diff --git a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/ntcp/NTCPConnection.java b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/ntcp/NTCPConnection.java
index 904bde97f..e60528c4b 100644
--- a/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/ntcp/NTCPConnection.java
+++ b/router/java/src/net/i2p/router/transport/ntcp/NTCPConnection.java
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ import net.i2p.util.VersionComparator;
 public class NTCPConnection implements Closeable {
     private final RouterContext _context;
     private final Log _log;
-    private SocketChannel _chan;
-    private SelectionKey _conKey;
+    private volatile SocketChannel _chan;
+    private volatile SelectionKey _conKey;
     private final FIFOBandwidthLimiter.CompleteListener _inboundListener;
     private final FIFOBandwidthLimiter.CompleteListener _outboundListener;
     /**
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ public class NTCPConnection implements Closeable {
     // prevent sending meta before established
     private long _nextMetaTime = Long.MAX_VALUE;
     private final AtomicInteger _consecutiveZeroReads = new AtomicInteger();
+    private final Object _readLock = new Object();
     private final Object _writeLock = new Object();
     private final Object _statLock = new Object();
 
@@ -269,14 +270,14 @@ public class NTCPConnection implements Closeable {
     /**
      *  Valid for inbound; valid for outbound shortly after creation
      */
-    public synchronized SocketChannel getChannel() { return _chan; }
+    public SocketChannel getChannel() { return _chan; }
 
     /**
      *  Valid for inbound; valid for outbound shortly after creation
      */
-    public synchronized SelectionKey getKey() { return _conKey; }
-    public synchronized void setChannel(SocketChannel chan) { _chan = chan; }
-    public synchronized void setKey(SelectionKey key) { _conKey = key; }
+    public SelectionKey getKey() { return _conKey; }
+    public void setChannel(SocketChannel chan) { _chan = chan; }
+    public void setKey(SelectionKey key) { _conKey = key; }
 
     public boolean isInbound() { return _isInbound; }
     public boolean isEstablished() { return _establishState.isComplete(); }
@@ -509,16 +510,10 @@ public class NTCPConnection implements Closeable {
         }
         _bwOutRequests.clear();
 
-        _writeBufs.clear();
-        ByteBuffer bb;
-        while ((bb = _readBufs.poll()) != null) {
-            EventPumper.releaseBuf(bb);
-        }
-
         List<OutNetMessage> pending = new ArrayList<OutNetMessage>();
-        //_outbound.drainAllTo(pending);
-        _outbound.drainTo(pending);
         synchronized(_writeLock) {
+            _writeBufs.clear();
+            _outbound.drainTo(pending);
             if (!_currentOutbound.isEmpty())
                 pending.addAll(_currentOutbound);
             _currentOutbound.clear();
@@ -526,20 +521,26 @@ public class NTCPConnection implements Closeable {
                 _sender.destroy();
                 _sender = null;
             }
+            // zero out everything we can
+            _sendSipk1 = 0;
+            _sendSipk2 = 0;
+            if (_sendSipIV != null) {
+                Arrays.fill(_sendSipIV, (byte) 0);
+                _sendSipIV = null;
+            }
         }
         for (OutNetMessage msg : pending) {
             _transport.afterSend(msg, false, allowRequeue, msg.getLifetime());
         }
-        // zero out everything we can
-        if (_curReadState != null) {
-            _curReadState.destroy();
-            _curReadState = null;
-        }
-        _sendSipk1 = 0;
-        _sendSipk2 = 0;
-        if (_sendSipIV != null) {
-            Arrays.fill(_sendSipIV, (byte) 0);
-            _sendSipIV = null;
+        synchronized(_readLock) {
+            ByteBuffer bb;
+            while ((bb = _readBufs.poll()) != null) {
+                EventPumper.releaseBuf(bb);
+            }
+            if (_curReadState != null) {
+                _curReadState.destroy();
+                _curReadState = null;
+            }
         }
         return old;
     }
@@ -850,7 +851,7 @@ public class NTCPConnection implements Closeable {
      */
     void sendTerminationAndClose() {
         ReadState rs = null;
-        synchronized (this) {
+        synchronized (_readLock) {
             if (_version == 2 && isEstablished())
                 rs = _curReadState;
         }
@@ -1243,10 +1244,12 @@ public class NTCPConnection implements Closeable {
      *
      * This is the entry point as called from Reader.processRead()
      */
-    synchronized void recvEncryptedI2NP(ByteBuffer buf) {
-        if (_curReadState == null)
-            throw new IllegalStateException("not established");
-        _curReadState.receive(buf);
+    void recvEncryptedI2NP(ByteBuffer buf) {
+        synchronized(_readLock) {
+            if (_curReadState == null)
+                throw new IllegalStateException("not established");
+            _curReadState.receive(buf);
+        }
     }
     
     /**
@@ -1718,8 +1721,10 @@ public class NTCPConnection implements Closeable {
             if (_log.shouldWarn())
                 _log.warn("delayed close, AEAD failure after " + validFramesRcvd +
                           " good frames, to read: " + toRead + " on " + this, new Exception("I did it"));
-            _curReadState = new NTCP2FailState(toRead, validFramesRcvd);
-            _curReadState.receive(buf);
+            synchronized(_readLock) {
+                _curReadState = new NTCP2FailState(toRead, validFramesRcvd);
+                _curReadState.receive(buf);
+            }
         } else {
             if (_log.shouldWarn())
                 _log.warn("immediate close, AEAD failure after " + validFramesRcvd +