diff --git a/pygazebo/pygazebo.py b/pygazebo/pygazebo.py
index 8e1f12c..d01e676 100755
--- a/pygazebo/pygazebo.py
+++ b/pygazebo/pygazebo.py
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def remove(self):
 
     class WriteFuture(asyncio.Future):
         def __init__(self, publisher, connections):
-            super(Publisher.WriteFuture, self).__init__(self)
+            super(Publisher.WriteFuture, self).__init__()
 
             self.publisher = publisher
             self.connections = dict((x, True) for x in connections)
@@ -102,7 +102,8 @@ def handle_done(self, future, connection):
 
             try:
                 future.result()
-            except:
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.debug('write error, closing connection:', str(e))
                 if connection in self.publisher._listeners:
                     self.publisher._listeners.remove(connection)
 
@@ -117,7 +118,8 @@ def _publish_impl(self, message):
         for connection in self._listeners:
             future = connection.write(message)
             future.add_done_callback(
-                lambda future: result.handle_done(future, connection))
+                lambda future, connection=connection: result.handle_done(
+                    future, connection))
 
         return result
 
diff --git a/tests/test_pygazebo.py b/tests/test_pygazebo.py
index cf6f26b..b04e361 100755
--- a/tests/test_pygazebo.py
+++ b/tests/test_pygazebo.py
@@ -406,12 +406,14 @@ def test_send(self, manager):
 
         sample_message = gz_string_pb2.GzString()
         sample_message.data = 'testdata'
-        publisher.publish(sample_message)
+        publish_future = publisher.publish(sample_message)
 
         loop.run_until_complete(read_data1)
         data_frame = read_data1.result()
         assert data_frame == sample_message.SerializeToString()
 
+        assert loop.run_until_complete(publish_future) is None
+
         # Test sending a very large message, it should require no
         # individual writes which are too large.
         read_data2 = asyncio.Future()