diff --git a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/tcp/TcpTransport.java b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/tcp/TcpTransport.java
index 183d5fd39e..d62081e7ed 100755
--- a/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/tcp/TcpTransport.java
+++ b/activemq-core/src/main/java/org/apache/activemq/transport/tcp/TcpTransport.java
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ import java.net.UnknownHostException;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
+import java.util.concurrent.SynchronousQueue;
+import java.util.concurrent.ThreadFactory;
+import java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 
 import javax.net.SocketFactory;
@@ -50,7 +54,7 @@ import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
  */
 public class TcpTransport extends TransportThreadSupport implements Transport, Service, Runnable {
     private static final Log LOG = LogFactory.getLog(TcpTransport.class);
-
+    private static final ThreadPoolExecutor SOCKET_CLOSE;
     protected final URI remoteLocation;
     protected final URI localLocation;
     protected final WireFormat wireFormat;
@@ -427,7 +431,23 @@ public class TcpTransport extends TransportThreadSupport implements Transport, S
         // is hung.. then this hangs the close.
         // closeStreams();
         if (socket != null) {
-            socket.close();
+            //closing the socket can hang also 
+            final CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(1);
+            SOCKET_CLOSE.execute(new Runnable() {
+
+                public void run() {
+                    try {
+                        socket.close();
+                    } catch (IOException e) {
+                        LOG.debug("Caught exception closing socket",e);
+                    }finally {
+                        latch.countDown();
+                    }
+                }
+                
+            });
+            latch.await(1,TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+           
         }
     }
 
@@ -439,7 +459,7 @@ public class TcpTransport extends TransportThreadSupport implements Transport, S
         super.stop();
         CountDownLatch countDownLatch = stoppedLatch.get();
         if (countDownLatch != null && Thread.currentThread() != this.runnerThread) {
-            countDownLatch.await();
+            countDownLatch.await(1,TimeUnit.SECONDS);
         }
     }
 
@@ -478,4 +498,13 @@ public class TcpTransport extends TransportThreadSupport implements Transport, S
         return super.narrow(target);
     }
 
+    static {
+        SOCKET_CLOSE =   new ThreadPoolExecutor(0, Integer.MAX_VALUE, 10, TimeUnit.SECONDS, new SynchronousQueue<Runnable>(), new ThreadFactory() {
+            public Thread newThread(Runnable runnable) {
+                Thread thread = new Thread(runnable, "TcpSocketClose: "+runnable);
+                thread.setDaemon(true);
+                return thread;
+            }
+        });
+    }
 }