/platform/posix/socket.cpp
+++ b/source/shared_lib/sources/platform/posix/socket.cpp
@@ -1819,6 +1819,7 @@ bool Socket::isConnected() {
 			if(SystemFlags::VERBOSE_MODE_ENABLED) SystemFlags::OutputDebug(SystemFlags::debugError,"SOCKET DISCONNECTED In [%s::%s Line: %d] ERROR Peek failed, err = %d for socket: %d, error = %s, lastSocketError = %d\n",__FILE__,__FUNCTION__,__LINE__,err,sock,getLastSocketErrorFormattedText().c_str(),lastSocketError);
 			return false;
 		}
+		if (isSocketValid() == false) return false;
 	}
 
 	//otherwise the socket is connected