diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/AbstractReceiverConnection.java b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/AbstractReceiverConnection.java
index 75736128..5fc95faa 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/AbstractReceiverConnection.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/AbstractReceiverConnection.java
@@ -47,17 +47,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractReceiverConnection extends AbstractWebServiceConne
         return responseOutputStream;
     }
 
-    public final void close() throws IOException {
-        try {
-            if (requestInputStream != null) {
-                requestInputStream.close();
-            }
-        }
-        finally {
-            onClose();
-        }
-    }
-
     /**
      * Template method invoked from {@link #close()}. Default implementation is empty.
      *
@@ -108,11 +97,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractReceiverConnection extends AbstractWebServiceConne
             return getRequestHeaders(name);
         }
 
-        public void close() throws IOException {
-            // defer close, some SoapMessage implementations (Axis) lazy-initialize the SOAPMessage
-        }
-
-
     }
 
     /** Implementation of <code>TransportOutputStream</code> for sending-side connections. */
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/AbstractSenderConnection.java b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/AbstractSenderConnection.java
index 76ef7fb8..be34b59f 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/AbstractSenderConnection.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/AbstractSenderConnection.java
@@ -52,17 +52,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractSenderConnection extends AbstractWebServiceConnect
         }
     }
 
-    public final void close() throws IOException {
-        try {
-            if (responseInputStream != null) {
-                responseInputStream.close();
-            }
-        }
-        finally {
-            onClose();
-        }
-    }
-
     /**
      * Template method invoked from {@link #close()}. Default implementation is empty.
      *
@@ -128,10 +117,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractSenderConnection extends AbstractWebServiceConnect
             return getResponseHeaders(name);
         }
 
-        public void close() throws IOException {
-            // defer close, some SoapMessage implementations (Axis) lazy-initialize the SOAPMessage
-        }
-
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/AbstractWebServiceConnection.java b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/AbstractWebServiceConnection.java
index af5c133e..8f8934df 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/AbstractWebServiceConnection.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/AbstractWebServiceConnection.java
@@ -29,45 +29,21 @@ import org.springframework.ws.WebServiceMessageFactory;
  */
 public abstract class AbstractWebServiceConnection implements WebServiceConnection {
 
+    private TransportInputStream tis;
+
+    private TransportOutputStream tos;
+
     public final void send(WebServiceMessage message) throws IOException {
         onSendBeforeWrite(message);
-        TransportOutputStream tos = createTransportOutputStream();
-        try {
-            message.writeTo(tos);
-            tos.flush();
-        }
-        finally {
-            tos.close();
+        tos = createTransportOutputStream();
+        if (tos == null) {
+            return;
         }
+        message.writeTo(tos);
+        tos.flush();
         onSendAfterWrite(message);
     }
 
-    public final WebServiceMessage receive(WebServiceMessageFactory messageFactory) throws IOException {
-        onReceiveBeforeRead();
-        TransportInputStream tis = createTransportInputStream();
-        if (tis == null) {
-            return null;
-        }
-        WebServiceMessage message = null;
-        try {
-            message = messageFactory.createWebServiceMessage(tis);
-        }
-        finally {
-            tis.close();
-        }
-        onReceiveAfterRead(message);
-        return message;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Returns a <code>TransportOutputStream</code> for the given message. Called from {@link
-     * #send(WebServiceMessage)}.
-     *
-     * @return the output stream
-     * @throws IOException when an I/O exception occurs
-     */
-    protected abstract TransportOutputStream createTransportOutputStream() throws IOException;
-
     /**
      * Called before the given message has been written to the <code>TransportOutputStream</code>. Called from {@link
      * #send(WebServiceMessage)}.
@@ -80,6 +56,15 @@ public abstract class AbstractWebServiceConnection implements WebServiceConnecti
     protected void onSendBeforeWrite(WebServiceMessage message) throws IOException {
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns a <code>TransportOutputStream</code> for the given message. Called from {@link
+     * #send(WebServiceMessage)}.
+     *
+     * @return the output stream
+     * @throws IOException when an I/O exception occurs
+     */
+    protected abstract TransportOutputStream createTransportOutputStream() throws IOException;
+
     /**
      * Called after the given message has been written to the <code>TransportOutputStream</code>. Called from {@link
      * #send(WebServiceMessage)}.
@@ -92,13 +77,16 @@ public abstract class AbstractWebServiceConnection implements WebServiceConnecti
     protected void onSendAfterWrite(WebServiceMessage message) throws IOException {
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Returns a <code>TransportInputStream</code>. Called from {@link #receive(WebServiceMessageFactory)}.
-     *
-     * @return the input stream, or <code>null</code> if no response can be read
-     * @throws IOException when an I/O exception occurs
-     */
-    protected abstract TransportInputStream createTransportInputStream() throws IOException;
+    public final WebServiceMessage receive(WebServiceMessageFactory messageFactory) throws IOException {
+        onReceiveBeforeRead();
+        tis = createTransportInputStream();
+        if (tis == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        WebServiceMessage message = messageFactory.createWebServiceMessage(tis);
+        onReceiveAfterRead(message);
+        return message;
+    }
 
     /**
      * Called before a message has been read from the <code>TransportInputStream</code>. Called from {@link
@@ -111,6 +99,14 @@ public abstract class AbstractWebServiceConnection implements WebServiceConnecti
     protected void onReceiveBeforeRead() throws IOException {
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns a <code>TransportInputStream</code>. Called from {@link #receive(WebServiceMessageFactory)}.
+     *
+     * @return the input stream, or <code>null</code> if no response can be read
+     * @throws IOException when an I/O exception occurs
+     */
+    protected abstract TransportInputStream createTransportInputStream() throws IOException;
+
     /**
      * Called when the given message has been read from the <code>TransportInputStream</code>. Called from {@link
      * #receive(WebServiceMessageFactory)}.
@@ -123,4 +119,36 @@ public abstract class AbstractWebServiceConnection implements WebServiceConnecti
     protected void onReceiveAfterRead(WebServiceMessage message) throws IOException {
     }
 
+    public final void close() throws IOException {
+        IOException ioex = null;
+        if (tis != null) {
+            try {
+                tis.close();
+            }
+            catch (IOException ex) {
+                ioex = ex;
+            }
+        }
+        if (tos != null) {
+            try {
+                tos.close();
+            }
+            catch (IOException ex) {
+                ioex = ex;
+            }
+        }
+        onClose();
+        if (ioex != null) {
+            throw ioex;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Template method invoked from {@link #close()}. Default implementation is empty.
+     *
+     * @throws IOException if an I/O error occurs when closing this connection
+     */
+    protected void onClose() throws IOException {
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/http/CommonsHttpConnection.java b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/http/CommonsHttpConnection.java
index 58fe1a79..3648efae 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/http/CommonsHttpConnection.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/springframework/ws/transport/http/CommonsHttpConnection.java
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ public class CommonsHttpConnection extends AbstractHttpSenderConnection {
             throw new URISyntaxException("", ex.getMessage());
         }
     }
-/*
+
+    /*
      * Sending request
      */