diff --git a/econtext/core.py b/econtext/core.py
index 82a2a34b..3506b383 100644
--- a/econtext/core.py
+++ b/econtext/core.py
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ class Side(object):
     streams implemented using unidirectional (e.g. UNIX pipe) and bidirectional
     (e.g. UNIX socket) file descriptors to operate identically.
     """
-    def __init__(self, stream, fd, keep_alive=False):
+    def __init__(self, stream, fd, keep_alive=True):
         #: The :py:class:`Stream` for which this is a read or write side.
         self.stream = stream
         #: Integer file descriptor to perform IO on.
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ class IoLogger(BasicStream):
         set_cloexec(self._rsock.fileno())
         set_cloexec(self._wsock.fileno())
 
-        self.receive_side = Side(self, self._rsock.fileno(), keep_alive=True)
+        self.receive_side = Side(self, self._rsock.fileno())
         self.transmit_side = Side(self, dest_fd)
         self._broker.start_receive(self)
 
@@ -758,13 +758,14 @@ class Router(object):
     def on_disconnect(self, stream, broker):
         """Invoked by Stream.on_disconnect()."""
         for context in self._context_by_id.itervalues():
-            if self._stream_by_id[context.context_id] is stream:
+            stream_ = self._stream_by_id.get(context.context_id)
+            if stream_ is stream:
                 del self._stream_by_id[context.context_id]
                 context.on_disconnect(broker)
 
-    def on_shutdown(self):
+    def on_shutdown(self, broker):
         for context in self._context_by_id.itervalues():
-            context.on_shutdown()
+            context.on_shutdown(broker)
 
     def add_route(self, target_id, via_id):
         LOG.debug('%r.add_route(%r, %r)', self, target_id, via_id)
@@ -816,8 +817,8 @@ class Broker(object):
     #: gracefully before force-disconnecting them during :py:meth:`shutdown`.
     shutdown_timeout = 3.0
 
-    def __init__(self, on_shutdown=[]):
-        self._on_shutdown = on_shutdown
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.on_shutdown = []
         self._alive = True
         self._queue = Queue.Queue()
         self._readers = set()
@@ -906,6 +907,9 @@ class Broker(object):
             while self._alive:
                 self._loop_once()
 
+            for func in self.on_shutdown:
+                func(self)
+
             for side in self._readers | self._writers:
                 self._call(side.stream, side.stream.on_shutdown)
 
@@ -976,6 +980,7 @@ class ExternalContext(object):
     def _setup_master(self, parent_id, context_id, key, in_fd, out_fd):
         self.broker = Broker()
         self.router = Router(self.broker)
+        self.broker.on_shutdown.append(self.router.on_shutdown)
         self.master = Context(self.router, 0, 'master')
         if parent_id == 0:
             self.parent = self.master
@@ -986,6 +991,7 @@ class ExternalContext(object):
         self.stream = Stream(self.router, parent_id, key)
         self.stream.name = 'parent'
         self.stream.accept(in_fd, out_fd)
+        self.stream.receive_side.keep_alive = False
 
         os.close(in_fd)
         try: