diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 0abc702..b73116b 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -214,60 +214,66 @@ func (cs *clientStream) RecvMsg(m interface{}) error {
 	if cs.remoteClosed {
 		return io.EOF
 	}
+
+	var msg *streamMessage
 	select {
 	case <-cs.ctx.Done():
 		return cs.ctx.Err()
-	case msg, ok := <-cs.s.recv:
-		if !ok {
+	case <-cs.s.recvClose:
+		// If recv has a pending message, process that first
+		select {
+		case msg = <-cs.s.recv:
+		default:
 			return cs.s.recvErr
 		}
+	case msg = <-cs.s.recv:
+	}
 
-		if msg.header.Type == messageTypeResponse {
-			resp := &Response{}
-			err := proto.Unmarshal(msg.payload[:msg.header.Length], resp)
-			// return the payload buffer for reuse
-			cs.c.channel.putmbuf(msg.payload)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
+	if msg.header.Type == messageTypeResponse {
+		resp := &Response{}
+		err := proto.Unmarshal(msg.payload[:msg.header.Length], resp)
+		// return the payload buffer for reuse
+		cs.c.channel.putmbuf(msg.payload)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
-			if err := cs.c.codec.Unmarshal(resp.Payload, m); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
+		if err := cs.c.codec.Unmarshal(resp.Payload, m); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
-			if resp.Status != nil && resp.Status.Code != int32(codes.OK) {
-				return status.ErrorProto(resp.Status)
-			}
+		if resp.Status != nil && resp.Status.Code != int32(codes.OK) {
+			return status.ErrorProto(resp.Status)
+		}
 
+		cs.c.deleteStream(cs.s)
+		cs.remoteClosed = true
+
+		return nil
+	} else if msg.header.Type == messageTypeData {
+		if !cs.desc.StreamingServer {
+			cs.c.deleteStream(cs.s)
+			cs.remoteClosed = true
+			return fmt.Errorf("received data from non-streaming server: %w", ErrProtocol)
+		}
+		if msg.header.Flags&flagRemoteClosed == flagRemoteClosed {
 			cs.c.deleteStream(cs.s)
 			cs.remoteClosed = true
 
-			return nil
-		} else if msg.header.Type == messageTypeData {
-			if !cs.desc.StreamingServer {
-				cs.c.deleteStream(cs.s)
-				cs.remoteClosed = true
-				return fmt.Errorf("received data from non-streaming server: %w", ErrProtocol)
+			if msg.header.Flags&flagNoData == flagNoData {
+				return io.EOF
 			}
-			if msg.header.Flags&flagRemoteClosed == flagRemoteClosed {
-				cs.c.deleteStream(cs.s)
-				cs.remoteClosed = true
-
-				if msg.header.Flags&flagNoData == flagNoData {
-					return io.EOF
-				}
-			}
-
-			err := cs.c.codec.Unmarshal(msg.payload[:msg.header.Length], m)
-			cs.c.channel.putmbuf(msg.payload)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			return nil
 		}
 
-		return fmt.Errorf("unexpected %q message received: %w", msg.header.Type, ErrProtocol)
+		err := cs.c.codec.Unmarshal(msg.payload[:msg.header.Length], m)
+		cs.c.channel.putmbuf(msg.payload)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		return nil
 	}
+
+	return fmt.Errorf("unexpected %q message received: %w", msg.header.Type, ErrProtocol)
 }
 
 // Close closes the ttrpc connection and underlying connection
@@ -482,11 +488,9 @@ func (c *Client) dispatch(ctx context.Context, req *Request, resp *Response) err
 		return ctx.Err()
 	case <-c.ctx.Done():
 		return ErrClosed
-	case msg, ok := <-s.recv:
-		if !ok {
-			return s.recvErr
-		}
-
+	case <-s.recvClose:
+		return s.recvErr
+	case msg := <-s.recv:
 		if msg.header.Type == messageTypeResponse {
 			err = proto.Unmarshal(msg.payload[:msg.header.Length], resp)
 		} else {
diff --git a/stream.go b/stream.go
index 5f264fe..739a4c9 100644
--- a/stream.go
+++ b/stream.go
@@ -35,27 +35,26 @@ type stream struct {
 
 	closeOnce sync.Once
 	recvErr   error
+	recvClose chan struct{}
 }
 
 func newStream(id streamID, send sender) *stream {
 	return &stream{
-		id:     id,
-		sender: send,
-		recv:   make(chan *streamMessage, 1),
+		id:        id,
+		sender:    send,
+		recv:      make(chan *streamMessage, 1),
+		recvClose: make(chan struct{}),
 	}
 }
 
 func (s *stream) closeWithError(err error) error {
 	s.closeOnce.Do(func() {
-		if s.recv != nil {
-			close(s.recv)
-			if err != nil {
-				s.recvErr = err
-			} else {
-				s.recvErr = ErrClosed
-			}
-
+		if err != nil {
+			s.recvErr = err
+		} else {
+			s.recvErr = ErrClosed
 		}
+		close(s.recvClose)
 	})
 	return nil
 }
@@ -65,10 +64,14 @@ func (s *stream) send(mt messageType, flags uint8, b []byte) error {
 }
 
 func (s *stream) receive(ctx context.Context, msg *streamMessage) error {
-	if s.recvErr != nil {
+	select {
+	case <-s.recvClose:
 		return s.recvErr
+	default:
 	}
 	select {
+	case <-s.recvClose:
+		return s.recvErr
 	case s.recv <- msg:
 		return nil
 	case <-ctx.Done():