diff --git a/netconfig/.api b/netconfig/.api
index c6b4471..b7db259 100644
--- a/netconfig/.api
+++ b/netconfig/.api
@@ -10,5 +10,5 @@
 pkg netconfig, type IPRoute struct, Net net.IPNet
 pkg netconfig, type IPRoute struct, PreferredSource net.IP
 pkg netconfig, type NetConfigWatcher interface { Channel, Stop }
-pkg netconfig, type NetConfigWatcher interface, Channel() chan struct{}
+pkg netconfig, type NetConfigWatcher interface, Channel() <-chan struct{}
 pkg netconfig, type NetConfigWatcher interface, Stop()
diff --git a/netconfig/ipaux_bsd.go b/netconfig/ipaux_bsd.go
index 63e0078..d8bae90 100644
--- a/netconfig/ipaux_bsd.go
+++ b/netconfig/ipaux_bsd.go
@@ -42,10 +42,14 @@
 		return
 	}
 	w.stopped = true
+	if w.t != nil {
+		w.t.Stop()
+		w.t = nil
+	}
 	syscall.Close(w.s)
 }
 
-func (w *bsdNetConfigWatcher) Channel() chan struct{} {
+func (w *bsdNetConfigWatcher) Channel() <-chan struct{} {
 	return w.c
 }
 
@@ -80,7 +84,10 @@
 }
 
 func (w *bsdNetConfigWatcher) watcher() {
-	defer w.Stop()
+	defer func() {
+		w.Stop()
+		close(w.c)
+	}()
 
 	// Loop waiting for messages.
 	for {
@@ -111,7 +118,7 @@
 			// NOTE(p): I chose 3 seconds because that covers all the
 			// events involved in moving from one wifi network to another.
 			w.Lock()
-			if w.t == nil {
+			if w.t == nil && !w.stopped {
 				w.t = time.AfterFunc(3*time.Second, w.ding)
 			}
 			w.Unlock()
diff --git a/netconfig/ipaux_linux.go b/netconfig/ipaux_linux.go
index 15ec84e..c2c3d5a 100644
--- a/netconfig/ipaux_linux.go
+++ b/netconfig/ipaux_linux.go
@@ -269,11 +269,15 @@
 	if w.stopped {
 		return
 	}
+	if w.t != nil {
+		w.t.Stop()
+		w.t = nil
+	}
 	w.stopped = true
 	syscall.Close(w.s)
 }
 
-func (w *rtnetlinkWatcher) Channel() chan struct{} {
+func (w *rtnetlinkWatcher) Channel() <-chan struct{} {
 	return w.c
 }
 
@@ -319,6 +323,10 @@
 }
 
 func (w *rtnetlinkWatcher) watcher() {
+	defer func() {
+		w.Stop()
+		close(w.c)
+	}()
 	var newAddrs []net.IP
 	for {
 		rb := make([]byte, 4096)
@@ -361,21 +369,14 @@
 			// NOTE(p): I chose 3 seconds because that covers all the
 			// events involved in moving from one wifi network to another.
 			w.Lock()
-			if w.t == nil {
+			if w.t == nil && !w.stopped {
 				w.t = time.AfterFunc(3*time.Second, w.ding)
 			}
 			w.Unlock()
 		}
 	}
-
-	w.Stop()
-	w.Lock()
-	close(w.c)
-	if w.t != nil {
-		w.t.Stop()
-	}
-	w.Unlock()
 }
+
 func toIP(a []byte) (net.IP, error) {
 	switch len(a) {
 	case 4:
diff --git a/netconfig/ipaux_other.go b/netconfig/ipaux_other.go
index 81501d0..2d549e5 100644
--- a/netconfig/ipaux_other.go
+++ b/netconfig/ipaux_other.go
@@ -20,12 +20,11 @@
 	stop chan struct{} // channel to tell the watcher to stop
 }
 
-// Stop any waiter
 func (w *timerNetConfigWatcher) Stop() {
 	w.stop <- struct{}{}
 }
 
-func (w *timerNetConfigWatcher) Channel() chan struct{} {
+func (w *timerNetConfigWatcher) Channel() <-chan struct{} {
 	return w.c
 }
 
diff --git a/netconfig/ipaux_test.go b/netconfig/ipaux_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e57cacd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/netconfig/ipaux_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+// Copyright 2016 The Vanadium Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package netconfig
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestNetConfigWatcherStop(t *testing.T) {
+	w, err := NewNetConfigWatcher()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	w.Stop()
+	// The channel should eventually be closed when the watcher exits.
+	// If it doesn't close, then this test will run into a timeout.
+	for range w.Channel() {
+	}
+}
diff --git a/netconfig/model.go b/netconfig/model.go
index b0568db..cbd0f8f 100644
--- a/netconfig/model.go
+++ b/netconfig/model.go
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@
 	// A channel that returns an item whenever the network addresses or
 	// interfaces have changed. It is up to the caller to reread the
 	// network configuration in such cases.
-	Channel() chan struct{}
+	//
+	// The channel will be closed when the watcher exits.
+	Channel() <-chan struct{}
 }
 
 // IPRoute represents a route in the kernel's routing table.