diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 2f15830..117f08f 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -52,18 +52,19 @@ const defaultPingInterval = 5 * time.Second
 // API. Plugins can register with an extension manager, which handles the
 // communication with the osquery process.
 type ExtensionManagerServer struct {
-	name         string
-	version      string
-	sockPath     string
-	serverClient ExtensionManager
-	registry     map[string](map[string]OsqueryPlugin)
-	server       thrift.TServer
-	transport    thrift.TServerTransport
-	timeout      time.Duration
-	pingInterval time.Duration // How often to ping osquery server
-	mutex        sync.Mutex
-	uuid         osquery.ExtensionRouteUUID
-	started      bool // Used to ensure tests wait until the server is actually started
+	name                       string
+	version                    string
+	sockPath                   string
+	serverClient               ExtensionManager
+	serverClientShouldShutdown bool // Whether to shutdown the client during server shutdown
+	registry                   map[string](map[string]OsqueryPlugin)
+	server                     thrift.TServer
+	transport                  thrift.TServerTransport
+	timeout                    time.Duration
+	pingInterval               time.Duration // How often to ping osquery server
+	mutex                      sync.Mutex
+	uuid                       osquery.ExtensionRouteUUID
+	started                    bool // Used to ensure tests wait until the server is actually started
 }
 
 // validRegistryNames contains the allowable RegistryName() values. If a plugin
@@ -157,6 +158,7 @@ func NewExtensionManagerServer(name string, sockPath string, opts ...ServerOptio
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		manager.serverClient = serverClient
+		manager.serverClientShouldShutdown = true
 	}
 
 	return manager, nil
@@ -253,6 +255,11 @@ func (s *ExtensionManagerServer) Run() error {
 		for {
 			time.Sleep(s.pingInterval)
 
+			// can't ping if s.Shutdown has already happened
+			if s.serverClient == nil {
+				break
+			}
+
 			status, err := s.serverClient.Ping()
 			if err != nil {
 				errc <- errors.Wrap(err, "extension ping failed")
@@ -326,6 +333,12 @@ func (s *ExtensionManagerServer) Shutdown(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 		}()
 	}
 
+	// Shutdown the client, if appropriate
+	if s.serverClientShouldShutdown && s.serverClient != nil {
+		s.serverClient.Close()
+		s.serverClient = nil
+	}
+
 	return
 }