diff --git a/src/net.cc b/src/net.cc
index 99c88d3b9a..a83885e464 100644
--- a/src/net.cc
+++ b/src/net.cc
@@ -87,26 +87,13 @@ Connection::ReadyStateGetter (Local<String> _, const AccessorInfo& info)
 
   HandleScope scope;
 
-  if (connection->socket_.got_full_close) {
-    return CLOSED_SYMBOL;
+  switch(connection->ReadyState()) {
+    case OPEN: return OPEN_SYMBOL;
+    case CLOSED: return CLOSED_SYMBOL;
+    case READ_ONLY: return READ_ONLY_SYMBOL;
+    case WRITE_ONLY: return WRITE_ONLY_SYMBOL;
   }
 
-  if (connection->socket_.got_half_close) {
-    if (connection->socket_.read_action)
-      return READ_ONLY_SYMBOL;
-    else
-      return CLOSED_SYMBOL;
-  }
-
-  if (connection->socket_.read_action && connection->socket_.write_action)
-    return OPEN_SYMBOL;
-  else if (connection->socket_.write_action)
-    return WRITE_ONLY_SYMBOL;
-  else if (connection->socket_.read_action)
-    return READ_ONLY_SYMBOL;
-  else
-    return CLOSED_SYMBOL;
-
   assert(0 && "This shouldnt happen");
   return ThrowException(String::New("This shouldn't happen."));
 }
@@ -343,6 +330,11 @@ Connection::SendUtf8 (const Arguments& args)
   Connection *connection = NODE_UNWRAP(Connection, args.Holder());
   if (!connection) return Handle<Value>();
 
+  if ( connection->ReadyState() != OPEN 
+    && connection->ReadyState() != WRITE_ONLY
+     ) 
+    return ThrowException(String::New("Socket is not open for writing"));
+
   if (!args[0]->IsString())
     return ThrowException(String::New("Must have string argument"));
 
@@ -363,6 +355,11 @@ Connection::Send (const Arguments& args)
   Connection *connection = NODE_UNWRAP(Connection, args.Holder());
   if (!connection) return Handle<Value>();
 
+  if ( connection->ReadyState() != OPEN 
+    && connection->ReadyState() != WRITE_ONLY
+     ) 
+    return ThrowException(String::New("Socket is not open for writing"));
+
   // XXX
   // A lot of improvement can be made here. First of all we're allocating
   // oi_bufs for every send which is clearly inefficent - it should use a
diff --git a/src/net.h b/src/net.h
index 985e7f5289..a8c056ae4e 100644
--- a/src/net.h
+++ b/src/net.h
@@ -56,6 +56,25 @@ protected:
 
   enum encoding encoding_;
 
+  enum readyState { OPEN, CLOSED, READ_ONLY, WRITE_ONLY };
+  enum readyState ReadyState ( )
+  {
+    if (socket_.got_full_close)
+      return CLOSED;
+
+    if (socket_.got_half_close)
+      return (socket_.read_action == NULL ? CLOSED : READ_ONLY);
+
+    if (socket_.read_action && socket_.write_action)
+      return OPEN;
+    else if (socket_.write_action)
+      return WRITE_ONLY;
+    else if (socket_.read_action)
+      return READ_ONLY;
+    
+    return CLOSED;
+  }
+
 private:
 
   /* liboi callbacks */
diff --git a/test/test-pingpong.js b/test/test-pingpong.js
index 1984fdc433..28724b7b4c 100644
--- a/test/test-pingpong.js
+++ b/test/test-pingpong.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ function Ponger (socket) {
   puts("got socket.");
 
   socket.onReceive = function (data) {
+    assertEquals("open", socket.readyState);
     //puts("server recved data: " + JSON.stringify(data));
     assertTrue(count <= N);
     stdout.print("-");
@@ -20,11 +21,13 @@ function Ponger (socket) {
   };
 
   socket.onEOF = function () {
+    assertEquals("writeOnly", socket.readyState);
     puts("ponger: onEOF");
     socket.close();
   };
 
   socket.onDisconnect = function () {
+    assertEquals("closed", socket.readyState);
     puts("ponger: onDisconnect");
     socket.server.close();
   };
@@ -35,15 +38,18 @@ function onLoad() {
   server.listen(port);
 
   var client = new node.tcp.Connection();
+  assertEquals("closed", client.readyState);
 
   client.encoding = "UTF8";
 
   client.onConnect = function () {
+    assertEquals("open", client.readyState);
     puts("client is connected.");
     client.send("PING");
   };
 
   client.onReceive = function (data) {
+    assertEquals("open", client.readyState);
     //puts("client recved data: " + JSON.stringify(data));
     stdout.print(".");
     assertEquals("PONG", data);
@@ -55,7 +61,7 @@ function onLoad() {
       client.close();
     }
   };
-
+  
   client.onEOF = function () {
     puts("pinger: onEOF");
     assertEquals(N, count);