diff --git a/recws.go b/recws.go
index 1d4b27a..4faa7af 100644
--- a/recws.go
+++ b/recws.go
@@ -91,6 +91,18 @@ func (rc *RecConn) Close() {
 	rc.setIsConnected(false)
 }
 
+// Shutdown gracefully closes the connection by sending the websocket.CloseMessage.
+// The writeWait param defines the duration before the deadline of the write operation is hit.
+func (rc *RecConn) Shutdown(writeWait time.Duration) {
+	msg := websocket.FormatCloseMessage(websocket.CloseNormalClosure, "")
+	err := rc.WriteControl(websocket.CloseMessage, msg, time.Now().Add(writeWait))
+	if err != nil && err != websocket.ErrCloseSent {
+		// If close message could not be sent, then close without the handshake.
+		log.Printf("Shutdown: %v", err)
+		rc.Close()
+	}
+}
+
 // ReadMessage is a helper method for getting a reader
 // using NextReader and reading from that reader to a buffer.
 //
@@ -99,6 +111,10 @@ func (rc *RecConn) ReadMessage() (messageType int, message []byte, err error) {
 	err = ErrNotConnected
 	if rc.IsConnected() {
 		messageType, message, err = rc.Conn.ReadMessage()
+		if websocket.IsCloseError(err, websocket.CloseNormalClosure) {
+			rc.Close()
+			return messageType, message, nil
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			rc.CloseAndReconnect()
 		}
@@ -117,6 +133,10 @@ func (rc *RecConn) WriteMessage(messageType int, data []byte) error {
 		rc.mu.Lock()
 		err = rc.Conn.WriteMessage(messageType, data)
 		rc.mu.Unlock()
+		if websocket.IsCloseError(err, websocket.CloseNormalClosure) {
+			rc.Close()
+			return nil
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			rc.CloseAndReconnect()
 		}
@@ -137,6 +157,10 @@ func (rc *RecConn) WriteJSON(v interface{}) error {
 		rc.mu.Lock()
 		err = rc.Conn.WriteJSON(v)
 		rc.mu.Unlock()
+		if websocket.IsCloseError(err, websocket.CloseNormalClosure) {
+			rc.Close()
+			return nil
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			rc.CloseAndReconnect()
 		}
@@ -156,6 +180,10 @@ func (rc *RecConn) ReadJSON(v interface{}) error {
 	err := ErrNotConnected
 	if rc.IsConnected() {
 		err = rc.Conn.ReadJSON(v)
+		if websocket.IsCloseError(err, websocket.CloseNormalClosure) {
+			rc.Close()
+			return nil
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			rc.CloseAndReconnect()
 		}
@@ -421,7 +449,7 @@ func (rc *RecConn) connect() {
 			if rc.getKeepAliveTimeout() != 0 {
 				rc.keepAlive()
 			}
-		
+
 			return
 		}