diff --git a/ncat/ncat_posix.c b/ncat/ncat_posix.c
index 12207c066..3db875b19 100644
--- a/ncat/ncat_posix.c
+++ b/ncat/ncat_posix.c
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ void netexec(struct fdinfo *info, char *cmdexec)
     int child_stdout[2];
     int pid;
     int crlf_state;
+    int eof_fd, eof_child;
 
     char buf[DEFAULT_TCP_BUF_LEN];
     int maxfd;
@@ -268,13 +269,17 @@ void netexec(struct fdinfo *info, char *cmdexec)
        writes to the socket. We exit the loop on any read error (or EOF). On a
        write error we just close the opposite side of the conversation. */
     crlf_state = 0;
-    for (;;) {
+    eof_fd = 0;
+    eof_child = 0;
+    while (!eof_fd || !eof_child) {
         fd_set fds;
         int r, n_r;
 
         FD_ZERO(&fds);
-        FD_SET(info->fd, &fds);
-        FD_SET(child_stdout[0], &fds);
+        if (!eof_fd)
+            FD_SET(info->fd, &fds);
+        if (!eof_child)
+            FD_SET(child_stdout[0], &fds);
 
         r = fselect(maxfd + 1, &fds, NULL, NULL, NULL);
         if (r == -1) {
@@ -288,16 +293,23 @@ void netexec(struct fdinfo *info, char *cmdexec)
 
             do {
                 n_r = ncat_recv(info, buf, sizeof(buf), &pending);
-                if (n_r <= 0)
-                    goto loop_end;
+                if (n_r <= 0) {
+                    if (!o.noshutdown)
+                        close(child_stdin[1]);
+                    eof_fd = 1;
+                    break;
+                }
                 write_loop(child_stdin[1], buf, n_r);
             } while (pending);
         }
         if (FD_ISSET(child_stdout[0], &fds)) {
             char *crlf = NULL, *wbuf;
             n_r = read(child_stdout[0], buf, sizeof(buf));
-            if (n_r <= 0)
-                break;
+            if (n_r <= 0) {
+                if (!o.noshutdown)
+                    shutdown(info->fd, SHUT_WR);
+                eof_child = 1;
+            }
             wbuf = buf;
             if (o.crlf) {
                 if (fix_line_endings((char *) buf, &n_r, &crlf, &crlf_state))
@@ -308,7 +320,6 @@ void netexec(struct fdinfo *info, char *cmdexec)
                 free(crlf);
         }
     }
-loop_end:
 
 #ifdef HAVE_OPENSSL
     if (info->ssl != NULL) {