diff --git a/lib/net.js b/lib/net.js
index 6373b40f520..c5a779a34e5 100644
--- a/lib/net.js
+++ b/lib/net.js
@@ -145,17 +145,18 @@ function setImplmentationMethods (self) {
 };
 
 
-function onReadable (readable, writeable) {
+function onReadable (readable, writable) {
   assert(this.socket);
   var socket = this.socket;
   socket._onReadable();
 }
 
 
-function onWritable (readable, writeable) {
+function onWritable (readable, writable) {
   assert(this.socket);
   var socket = this.socket;
   if (socket._connecting) {
+    assert(socket.writable);
     socket._onConnect();
   } else {
     socket._onWritable();
@@ -472,6 +473,7 @@ Stream.prototype._onConnect = function () {
     // connection established
     this._connecting = false;
     this.resume();
+    assert(this.writable);
     this.readable = this.writable = true;
     try {
       this.emit('connect');
@@ -690,9 +692,10 @@ Stream.prototype._shutdown = function () {
   if (!this.writable) {
     throw new Error('The connection is not writable');
   } else {
+    // readable and writable
+    this.writable = false;
+
     if (this.readable) {
-      // readable and writable
-      this.writable = false;
 
       try {
         this._shutdownImpl();
diff --git a/lib/securepair.js b/lib/securepair.js
index b57046579d0..93110c0adfc 100644
--- a/lib/securepair.js
+++ b/lib/securepair.js
@@ -66,11 +66,15 @@ function SecurePair(credentials, isServer) {
   /* Acts as a r/w stream to the cleartext side of the stream. */
   this.cleartext = new stream.Stream();
   this.cleartext.readable = true;
+  this.cleartext.writable = true;
+
   /* Acts as a r/w stream to the encrypted side of the stream. */
   this.encrypted = new stream.Stream();
   this.encrypted.readable = true;
+  this.encrypted.writable = true;
 
   this.cleartext.write = function (data) {
+    if (typeof data == 'string') data = Buffer(data);
     debug('clearIn data');
     self._clearInPending.push(data);
     self._cycle();
@@ -104,6 +108,7 @@ function SecurePair(credentials, isServer) {
   };
 
   this.encrypted.pause = function () {
+    if (typeof data == 'string') data = Buffer(data);
     debug('pause encrypted');
     self._encryptedWriteState = false;
   };
diff --git a/lib/stream.js b/lib/stream.js
index dfe5380adfb..6f987cbe624 100644
--- a/lib/stream.js
+++ b/lib/stream.js
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ Stream.prototype.pipe = function (dest, options) {
   var source = this;
 
   function ondata (chunk) {
-    if (false === dest.write(chunk)) source.pause();
+    if (dest.writable) {
+      if (false === dest.write(chunk)) source.pause();
+    }
   }
 
   source.on("data", ondata);
@@ -36,9 +38,9 @@ Stream.prototype.pipe = function (dest, options) {
   }
 
   dest.on('close', function () {
-    dest.removeListener('data', ondata);
+    source.removeListener('data', ondata);
     dest.removeListener('drain', ondrain);
-    dest.removeListener('end', onend);
+    source.removeListener('end', onend);
   });
 
 
diff --git a/test/simple/test-securepair-server.js b/test/simple/test-securepair-server.js
index 5905e229a34..905576acc93 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-securepair-server.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-securepair-server.js
@@ -12,50 +12,51 @@ var key = fs.readFileSync(join(common.fixturesDir, "agent.key")).toString();
 var cert = fs.readFileSync(join(common.fixturesDir, "agent.crt")).toString();
 
 function log (a) {
-  console.log('***server*** ' + a);
+  console.error('***server*** ' + a);
 }
 
 var server = net.createServer(function (socket) {
   connections++;
-  log('connection');
+  log('connection fd=' + socket.fd);
   var sslcontext = crypto.createCredentials({key: key, cert: cert});
   sslcontext.context.setCiphers('RC4-SHA:AES128-SHA:AES256-SHA');
 
-  var spair = crypto.createPair(sslcontext, true);
+  var pair = crypto.createPair(sslcontext, true);
 
-  spair.encrypted.pipe(socket);
-  socket.pipe(spair.encrypted);
+  assert.ok(pair.encrypted.writable);
+  assert.ok(pair.cleartext.writable);
 
-  var clear = spair.cleartext;
+  pair.encrypted.pipe(socket);
+  socket.pipe(pair.encrypted);
 
   log('i set it secure');
 
-  spair.on('secure', function () {
+  pair.on('secure', function () {
     log('connected+secure!');
-    clear.write(new Buffer('hello\r\n'));
-    log(spair.getPeerCertificate());
-    log(spair.getCipher());
+    pair.cleartext.write('hello\r\n');
+    log(pair.getPeerCertificate());
+    log(pair.getCipher());
   });
 
-  clear.on('data', function (data) {
-    log('read %d bytes', data.length);
-    clear.write(data);
+  pair.cleartext.on('data', function (data) {
+    log('read bytes ' + data.length);
+    pair.cleartext.write(data);
   });
 
-  socket.on('end', function (err) {
-    log('all done: '+ err);
-    clear.write(new Buffer('goodbye\r\n'));
-    clear.end();
+  socket.on('end', function () {
+    log('socket end');
+    pair.cleartext.write('goodbye\r\n');
+    pair.cleartext.end();
   });
 
-  clear.on('error', function(err) {
+  pair.cleartext.on('error', function(err) {
     log('got error: ');
     log(err);
     log(err.stack);
     socket.destroy();
   });
 
-  spair.encrypted.on('error', function(err) {
+  pair.encrypted.on('error', function(err) {
     log('encrypted error: ');
     log(err);
     log(err.stack);
@@ -69,7 +70,11 @@ var server = net.createServer(function (socket) {
     socket.destroy();
   });
 
-  spair.on('error', function(err) {
+  socket.on('close', function(err) {
+    log('socket closed');
+  });
+
+  pair.on('error', function(err) {
     log('secure error: ');
     log(err);
     log(err.stack);