diff --git a/codec-http2/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/Http2ConnectionHandler.java b/codec-http2/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/Http2ConnectionHandler.java
index 36073ed1bc..49edaf9440 100644
--- a/codec-http2/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/Http2ConnectionHandler.java
+++ b/codec-http2/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/Http2ConnectionHandler.java
@@ -184,25 +184,21 @@ public class Http2ConnectionHandler extends ByteToMessageDecoder implements Http
         public void channelActive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception { }
 
         public void channelInactive(ChannelHandlerContext ctx) throws Exception {
-            try {
-                final Http2Connection connection = connection();
-                // Check if there are streams to avoid the overhead of creating the ChannelFuture.
-                if (connection.numActiveStreams() > 0) {
-                    final ChannelFuture future = ctx.newSucceededFuture();
-                    connection.forEachActiveStream(new Http2StreamVisitor() {
-                        @Override
-                        public boolean visit(Http2Stream stream) throws Http2Exception {
-                            closeStream(stream, future);
-                            return true;
-                        }
-                    });
-                }
-            } finally {
-                try {
-                    encoder().close();
-                } finally {
-                    decoder().close();
-                }
+            // Connection has terminated, close the encoder and decoder.
+            encoder().close();
+            decoder().close();
+
+            final Http2Connection connection = connection();
+            // Check if there are streams to avoid the overhead of creating the ChannelFuture.
+            if (connection.numActiveStreams() > 0) {
+                final ChannelFuture future = ctx.newSucceededFuture();
+                connection.forEachActiveStream(new Http2StreamVisitor() {
+                    @Override
+                    public boolean visit(Http2Stream stream) throws Http2Exception {
+                        closeStream(stream, future);
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                });
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/codec-http2/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/StreamBufferingEncoder.java b/codec-http2/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/StreamBufferingEncoder.java
index 7da5cf7229..7ed8e860c2 100644
--- a/codec-http2/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/StreamBufferingEncoder.java
+++ b/codec-http2/src/main/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/StreamBufferingEncoder.java
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@ import static io.netty.handler.codec.http2.Http2Error.PROTOCOL_ERROR;
 import static io.netty.handler.codec.http2.Http2Exception.connectionError;
 
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
+import io.netty.buffer.ByteBufUtil;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelFuture;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelPromise;
+import io.netty.util.ByteString;
 import io.netty.util.ReferenceCountUtil;
 
 import java.util.ArrayDeque;
@@ -43,7 +45,7 @@ import java.util.TreeMap;
  * <p>
  * If a {@code GOAWAY} frame is received from the remote endpoint, all buffered writes for streams
  * with an ID less than the specified {@code lastStreamId} will immediately fail with a
- * {@link StreamBufferingEncoder.GoAwayException}.
+ * {@link Http2GoAwayException}.
  * <p/>
  * <p>This implementation makes the buffering mostly transparent and is expected to be used as a
  * drop-in decorator of {@link DefaultHttp2ConnectionEncoder}.
@@ -51,17 +53,28 @@ import java.util.TreeMap;
  */
 public class StreamBufferingEncoder extends DecoratingHttp2ConnectionEncoder {
 
+    /**
+     * Thrown if buffered streams are terminated due to this encoder being closed.
+     */
+    public static final class Http2ChannelClosedException extends Http2Exception {
+        private static final long serialVersionUID = 4768543442094476971L;
+
+        public Http2ChannelClosedException() {
+            super(Http2Error.REFUSED_STREAM, "Connection closed");
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Thrown by {@link StreamBufferingEncoder} if buffered streams are terminated due to
      * receipt of a {@code GOAWAY}.
      */
-    public static final class GoAwayException extends Http2Exception {
+    public static final class Http2GoAwayException extends Http2Exception {
         private static final long serialVersionUID = 1326785622777291198L;
         private final int lastStreamId;
         private final long errorCode;
-        private final ByteBuf debugData;
+        private final ByteString debugData;
 
-        public GoAwayException(int lastStreamId, long errorCode, ByteBuf debugData) {
+        public Http2GoAwayException(int lastStreamId, long errorCode, ByteString debugData) {
             super(Http2Error.STREAM_CLOSED);
             this.lastStreamId = lastStreamId;
             this.errorCode = errorCode;
@@ -76,7 +89,7 @@ public class StreamBufferingEncoder extends DecoratingHttp2ConnectionEncoder {
             return errorCode;
         }
 
-        public ByteBuf debugData() {
+        public ByteString debugData() {
             return debugData;
         }
     }
@@ -87,6 +100,7 @@ public class StreamBufferingEncoder extends DecoratingHttp2ConnectionEncoder {
      */
     private final TreeMap<Integer, PendingStream> pendingStreams = new TreeMap<Integer, PendingStream>();
     private int maxConcurrentStreams;
+    private boolean closed;
 
     public StreamBufferingEncoder(Http2ConnectionEncoder delegate) {
         this(delegate, SMALLEST_MAX_CONCURRENT_STREAMS);
@@ -127,6 +141,9 @@ public class StreamBufferingEncoder extends DecoratingHttp2ConnectionEncoder {
     public ChannelFuture writeHeaders(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, int streamId, Http2Headers headers,
                                       int streamDependency, short weight, boolean exclusive,
                                       int padding, boolean endOfStream, ChannelPromise promise) {
+        if (closed) {
+            return promise.setFailure(new Http2ChannelClosedException());
+        }
         if (isExistingStream(streamId) || connection().goAwayReceived()) {
             return super.writeHeaders(ctx, streamId, headers, streamDependency, weight,
                     exclusive, padding, endOfStream, promise);
@@ -198,8 +215,20 @@ public class StreamBufferingEncoder extends DecoratingHttp2ConnectionEncoder {
 
     @Override
     public void close() {
-        super.close();
-        cancelPendingStreams();
+        try {
+            if (!closed) {
+                closed = true;
+
+                // Fail all buffered streams.
+                Http2ChannelClosedException e = new Http2ChannelClosedException();
+                while (!pendingStreams.isEmpty()) {
+                    PendingStream stream = pendingStreams.pollFirstEntry().getValue();
+                    stream.close(e);
+                }
+            }
+        } finally {
+            super.close();
+        }
     }
 
     private void tryCreatePendingStreams() {
@@ -210,17 +239,10 @@ public class StreamBufferingEncoder extends DecoratingHttp2ConnectionEncoder {
         }
     }
 
-    private void cancelPendingStreams() {
-        Exception e = new Exception("Connection closed.");
-        while (!pendingStreams.isEmpty()) {
-            PendingStream stream = pendingStreams.pollFirstEntry().getValue();
-            stream.close(e);
-        }
-    }
-
     private void cancelGoAwayStreams(int lastStreamId, long errorCode, ByteBuf debugData) {
         Iterator<PendingStream> iter = pendingStreams.values().iterator();
-        Exception e = new GoAwayException(lastStreamId, errorCode, debugData);
+        Exception e = new Http2GoAwayException(lastStreamId, errorCode,
+                new ByteString(ByteBufUtil.getBytes(debugData), false));
         while (iter.hasNext()) {
             PendingStream stream = iter.next();
             if (stream.streamId > lastStreamId) {
diff --git a/codec-http2/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/StreamBufferingEncoderTest.java b/codec-http2/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/StreamBufferingEncoderTest.java
index e2b786a48f..ff21be9287 100644
--- a/codec-http2/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/StreamBufferingEncoderTest.java
+++ b/codec-http2/src/test/java/io/netty/handler/codec/http2/StreamBufferingEncoderTest.java
@@ -41,9 +41,9 @@ import io.netty.channel.ChannelFuture;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelPromise;
 import io.netty.channel.DefaultChannelPromise;
-import io.netty.handler.codec.http2.StreamBufferingEncoder.GoAwayException;
+import io.netty.handler.codec.http2.StreamBufferingEncoder.Http2ChannelClosedException;
+import io.netty.handler.codec.http2.StreamBufferingEncoder.Http2GoAwayException;
 import io.netty.util.ReferenceCountUtil;
-import io.netty.util.ReferenceCounted;
 import io.netty.util.concurrent.ImmediateEventExecutor;
 import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Before;
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ public class StreamBufferingEncoderTest {
         }
         assertEquals(4, encoder.numBufferedStreams());
 
-        connection.goAwayReceived(11, 8, null);
+        connection.goAwayReceived(11, 8, EMPTY_BUFFER);
 
         assertEquals(5, connection.numActiveStreams());
         // The 4 buffered streams must have been failed.
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ public class StreamBufferingEncoderTest {
 
         assertEquals(1, connection.numActiveStreams());
         assertEquals(2, encoder.numBufferedStreams());
-        verify(promise, never()).setFailure(any(GoAwayException.class));
+        verify(promise, never()).setFailure(any(Http2GoAwayException.class));
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -410,6 +410,28 @@ public class StreamBufferingEncoderTest {
         verify(data).release();
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void closeShouldCancelAllBufferedStreams() {
+        encoder.writeSettingsAck(ctx, promise);
+        connection.local().maxActiveStreams(0);
+
+        encoderWriteHeaders(3, promise);
+        encoderWriteHeaders(5, promise);
+        encoderWriteHeaders(7, promise);
+
+        encoder.close();
+        verify(promise, times(3)).setFailure(any(Http2ChannelClosedException.class));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void headersAfterCloseShouldImmediatelyFail() {
+        encoder.writeSettingsAck(ctx, promise);
+        encoder.close();
+
+        encoderWriteHeaders(3, promise);
+        verify(promise).setFailure(any(Http2ChannelClosedException.class));
+    }
+
     private void setMaxConcurrentStreams(int newValue) {
         try {
             encoder.remoteSettings(new Http2Settings().maxConcurrentStreams(newValue));