diff --git a/channel_test.go b/channel_test.go
index 642a456..7d5522f 100644
--- a/channel_test.go
+++ b/channel_test.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func TestPool_Get_Impl(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Get error: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	_, ok := conn.(poolConn)
+	_, ok := conn.(*PoolConn)
 	if !ok {
 		t.Errorf("Conn is not of type poolConn")
 	}
@@ -119,6 +119,33 @@ func TestPool_Put(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestPool_PutUnusableConn(t *testing.T) {
+	p, _ := newChannelPool()
+	defer p.Close()
+
+	// ensure pool is not empty
+	conn, _ := p.Get()
+	conn.Close()
+
+	poolSize := p.Len()
+	conn, _ = p.Get()
+	conn.Close()
+	if p.Len() != poolSize {
+		t.Errorf("Pool size is expected to be equal to initial size")
+	}
+
+	conn, _ = p.Get()
+	if pc, ok := conn.(*PoolConn); !ok {
+		t.Errorf("impossible")
+	} else {
+		pc.MarkUnusable()
+	}
+	conn.Close()
+	if p.Len() != poolSize-1 {
+		t.Errorf("Pool size is expected to be initial_size - 1", p.Len(), poolSize-1)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestPool_UsedCapacity(t *testing.T) {
 	p, _ := newChannelPool()
 	defer p.Close()
diff --git a/conn.go b/conn.go
index b87ac71..bc2d705 100644
--- a/conn.go
+++ b/conn.go
@@ -2,21 +2,33 @@ package pool
 
 import "net"
 
-// poolConn is a wrapper around net.Conn to modify the the behavior of
+// PoolConn is a wrapper around net.Conn to modify the the behavior of
 // net.Conn's Close() method.
-type poolConn struct {
+type PoolConn struct {
 	net.Conn
-	c *channelPool
+	c          *channelPool
+	unusable bool
 }
 
 // Close() puts the given connects back to the pool instead of closing it.
-func (p poolConn) Close() error {
+func (p PoolConn) Close() error {
+	if p.unusable {
+		if p.Conn != nil {
+			return p.Conn.Close()
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
 	return p.c.put(p.Conn)
 }
 
+// MarkUnusable() marks the connection not usable any more, to let the pool close it instead of returning it to pool.
+func (p *PoolConn) MarkUnusable() {
+	p.unusable = true
+}
+
 // newConn wraps a standard net.Conn to a poolConn net.Conn.
 func (c *channelPool) wrapConn(conn net.Conn) net.Conn {
-	p := poolConn{c: c}
+	p := &PoolConn{c: c}
 	p.Conn = conn
 	return p
 }
diff --git a/conn_test.go b/conn_test.go
index 6d287c6..55f9237 100644
--- a/conn_test.go
+++ b/conn_test.go
@@ -6,5 +6,5 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestConn_Impl(t *testing.T) {
-	var _ net.Conn = new(poolConn)
+	var _ net.Conn = new(PoolConn)
 }