diff --git a/stan.go b/stan.go
index f925255..db3e256 100644
--- a/stan.go
+++ b/stan.go
@@ -331,6 +331,7 @@ type conn struct {
 	pubNUID          *nuid.NUID // NUID generator for published messages.
 	connLostCB       ConnectionLostHandler
 	closed           bool
+	fullyClosed      bool
 	ping             pingInfo
 }
 
@@ -672,21 +673,17 @@ func (sc *conn) Close() error {
 	sc.Lock()
 	defer sc.Unlock()
 
-	if sc.closed {
-		// We are already closed.
+	// If we are fully closed, simply return.
+	if sc.fullyClosed {
 		return nil
 	}
-	// Signals we are closed.
-	sc.closed = true
-
-	// Capture for NATS calls below.
-	if sc.ncOwned {
-		defer sc.nc.Close()
+	// If this is the very first Close() call, do some internal cleanup,
+	// otherwise, simply send the close protocol message.
+	if !sc.closed {
+		sc.closed = true
+		sc.cleanupOnClose(ErrConnectionClosed)
 	}
 
-	// Now close ourselves.
-	sc.cleanupOnClose(ErrConnectionClosed)
-
 	req := &pb.CloseRequest{ClientID: sc.clientID}
 	b, _ := req.Marshal()
 	reply, err := sc.nc.Request(sc.closeRequests, b, sc.opts.ConnectTimeout)
@@ -701,6 +698,11 @@ func (sc *conn) Close() error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	// As long as we got a valid response, we consider the connection fully closed.
+	sc.fullyClosed = true
+	if sc.ncOwned {
+		sc.nc.Close()
+	}
 	if cr.Error != "" {
 		return errors.New(cr.Error)
 	}
@@ -900,14 +902,17 @@ func (sc *conn) processMsg(raw *nats.Msg) {
 	msg.Sub = sub
 
 	sub.RLock()
+	if sub.closed {
+		sub.RUnlock()
+		return
+	}
 	cb := sub.cb
 	ackSubject := sub.ackInbox
 	isManualAck := sub.opts.ManualAcks
-	subsc := sub.sc // Can be nil if sub has been unsubscribed.
 	sub.RUnlock()
 
 	// Perform the callback
-	if cb != nil && subsc != nil {
+	if cb != nil {
 		cb(msg)
 	}
 
diff --git a/stan_test.go b/stan_test.go
index 1c0b734..03a9bc7 100644
--- a/stan_test.go
+++ b/stan_test.go
@@ -1008,6 +1008,83 @@ func TestClose(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestConnCloseError(t *testing.T) {
+	s := RunServer(clusterName)
+	defer s.Shutdown()
+
+	sc := NewDefaultConnection(t)
+	defer sc.Close()
+
+	nc, err := nats.Connect(nats.DefaultURL)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Error on connect: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer nc.Close()
+
+	// Alter the close subject so the request fails
+	scc := sc.(*conn)
+	scc.Lock()
+	closeSubj := scc.closeRequests
+	scc.closeRequests = "dummy"
+	scc.Unlock()
+	if err := sc.Close(); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected error, got none")
+	}
+
+	checkInternalConnClosed := func(expectedClosed bool) {
+		t.Helper()
+		scc.RLock()
+		defer scc.RUnlock()
+		closed := scc.nc.IsClosed()
+		if expectedClosed && !closed {
+			t.Fatalf("Expected internal NATS connection to be closed, but it wasn't")
+		} else if !expectedClosed && closed {
+			t.Fatalf("Expected internal NATS connection to be not be closed, but it was")
+		}
+	}
+	// Internal NATS connection should not have been closed
+	checkInternalConnClosed(false)
+
+	// Now setup a subscription to check if library is sending the close protocol.
+	crsub, err := nc.SubscribeSync(closeSubj)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Error on subscribe: %v", err)
+	}
+	// Flush since this is a different connection than the one used by sc.
+	nc.Flush()
+
+	// We should be able to call Close() again
+	if err := sc.Close(); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected error, did not get one")
+	}
+	// Connection still not closed
+	checkInternalConnClosed(false)
+
+	// Fix close subject
+	scc.Lock()
+	scc.closeRequests = closeSubj
+	scc.Unlock()
+	// Now close should work.
+	if err := sc.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	// Now internal connection should have been closed
+	checkInternalConnClosed(true)
+
+	// Check protocol was sent
+	if _, err := crsub.NextMsg(time.Second); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Did not get close protocol: %v", err)
+	}
+	// Now, another call to Close() should just return nil
+	if err := sc.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	// And this time, no protocol should be sent
+	if _, err := crsub.NextMsg(100 * time.Millisecond); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Close protocol should not have been sent")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDoubleClose(t *testing.T) {
 	s := RunServer(clusterName)
 	defer s.Shutdown()
@@ -2737,6 +2814,67 @@ func TestSubTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestSubCloseError(t *testing.T) {
+	s := RunServer(clusterName)
+	defer s.Shutdown()
+
+	sc := NewDefaultConnection(t)
+	defer sc.Close()
+
+	sub, err := sc.Subscribe("foo", func(_ *Msg) {})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Error on sub: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	nc, err := nats.Connect(nats.DefaultURL)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Error on connect: ")
+	}
+	defer nc.Close()
+
+	scc := sc.(*conn)
+	scc.Lock()
+	closeSubj := scc.subCloseRequests
+	// alter the subCloseRequests so that the sub close fails
+	scc.subCloseRequests = "dummy"
+	scc.Unlock()
+
+	// Now setup a subscription to check if library is sending the close protocol.
+	crsub, err := nc.SubscribeSync(closeSubj)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Error on subscribe: %v", err)
+	}
+	// Flush since this is a different connection than the one used by sc.
+	nc.Flush()
+
+	if err := sub.Close(); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Expected error, got none")
+	}
+
+	// Fix close subject
+	scc.Lock()
+	scc.subCloseRequests = closeSubj
+	scc.Unlock()
+
+	// Try again, it should work
+	if err := sub.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Error on close: %v", err)
+	}
+	// Check protocol was sent
+	if _, err := crsub.NextMsg(time.Second); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Did not get close protocol: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Now another call to Close() should return BadSubscription
+	if err := sub.Close(); err != ErrBadSubscription {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected %v, got %v", ErrBadSubscription, err)
+	}
+	// And this time, no protocol should be sent
+	if _, err := crsub.NextMsg(100 * time.Millisecond); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("Close protocol should not have been sent")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestNatsOptions(t *testing.T) {
 	snopts := natsd.DefaultTestOptions
 	snopts.Username = "foo"
diff --git a/sub.go b/sub.go
index e612c39..f078e75 100644
--- a/sub.go
+++ b/sub.go
@@ -101,6 +101,12 @@ type subscription struct {
 	inboxSub *nats.Subscription
 	opts     SubscriptionOptions
 	cb       MsgHandler
+	// closed indicate that sub.Close() was invoked, but fullyClosed
+	// is only set if the close/unsub protocol was successful. This
+	// allow the user to be able to call sub.Close() several times
+	// in case an error is returned.
+	closed      bool
+	fullyClosed bool
 }
 
 // SubscriptionOption is a function on the options for a subscription.
@@ -414,15 +420,22 @@ func (sub *subscription) SetPendingLimits(msgLimit, bytesLimit int) error {
 // given boolean.
 func (sub *subscription) closeOrUnsubscribe(doClose bool) error {
 	sub.Lock()
-	sc := sub.sc
-	if sc == nil {
-		// Already closed.
+	// If we are fully closed, return error indicating that the
+	// subscription is invalid. Note that conn.Close() in this case
+	// returns nil, but keeping behavior same so we don't have breaking change.
+	if sub.fullyClosed {
 		sub.Unlock()
 		return ErrBadSubscription
 	}
-	sub.sc = nil
-	sub.inboxSub.Unsubscribe()
-	sub.inboxSub = nil
+	wasClosed := sub.closed
+	// If this is the very first Close() call, do some internal cleanup,
+	// otherwise, simply send the close protocol message.
+	if !wasClosed {
+		sub.closed = true
+		sub.inboxSub.Unsubscribe()
+		sub.inboxSub = nil
+	}
+	sc := sub.sc
 	sub.Unlock()
 
 	sc.Lock()
@@ -430,8 +443,9 @@ func (sub *subscription) closeOrUnsubscribe(doClose bool) error {
 		sc.Unlock()
 		return ErrConnectionClosed
 	}
-
-	delete(sc.subMap, sub.inbox)
+	if !wasClosed {
+		delete(sc.subMap, sub.inbox)
+	}
 	reqSubject := sc.unsubRequests
 	if doClose {
 		reqSubject = sc.subCloseRequests
@@ -464,10 +478,13 @@ func (sub *subscription) closeOrUnsubscribe(doClose bool) error {
 	if err := r.Unmarshal(reply.Data); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	// As long as we got a valid response, we consider the subscription fully closed.
+	sub.Lock()
+	sub.fullyClosed = true
+	sub.Unlock()
 	if r.Error != "" {
 		return errors.New(r.Error)
 	}
-
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -493,13 +510,14 @@ func (msg *Msg) Ack() error {
 	ackSubject := sub.ackInbox
 	isManualAck := sub.opts.ManualAcks
 	sc := sub.sc
+	closed := sub.closed
 	sub.RUnlock()
 
 	// Check for error conditions.
 	if !isManualAck {
 		return ErrManualAck
 	}
-	if sc == nil {
+	if closed {
 		return ErrBadSubscription
 	}