diff --git a/alpaca_trade_api/stream.py b/alpaca_trade_api/stream.py
index d23a2221..8bcc78f9 100644
--- a/alpaca_trade_api/stream.py
+++ b/alpaca_trade_api/stream.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 import msgpack
 import re
 import websockets
-import queue
 
 from .common import get_base_url, get_data_stream_url, get_credentials, URL
 from .entity import Entity
@@ -59,7 +58,6 @@ def __init__(self,
         self._running = False
         self._loop = None
         self._raw_data = raw_data
-        self._stop_stream_queue = queue.Queue()
         self._handlers = {
             'trades':      {},
             'quotes':      {},
@@ -113,26 +111,14 @@ async def close(self):
 
     async def stop_ws(self):
         self._should_run = False
-        if self._stop_stream_queue.empty():
-            self._stop_stream_queue.put_nowait({"should_stop": True})
+        await self.close()
 
     async def _consume(self):
         while True:
-            if not self._stop_stream_queue.empty():
-                self._stop_stream_queue.get(timeout=1)
-                await self.close()
-                break
-            else:
-                try:
-                    r = await asyncio.wait_for(self._ws.recv(), 5)
-                    msgs = msgpack.unpackb(r)
-                    for msg in msgs:
-                        await self._dispatch(msg)
-                except asyncio.TimeoutError:
-                    # ws.recv is hanging when no data is received. by using
-                    # wait_for we break when no data is received, allowing us
-                    # to break the loop when needed
-                    pass
+            r = await self._ws.recv()
+            msgs = msgpack.unpackb(r)
+            for msg in msgs:
+                await self._dispatch(msg)
 
     def _cast(self, msg_type, msg):
         result = msg
@@ -230,14 +216,10 @@ async def _run_forever(self):
             v for k, v in self._handlers.items()
             if k not in ("cancelErrors", "corrections")
         ):
-            if not self._stop_stream_queue.empty():
-                # the ws was signaled to stop before starting the loop so
-                # we break
-                self._stop_stream_queue.get(timeout=1)
+            if not self._should_run:
                 return
             await asyncio.sleep(0.1)
         log.info(f'started {self._name} stream')
-        self._should_run = True
         self._running = False
         while True:
             try:
@@ -253,10 +235,10 @@ async def _run_forever(self):
                     self._running = True
                 await self._consume()
             except websockets.WebSocketException as wse:
-                await self.close()
-                self._running = False
-                log.warn('data websocket error, restarting connection: ' +
-                         str(wse))
+                if self._should_run:
+                    await self.close()
+                    log.warn('data websocket error, restarting connection: ' +
+                             str(wse))
             except Exception as e:
                 log.exception('error during websocket '
                               'communication: {}'.format(str(e)))
@@ -621,7 +603,6 @@ def __init__(self,
         self._running = False
         self._loop = None
         self._raw_data = raw_data
-        self._stop_stream_queue = queue.Queue()
         self._should_run = True
         self._websocket_params = websocket_params
 
@@ -686,31 +667,18 @@ async def _start_ws(self):
 
     async def _consume(self):
         while True:
-            if not self._stop_stream_queue.empty():
-                self._stop_stream_queue.get(timeout=1)
-                await self.close()
-                break
-            else:
-                try:
-                    r = await asyncio.wait_for(self._ws.recv(), 5)
-                    msg = json.loads(r)
-                    await self._dispatch(msg)
-                except asyncio.TimeoutError:
-                    # ws.recv is hanging when no data is received. by using
-                    # wait_for we break when no data is received, allowing us
-                    # to break the loop when needed
-                    pass
+            r = await self._ws.recv()
+            msg = json.loads(r)
+            await self._dispatch(msg)
 
     async def _run_forever(self):
         self._loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
         # do not start the websocket connection until we subscribe to something
         while not self._trade_updates_handler:
-            if not self._stop_stream_queue.empty():
-                self._stop_stream_queue.get(timeout=1)
+            if not self._should_run:
                 return
             await asyncio.sleep(0.1)
         log.info('started trading stream')
-        self._should_run = True
         self._running = False
         while True:
             try:
@@ -723,10 +691,10 @@ async def _run_forever(self):
                     self._running = True
                     await self._consume()
             except websockets.WebSocketException as wse:
-                await self.close()
-                self._running = False
-                log.warn('trading stream websocket error, restarting ' +
-                         ' connection: ' + str(wse))
+                if self._should_run:
+                    await self.close()
+                    log.warn('trading stream websocket error, restarting ' +
+                             ' connection: ' + str(wse))
             except Exception as e:
                 log.exception('error during websocket '
                               'communication: {}'.format(str(e)))
@@ -741,8 +709,7 @@ async def close(self):
 
     async def stop_ws(self):
         self._should_run = False
-        if self._stop_stream_queue.empty():
-            self._stop_stream_queue.put_nowait({"should_stop": True})
+        await self.close()
 
     def stop(self):
         if self._loop.is_running():