diff --git a/include/nng/supplemental/util/platform.h b/include/nng/supplemental/util/platform.h
index f98bc176b..dc3c47ddd 100644
--- a/include/nng/supplemental/util/platform.h
+++ b/include/nng/supplemental/util/platform.h
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ NNG_DECL uint32_t nng_random(void);
 // by reliable, bidirectional, byte streams.  This will return NNG_ENOTSUP
 // if the platform lacks support for this.  The argument is a pointer
 // to an array of file descriptors (or HANDLES or similar).
-NNG_DECL int nng_socket_pair(int *);
+NNG_DECL int nng_socket_pair(int [2]);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/posix/posix_socketpair.c b/src/platform/posix/posix_socketpair.c
index 9674383f8..3a01ad2bb 100644
--- a/src/platform/posix/posix_socketpair.c
+++ b/src/platform/posix/posix_socketpair.c
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 #include <sys/socket.h>
 
 int
-nni_socket_pair(int *fds)
+nni_socket_pair(int fds[2])
 {
 	int rv;
 	rv = socketpair(PF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0, fds);
diff --git a/src/platform/windows/win_socketpair.c b/src/platform/windows/win_socketpair.c
index 794b3660f..0ed0443ae 100644
--- a/src/platform/windows/win_socketpair.c
+++ b/src/platform/windows/win_socketpair.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ nni_socket_pair(int *fds)
 }
 #else
 int
-nni_socket_pair(int *fds)
+nni_socket_pair(int fds[2])
 {
 	NNI_ARG_UNUSED(fds);
 	return (NNG_ENOTSUP);
diff --git a/src/sp/transport/socket/sockfd_test.c b/src/sp/transport/socket/sockfd_test.c
index 01c9aa35d..485c67baf 100644
--- a/src/sp/transport/socket/sockfd_test.c
+++ b/src/sp/transport/socket/sockfd_test.c
@@ -188,8 +188,43 @@ test_sfd_large(void)
 	nng_free(buf, sz);
 }
 
-NUTS_TESTS = {
+void
+test_sockfd_close_pending(void)
+{
+	// this test verifies that closing a socket pair that has not
+	// started negotiation with the other side still works.
+	int fds[2];
+	nng_socket s0;
+	nng_listener l;
+
+	NUTS_PASS(nng_socket_pair(fds));
+	NUTS_OPEN(s0);
+	nng_listen(s0, "sock://", &l, 0);
+	nng_listener_set_int(l, NNG_OPT_SOCKET_FD, fds[0]);
+	nng_msleep(10);
+	NUTS_CLOSE(s0);
+	close(fds[1]);
+}
+
+void
+test_sockfd_close_peer(void)
+{
+	// this test verifies that closing a socket peer
+	// during negotiation is ok.
+	int fds[2];
+	nng_socket s0;
+	nng_listener l;
 
+	NUTS_PASS(nng_socket_pair(fds));
+	NUTS_OPEN(s0);
+	nng_listen(s0, "sock://", &l, 0);
+	nng_listener_set_int(l, NNG_OPT_SOCKET_FD, fds[0]);
+	close(fds[1]);
+	nng_msleep(100);
+	NUTS_CLOSE(s0);
+}
+
+NUTS_TESTS = {
 	{ "socket connect fail", test_sfd_connect_fail },
 	{ "socket malformed address", test_sfd_malformed_address },
 #ifdef NNG_HAVE_SOCKETPAIR
@@ -198,6 +233,8 @@ NUTS_TESTS = {
 	{ "socket exchange", test_sfd_exchange },
 	{ "socket recv max", test_sfd_recv_max },
 	{ "socket exchange large", test_sfd_large },
+	{ "socket close pending", test_sockfd_close_pending },
+	{ "socket close peer", test_sockfd_close_peer },
 #endif
 
 	{ NULL, NULL },