diff --git a/src/common/remoteio.c b/src/common/remoteio.c
--- a/src/common/remoteio.c
+++ b/src/common/remoteio.c
@@ -179,7 +179,8 @@ int remoteio_open_common(struct remoteio
 			 enum remoteio_method method,
 			 struct remoteio_opts *opts,
 			 remoteio_read_handle_func_t read_handler,
-			 void *read_handler_data)
+			 void *read_handler_data,
+			 remoteio_close_handle_func_t close_handler)
 {
   struct remoteio *rem;
 
@@ -200,6 +201,7 @@ int remoteio_open_common(struct remoteio
   rem->outmsgs = q_init();
   rem->read_handler = read_handler;
   rem->read_handler_data = read_handler_data;
+  rem->close_handler = close_handler;
   /*
    * the following initialization is very important... though the
    * others are too, I suppose :-p. See remoteio_close()
@@ -213,10 +215,11 @@ int remoteio_open_socket(struct remoteio
 			 struct remoteio_opts *opts,
 			 remoteio_read_handle_func_t read_handler,
 			 void *read_handler_data,
+			 remoteio_close_handle_func_t close_handler,
 			 int fd)
 {
   struct remoteio *rem;
-  if(remoteio_open_common(remoteio, REMOTEIO_METHOD_SOCKET, opts, read_handler, read_handler_data))
+  if(remoteio_open_common(remoteio, REMOTEIO_METHOD_SOCKET, opts, read_handler, read_handler_data, close_handler))
     return 1;
   rem = *remoteio;
 
@@ -230,6 +233,7 @@ int remoteio_open_server(struct remoteio
 			 struct remoteio_opts *opts,
 			 remoteio_read_handle_func_t read_handler,
 			 void *read_handler_data,
+			 remoteio_close_handle_func_t close_handler,
 			 const char *servername)
 {
   struct remoteio_server *theserver;
@@ -257,7 +261,7 @@ int remoteio_open_server(struct remoteio
       return 1;
     }
 
-  if(remoteio_open_common(remoteio, theserver->method, opts, read_handler, read_handler_data))
+  if(remoteio_open_common(remoteio, theserver->method, opts, read_handler, read_handler_data, close_handler))
     return 1;
   rem = *remoteio;
 
@@ -484,6 +488,10 @@ int remoteio_close(struct remoteio *rem)
       return 0;
     }
 
+  /* call close handler */
+  if(rem->close_handler)
+    (*rem->close_handler)(rem->opts->generic_handler_data, rem->read_handler_data);
+
   /* cleanup multiiio stuff */
   multiio_socket_del(rem->opts->multiio, rem->sock);