diff --git a/src/client.rs b/src/client.rs
index 0ab5fcab4..670f73cf7 100644
--- a/src/client.rs
+++ b/src/client.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use std::env;
 use std::ffi::{OsStr, OsString};
 use std::fmt;
 use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::sync::RwLock;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
 use rand::random;
@@ -21,10 +22,9 @@ use transport::{DefaultTransportFactory, Transport, TransportFactory};
 use utils::{debug_images, server_name};
 
 /// The Sentry client object.
-#[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct Client {
     options: ClientOptions,
-    transport: Option<Arc<Box<Transport>>>,
+    transport: RwLock<Option<Arc<Box<Transport>>>>,
 }
 
 impl fmt::Debug for Client {
@@ -36,6 +36,15 @@ impl fmt::Debug for Client {
     }
 }
 
+impl Clone for Client {
+    fn clone(&self) -> Client {
+        Client {
+            options: self.options.clone(),
+            transport: RwLock::new(self.transport.read().unwrap().clone()),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Type alias for before event/breadcrumb handlers.
 pub type BeforeCallback<T> = Arc<Box<Fn(T) -> Option<T> + Send + Sync>>;
 
@@ -81,8 +90,8 @@ pub struct ClientOptions {
     /// This will default to the `HTTPS_PROXY` environment variable
     /// or `http_proxy` if that one exists.
     pub https_proxy: Option<Cow<'static, str>>,
-    /// The timeout on client drop for draining events.
-    pub shutdown_timeout: Option<Duration>,
+    /// The timeout on client drop for draining events on shutdown.
+    pub shutdown_timeout: Duration,
     /// Attaches stacktraces to messages.
     pub attach_stacktrace: bool,
     /// If turned on some default PII informat is attached.
@@ -185,7 +194,7 @@ impl Default for ClientOptions {
                 .map(Cow::Owned)
                 .or_else(|| env::var("HTTPS_PROXY").ok().map(Cow::Owned))
                 .or_else(|| env::var("http_proxy").ok().map(Cow::Owned)),
-            shutdown_timeout: Some(Duration::from_secs(2)),
+            shutdown_timeout: Duration::from_secs(2),
             attach_stacktrace: false,
             send_default_pii: false,
             before_send: None,
@@ -338,11 +347,11 @@ impl Client {
     /// disabled.
     pub fn with_options(options: ClientOptions) -> Client {
         #[cfg_attr(feature = "cargo-clippy", allow(question_mark))]
-        let transport = if options.dsn.is_none() {
+        let transport = RwLock::new(if options.dsn.is_none() {
             None
         } else {
             Some(Arc::new(options.transport.create_transport(&options)))
-        };
+        });
         Client { options, transport }
     }
 
@@ -364,7 +373,7 @@ impl Client {
     pub fn disabled_with_options(options: ClientOptions) -> Client {
         Client {
             options,
-            transport: None,
+            transport: RwLock::new(None),
         }
     }
 
@@ -517,7 +526,7 @@ impl Client {
 
     /// Captures an event and sends it to sentry.
     pub fn capture_event(&self, event: Event<'static>, scope: Option<&Scope>) -> Uuid {
-        if let Some(ref transport) = self.transport {
+        if let Some(ref transport) = *self.transport.read().unwrap() {
             if self.sample_should_send() {
                 if let Some(event) = self.prepare_event(event, scope) {
                     let event_id = event.id.unwrap();
@@ -529,14 +538,16 @@ impl Client {
         Default::default()
     }
 
-    /// Drains all pending events up to the current time.
+    /// Drains all pending events and shuts down the transport behind the
+    /// client.  After shutting down the transport is removed.
     ///
     /// This returns `true` if the queue was successfully drained in the
     /// given time or `false` if not (for instance because of a timeout).
-    /// If no timeout is provided the client will wait forever.
-    pub fn drain_events(&self, timeout: Option<Duration>) -> bool {
-        if let Some(ref transport) = self.transport {
-            transport.drain(timeout)
+    /// If no timeout is provided the client will wait for as long a
+    /// `shutdown_timeout` in the client options.
+    pub fn close(&self, timeout: Option<Duration>) -> bool {
+        if let Some(transport) = self.transport.write().unwrap().take() {
+            transport.shutdown(timeout.unwrap_or(self.options.shutdown_timeout))
         } else {
             true
         }
@@ -559,7 +570,7 @@ pub struct ClientInitGuard(Arc<Client>);
 
 impl Drop for ClientInitGuard {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
-        self.0.drain_events(self.0.options.shutdown_timeout);
+        self.0.close(None);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/hub.rs b/src/hub.rs
index f9ec01fee..0047eb17c 100644
--- a/src/hub.rs
+++ b/src/hub.rs
@@ -311,15 +311,6 @@ impl Hub {
         }}
     }
 
-    /// Drains the currently pending events.
-    pub fn drain_events(&self, timeout: Option<Duration>) {
-        with_client_impl! {{
-            if let Some(ref client) = self.client() {
-                client.drain_events(timeout);
-            }
-        }}
-    }
-
     /// Returns the currently bound client.
     #[cfg(feature = "with_client_implementation")]
     pub fn client(&self) -> Option<Arc<Client>> {
diff --git a/src/transport.rs b/src/transport.rs
index 2e626139b..1bf509bb8 100644
--- a/src/transport.rs
+++ b/src/transport.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 use std::sync::mpsc::{sync_channel, Receiver, SyncSender};
 use std::sync::{Arc, Condvar, Mutex};
 use std::thread::{self, JoinHandle};
@@ -22,9 +23,9 @@ pub trait Transport: Send + Sync + 'static {
     /// Drains the queue if there is one.
     ///
     /// The default implementation does nothing.  If the queue was successfully
-    /// drained the return value should be `true` or `false` if events were
+    /// shutdowned the return value should be `true` or `false` if events were
     /// left in it.
-    fn drain(&self, timeout: Option<Duration>) -> bool {
+    fn shutdown(&self, timeout: Duration) -> bool {
         let _timeout = timeout;
         true
     }
@@ -72,8 +73,8 @@ impl<T: Transport> Transport for Arc<T> {
         (**self).send_event(event)
     }
 
-    fn drain(&self, timeout: Option<Duration>) -> bool {
-        (**self).drain(timeout)
+    fn shutdown(&self, timeout: Duration) -> bool {
+        (**self).shutdown(timeout)
     }
 }
 
@@ -102,7 +103,8 @@ impl TransportFactory for DefaultTransportFactory {
 pub struct HttpTransport {
     dsn: Dsn,
     sender: Mutex<SyncSender<Option<Event<'static>>>>,
-    drain_signal: Arc<Condvar>,
+    shutdown_signal: Arc<Condvar>,
+    shutdown_immediately: Arc<AtomicBool>,
     queue_size: Arc<Mutex<usize>>,
     _handle: Option<JoinHandle<()>>,
 }
@@ -112,6 +114,7 @@ fn spawn_http_sender(
     receiver: Receiver<Option<Event<'static>>>,
     dsn: Dsn,
     signal: Arc<Condvar>,
+    shutdown_immediately: Arc<AtomicBool>,
     queue_size: Arc<Mutex<usize>>,
     user_agent: String,
 ) -> JoinHandle<()> {
@@ -121,6 +124,14 @@ fn spawn_http_sender(
         let url = dsn.store_api_url().to_string();
 
         while let Some(event) = receiver.recv().unwrap_or(None) {
+            // on drop we want to not continue processing the queue.
+            if shutdown_immediately.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
+                let mut size = queue_size.lock().unwrap();
+                *size = 0;
+                signal.notify_all();
+                break;
+            }
+
             // while we are disabled due to rate limits, skip
             match disabled {
                 Some((disabled_at, RetryAfter::Delay(disabled_for))) => {
@@ -176,7 +187,8 @@ impl HttpTransport {
         let https_proxy = options.https_proxy.as_ref().map(|x| x.to_string());
 
         let (sender, receiver) = sync_channel(30);
-        let drain_signal = Arc::new(Condvar::new());
+        let shutdown_signal = Arc::new(Condvar::new());
+        let shutdown_immediately = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
         #[cfg_attr(feature = "cargo-clippy", allow(mutex_atomic))]
         let queue_size = Arc::new(Mutex::new(0));
         let mut client = Client::builder();
@@ -190,14 +202,16 @@ impl HttpTransport {
             client.build().unwrap(),
             receiver,
             dsn.clone(),
-            drain_signal.clone(),
+            shutdown_signal.clone(),
+            shutdown_immediately.clone(),
             queue_size.clone(),
             user_agent,
         ));
         HttpTransport {
             dsn,
             sender: Mutex::new(sender),
-            drain_signal,
+            shutdown_signal,
+            shutdown_immediately: shutdown_immediately,
             queue_size,
             _handle,
         }
@@ -215,21 +229,22 @@ impl Transport for HttpTransport {
         }
     }
 
-    fn drain(&self, timeout: Option<Duration>) -> bool {
+    fn shutdown(&self, timeout: Duration) -> bool {
         let guard = self.queue_size.lock().unwrap();
         if *guard == 0 {
-            return true;
-        }
-        if let Some(timeout) = timeout {
-            self.drain_signal.wait_timeout(guard, timeout).is_ok()
+            true
         } else {
-            self.drain_signal.wait(guard).is_ok()
+            if let Ok(sender) = self.sender.lock() {
+                sender.send(None).ok();
+            }
+            self.shutdown_signal.wait_timeout(guard, timeout).is_ok()
         }
     }
 }
 
 impl Drop for HttpTransport {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
+        self.shutdown_immediately.store(true, Ordering::SeqCst);
         if let Ok(sender) = self.sender.lock() {
             sender.send(None).ok();
         }