diff --git a/iroh/src/protocol.rs b/iroh/src/protocol.rs
index 2c3dd1b245..6349063255 100644
--- a/iroh/src/protocol.rs
+++ b/iroh/src/protocol.rs
@@ -42,16 +42,12 @@
 //! ```
 use std::{any::Any, collections::BTreeMap, sync::Arc};
 
-use anyhow::{anyhow, Result};
+use anyhow::Result;
 use futures_buffered::join_all;
 use futures_lite::future::Boxed as BoxedFuture;
-use futures_util::{
-    future::{MapErr, Shared},
-    FutureExt, TryFutureExt,
-};
-use tokio::task::{JoinError, JoinSet};
+use tokio::{sync::Mutex, task::JoinSet};
 use tokio_util::{sync::CancellationToken, task::AbortOnDropHandle};
-use tracing::{debug, error, warn};
+use tracing::{error, info_span, trace, warn, Instrument};
 
 use crate::{endpoint::Connecting, Endpoint};
 
@@ -92,17 +88,10 @@ pub struct Router {
     endpoint: Endpoint,
     protocols: Arc<ProtocolMap>,
     // `Router` needs to be `Clone + Send`, and we need to `task.await` in its `shutdown()` impl.
-    // So we need
-    // - `Shared` so we can `task.await` from all `Node` clones
-    // - `MapErr` to map the `JoinError` to a `String`, because `JoinError` is `!Clone`
-    // - `AbortOnDropHandle` to make sure that the `task` is cancelled when all `Node`s are dropped
-    //   (`Shared` acts like an `Arc` around its inner future).
-    task: Shared<MapErr<AbortOnDropHandle<()>, JoinErrToStr>>,
+    task: Arc<Mutex<Option<AbortOnDropHandle<()>>>>,
     cancel_token: CancellationToken,
 }
 
-type JoinErrToStr = Box<dyn Fn(JoinError) -> String + Send + Sync + 'static>;
-
 /// Builder for creating a [`Router`] for accepting protocols.
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct RouterBuilder {
@@ -201,16 +190,32 @@ impl Router {
         &self.endpoint
     }
 
+    /// Checks if the router is already shutdown.
+    pub fn is_shutdown(&self) -> bool {
+        self.cancel_token.is_cancelled()
+    }
+
     /// Shuts down the accept loop cleanly.
     ///
+    /// When this function returns, all [`ProtocolHandler`]s will be shutdown and
+    /// `Endpoint::close` will have been called.
+    ///
+    /// If already shutdown, it returns `Ok`.
+    ///
     /// If some [`ProtocolHandler`] panicked in the accept loop, this will propagate
     /// that panic into the result here.
-    pub async fn shutdown(self) -> Result<()> {
+    pub async fn shutdown(&self) -> Result<()> {
+        if self.is_shutdown() {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+
         // Trigger shutdown of the main run task by activating the cancel token.
         self.cancel_token.cancel();
 
         // Wait for the main task to terminate.
-        self.task.await.map_err(|err| anyhow!(err))?;
+        if let Some(task) = self.task.lock().await.take() {
+            task.await?;
+        }
 
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -267,6 +272,9 @@ impl RouterBuilder {
         let cancel_token = cancel.clone();
 
         let run_loop_fut = async move {
+            // Make sure to cancel the token, if this future ever exits.
+            let _cancel_guard = cancel_token.clone().drop_guard();
+
             let protocols = protos;
             loop {
                 tokio::select! {
@@ -274,18 +282,6 @@ impl RouterBuilder {
                     _ = cancel_token.cancelled() => {
                         break;
                     },
-                    // handle incoming p2p connections.
-                    incoming = endpoint.accept() => {
-                        let Some(incoming) = incoming else {
-                            break;
-                        };
-
-                        let protocols = protocols.clone();
-                        join_set.spawn(async move {
-                            handle_connection(incoming, protocols).await;
-                            anyhow::Ok(())
-                        });
-                    },
                     // handle task terminations and quit on panics.
                     res = join_set.join_next(), if !join_set.is_empty() => {
                         match res {
@@ -294,18 +290,34 @@ impl RouterBuilder {
                                     error!("Task panicked: {outer:?}");
                                     break;
                                 } else if outer.is_cancelled() {
-                                    debug!("Task cancelled: {outer:?}");
+                                    trace!("Task cancelled: {outer:?}");
                                 } else {
                                     error!("Task failed: {outer:?}");
                                     break;
                                 }
                             }
-                            Some(Ok(Err(inner))) => {
-                                debug!("Task errored: {inner:?}");
+                            Some(Ok(Some(()))) => {
+                                trace!("Task finished");
+                            }
+                            Some(Ok(None)) => {
+                                trace!("Task cancelled");
                             }
                             _ => {}
                         }
                     },
+
+                    // handle incoming p2p connections.
+                    incoming = endpoint.accept() => {
+                        let Some(incoming) = incoming else {
+                            break;
+                        };
+
+                        let protocols = protocols.clone();
+                        let token = cancel_token.child_token();
+                        join_set.spawn(async move {
+                            token.run_until_cancelled(handle_connection(incoming, protocols)).await
+                        }.instrument(info_span!("router.accept")));
+                    },
                 }
             }
 
@@ -316,14 +328,12 @@ impl RouterBuilder {
             join_set.shutdown().await;
         };
         let task = tokio::task::spawn(run_loop_fut);
-        let task = AbortOnDropHandle::new(task)
-            .map_err(Box::new(|e: JoinError| e.to_string()) as JoinErrToStr)
-            .shared();
+        let task = AbortOnDropHandle::new(task);
 
         Ok(Router {
             endpoint: self.endpoint,
             protocols,
-            task,
+            task: Arc::new(Mutex::new(Some(task))),
             cancel_token: cancel,
         })
     }