diff --git a/include/bitcoin/network/net/proxy.hpp b/include/bitcoin/network/net/proxy.hpp
index 359963471..6377a9db1 100644
--- a/include/bitcoin/network/net/proxy.hpp
+++ b/include/bitcoin/network/net/proxy.hpp
@@ -59,10 +59,6 @@ class BCT_API proxy
     /// Stop socket, no delay, called by stop notify when iocontext is closing.
     virtual void stop(const code& ec) NOEXCEPT;
 
-    /// Idempotent, may be called multiple times.
-    /// Same as stop but provides graceful shutdown for websocket connections.
-    virtual void async_stop(const code& ec) NOEXCEPT;
-
     /// Subscribe to stop notification with completion handler.
     /// Completion and event handlers are always invoked on the channel strand.
     void subscribe_stop(result_handler&& handler,
diff --git a/src/channels/channel.cpp b/src/channels/channel.cpp
index adf0a33de..555490a57 100644
--- a/src/channels/channel.cpp
+++ b/src/channels/channel.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ channel::~channel() NOEXCEPT
 // Start/stop/resume (started/paused upon create).
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-// This should not be called internally (invoked by stop() or async_stop()).
+// This should not be called internally (invoked by stop()).
 void channel::stopping(const code& ec) NOEXCEPT
 {
     BC_ASSERT(stranded());
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ void channel::handle_expiration(const code& ec) NOEXCEPT
         return;
     }
 
-    async_stop(error::channel_expired);
+    stop(error::channel_expired);
 }
 
 void channel::stop_inactivity() NOEXCEPT
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ void channel::handle_inactivity(const code& ec) NOEXCEPT
         return;
     }
 
-    async_stop(error::channel_inactive);
+    stop(error::channel_inactive);
 }
 
 // Properties.
diff --git a/src/net/proxy.cpp b/src/net/proxy.cpp
index eed015e6d..5e67212d1 100644
--- a/src/net/proxy.cpp
+++ b/src/net/proxy.cpp
@@ -52,26 +52,28 @@ void proxy::stop(const code& ec) NOEXCEPT
     if (stopped())
         return;
 
-    // Stop the read loop, stop accepting new work, cancel pending work.
-    socket_->stop();
-
-    // Overruled by stop, set only for consistency.
-    paused_.store(true);
-
-    boost::asio::post(strand(),
-        std::bind(&proxy::stopping, shared_from_this(), ec));
-}
-
-void proxy::async_stop(const code& ec) NOEXCEPT
-{
-    if (stopped())
-        return;
-
-    // Stop the read loop, stop accepting new work, cancel pending work.
-    // Allows for graceful ws/ssl::close, which would hang the threadpool if
-    // attempted within socket::stop(), as it issues a follow-on iocontext job.
-    // A subsequent call to socket::stop() will terminate directly.
-    socket_->lazy_stop();
+    // Client or timer initated stop is async (graceful).
+    // error::channel_stopped is send in various contexts, however the only
+    // ones in which the channel is not stopped are those arising directly from
+    // socket read handlers, resulting in a stop(ec) call. This is interpreted
+    // as client socket cancellation, which along with timer cancellations are
+    // allowed to close gracefully. error::service_stopped will invoke socket
+    // stop() below, which will immediately terminate outstanding lazy_stop().
+    if (ec == error::channel_stopped ||
+        ec == error::channel_expired ||
+        ec == error::channel_inactive)
+    {
+        // Stop the read loop, stop accepting new work, cancel pending work.
+        // Allows for graceful ws/ssl::close, which would hang threadpool if
+        // attempted within socket::stop(), as it issues a follow-on iocontext
+        // job. A subsequent call to socket::stop() will terminate directly.
+        socket_->lazy_stop();
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        // Stop the read loop, stop accepting new work, cancel pending work.
+        socket_->stop();
+    }
 
     // Overruled by stop, set only for consistency.
     paused_.store(true);
@@ -81,7 +83,7 @@ void proxy::async_stop(const code& ec) NOEXCEPT
 }
 
 // protected
-// This should not be called internally (invoked by stop() or async_stop()).
+// This should not be called internally (invoked by stop()).
 void proxy::stopping(const code& ec) NOEXCEPT
 {
     BC_ASSERT(stranded());