diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/connection/channel/SocketStreamCopyMonitor.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/connection/channel/SocketStreamCopyMonitor.java
index a6c524df5..630d080dd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/connection/channel/SocketStreamCopyMonitor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/connection/channel/SocketStreamCopyMonitor.java
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ private SocketStreamCopyMonitor(Runnable r) {
         setDaemon(true);
     }
 
-    private static Closeable wrapSocket(final Socket socket) {
+    public static Closeable wrapSocket(final Socket socket) {
         return new Closeable() {
             @Override
             public void close()
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/connection/channel/direct/LocalPortForwarder.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/connection/channel/direct/LocalPortForwarder.java
index 9ea10bf51..421951b4e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/connection/channel/direct/LocalPortForwarder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/connection/channel/direct/LocalPortForwarder.java
@@ -16,12 +16,12 @@
 package net.schmizz.sshj.connection.channel.direct;
 
 import net.schmizz.concurrent.Event;
+import net.schmizz.sshj.common.IOUtils;
 import net.schmizz.sshj.common.SSHPacket;
 import net.schmizz.sshj.common.StreamCopier;
 import net.schmizz.sshj.connection.Connection;
-import net.schmizz.sshj.connection.ConnectionException;
 import net.schmizz.sshj.connection.channel.SocketStreamCopyMonitor;
-import net.schmizz.sshj.transport.TransportException;
+
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
@@ -112,11 +112,15 @@ public LocalPortForwarder(Connection conn, Parameters parameters, ServerSocket s
         this.serverSocket = serverSocket;
     }
 
-    protected DirectTCPIPChannel openChannel(Socket socket)
-            throws TransportException, ConnectionException {
-        final DirectTCPIPChannel chan = new DirectTCPIPChannel(conn, socket, parameters);
-        chan.open();
-        return chan;
+    private void startChannel(Socket socket) throws IOException {
+        DirectTCPIPChannel chan = new DirectTCPIPChannel(conn, socket, parameters);
+        try {
+            chan.open();
+            chan.start();
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            IOUtils.closeQuietly(chan, SocketStreamCopyMonitor.wrapSocket(socket));
+            throw e;
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -130,7 +134,7 @@ public void listen()
         while (!Thread.currentThread().isInterrupted()) {
             final Socket socket = serverSocket.accept();
             log.debug("Got connection from {}", socket.getRemoteSocketAddress());
-            openChannel(socket).start();
+            startChannel(socket);
         }
         log.debug("Interrupted!");
     }