diff --git a/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkiverse/mcp/server/test/close/CloseTest.java b/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkiverse/mcp/server/test/close/CloseTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30b2ba3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deployment/src/test/java/io/quarkiverse/mcp/server/test/close/CloseTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+package io.quarkiverse.mcp.server.test.close;
+
+import static io.restassured.RestAssured.given;
+
+import java.net.URI;
+import java.net.URISyntaxException;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.extension.RegisterExtension;
+
+import io.quarkiverse.mcp.server.test.McpClient;
+import io.quarkiverse.mcp.server.test.McpServerTest;
+import io.quarkus.test.QuarkusUnitTest;
+import io.restassured.http.ContentType;
+import io.vertx.core.json.JsonObject;
+
+public class CloseTest extends McpServerTest {
+
+    @RegisterExtension
+    static final QuarkusUnitTest config = new QuarkusUnitTest()
+            .withApplicationRoot(root -> root.addClasses(McpClient.class));
+
+    @Test
+    public void testPing() throws URISyntaxException {
+        URI endpoint = initClient();
+
+        JsonObject closeMessage = newMessage("q/close");
+
+        given()
+                .contentType(ContentType.JSON)
+                .when()
+                .body(closeMessage.encode())
+                .post(endpoint)
+                .then()
+                .statusCode(200);
+
+        given()
+                .contentType(ContentType.JSON)
+                .when()
+                .body(closeMessage.encode())
+                .post(endpoint)
+                .then()
+                .statusCode(400);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkiverse/mcp/server/runtime/McpMessagesHandler.java b/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkiverse/mcp/server/runtime/McpMessagesHandler.java
index 84e79c1..16192c2 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkiverse/mcp/server/runtime/McpMessagesHandler.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkiverse/mcp/server/runtime/McpMessagesHandler.java
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ private void initializing(JsonObject message, RoutingContext ctx, McpConnectionI
     private static final String TOOLS_LIST = "tools/list";
     private static final String TOOLS_CALL = "tools/call";
     private static final String PING = "ping";
+    // non-standard messages
+    private static final String Q_CLOSE = "q/close";
 
     private void operation(JsonObject message, RoutingContext ctx, McpConnectionImpl connection) {
         String method = message.getString("method");
@@ -132,6 +134,7 @@ private void operation(JsonObject message, RoutingContext ctx, McpConnectionImpl
             case TOOLS_LIST -> toolHandler.toolsList(message, ctx);
             case TOOLS_CALL -> toolHandler.toolsCall(message, ctx, connection);
             case PING -> ping(message, ctx);
+            case Q_CLOSE -> close(ctx, connection);
             default -> throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unsupported method: " + method);
         }
     }
@@ -144,6 +147,16 @@ private void ping(JsonObject message, RoutingContext ctx) {
         ctx.end(newResult(id, new JsonObject()).encode());
     }
 
+    private void close(RoutingContext ctx, McpConnectionImpl connection) {
+        if (connectionManager.remove(connection.id())) {
+            LOG.infof("Connection %s closed", connection.id());
+            ctx.end();
+        } else {
+            LOG.errorf("Unable to close connection %s", connection.id());
+            ctx.fail(400);
+        }
+    }
+
     private InitializeRequest decodeInitializeRequest(JsonObject params) {
         JsonObject clientInfo = params.getJsonObject("clientInfo");
         Implementation implementation = new Implementation(clientInfo.getString("name"), clientInfo.getString("version"));
diff --git a/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkiverse/mcp/server/runtime/McpServerRecorder.java b/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkiverse/mcp/server/runtime/McpServerRecorder.java
index 134af4c..a6355ac 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkiverse/mcp/server/runtime/McpServerRecorder.java
+++ b/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkiverse/mcp/server/runtime/McpServerRecorder.java
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package io.quarkiverse.mcp.server.runtime;
 
+import java.lang.invoke.MethodHandles;
+import java.lang.invoke.VarHandle;
 import java.util.Base64;
 import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
@@ -10,8 +12,11 @@
 import io.quarkus.arc.ArcContainer;
 import io.quarkus.runtime.annotations.Recorder;
 import io.vertx.core.Handler;
+import io.vertx.core.http.HttpConnection;
 import io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders;
+import io.vertx.core.http.HttpServerRequest;
 import io.vertx.core.http.HttpServerResponse;
+import io.vertx.core.net.impl.ConnectionBase;
 import io.vertx.ext.web.Route;
 import io.vertx.ext.web.RoutingContext;
 
@@ -53,6 +58,8 @@ public void handle(RoutingContext ctx) {
 
                 McpConnectionImpl connection = new McpConnectionImpl(id, response);
                 connectionManager.add(connection);
+                // TODO we cannot override the close handler set/used by Quarkus HTTP
+                setCloseHandler(ctx.request(), id, connectionManager);
 
                 // /mcp/messages?id=generatedId
                 String endpointPath = mcpPath + "/messages/" + id;
@@ -63,6 +70,33 @@ public void handle(RoutingContext ctx) {
         };
     }
 
+    private void setCloseHandler(HttpServerRequest request, String connectionId, ConnectionManager connectionManager) {
+        HttpConnection connection = request.connection();
+        if (connection instanceof ConnectionBase base) {
+            try {
+                MethodHandles.Lookup lookup = MethodHandles.privateLookupIn(ConnectionBase.class, MethodHandles.lookup());
+                VarHandle varHandle = lookup.findVarHandle(ConnectionBase.class, "closeHandler", Handler.class);
+                Handler<Void> closeHandler = (Handler<Void>) varHandle.get(base);
+                base.closeHandler(new Handler<Void>() {
+                    @Override
+                    public void handle(Void event) {
+                        if (closeHandler != null) {
+                            closeHandler.handle(event);
+                        }
+                        if (connectionManager.remove(connectionId)) {
+                            LOG.infof("Connection %s closed", connectionId);
+                        }
+                        // Connection may have been removed earlier...
+                    }
+                });
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                LOG.warnf(e, "Unable to set close handler - client should close the connection [%s] explicitly", connectionId);
+            }
+        } else {
+            LOG.warnf("Unable to set close handler - client should close the connection [%s] explicitly", connectionId);
+        }
+    }
+
     public Consumer<Route> addBodyHandler(Handler<RoutingContext> bodyHandler) {
         return new Consumer<Route>() {