diff --git a/operator/rpc_client.go b/operator/rpc_client.go
index 9f2a63ae..2bef5337 100644
--- a/operator/rpc_client.go
+++ b/operator/rpc_client.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package operator
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/rpc"
 	"sync"
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ const (
 type RpcMessage = interface{}
 
 type AggregatorRpcClient struct {
-	rpcClientLock        sync.Mutex
+	rpcClientLock        sync.RWMutex
 	rpcClient            *rpc.Client
 	aggregatorIpPortAddr string
 
@@ -71,45 +72,77 @@ func (c *AggregatorRpcClient) WithMetrics(registry *prometheus.Registry) error {
 }
 
 func (c *AggregatorRpcClient) dialAggregatorRpcClient() error {
+	c.rpcClientLock.Lock()
+	defer c.rpcClientLock.Unlock()
+
+	if c.rpcClient != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	c.logger.Info("rpc client is nil. Dialing aggregator rpc client")
 
 	client, err := rpc.DialHTTP("tcp", c.aggregatorIpPortAddr)
 	if err != nil {
+		c.logger.Error("Error dialing aggregator rpc client", "err", err)
 		return err
 	}
+
 	c.rpcClient = client
+
 	return nil
 }
 
 func (c *AggregatorRpcClient) InitializeClientIfNotExist() error {
-	c.rpcClientLock.Lock()
-	defer c.rpcClientLock.Unlock()
-
+	c.rpcClientLock.RLock()
 	if c.rpcClient != nil {
+		c.rpcClientLock.RUnlock()
 		return nil
 	}
+	c.rpcClientLock.RUnlock()
 
 	return c.dialAggregatorRpcClient()
 }
+
+func (c *AggregatorRpcClient) handleRpcError(err error) error {
+	if err == rpc.ErrShutdown {
+		go c.handleRpcShutdown()
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (c *AggregatorRpcClient) handleRpcShutdown() {
+	c.rpcClientLock.Lock()
+	defer c.rpcClientLock.Unlock()
+
+	if c.rpcClient != nil {
+		c.logger.Info("Closing RPC client due to shutdown")
+
+		err := c.rpcClient.Close()
+		if err != nil {
+			c.logger.Error("Error closing RPC client", "err", err)
+		}
+
+		c.rpcClient = nil
+	}
+}
+
 func (c *AggregatorRpcClient) onTick() {
-	tickerC := c.resendTicker.C
 	for {
-		// TODO(edwin): handle closed chan
-		<-tickerC
-
-		{
-			c.unsentMessagesLock.Lock()
-			if len(c.unsentMessages) == 0 {
-				c.unsentMessagesLock.Unlock()
-				continue
-			}
-			c.unsentMessagesLock.Unlock()
-		}
+		<-c.resendTicker.C
 
 		err := c.InitializeClientIfNotExist()
 		if err != nil {
+			c.logger.Error("Error initializing client", "err", err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		c.unsentMessagesLock.Lock()
+		if len(c.unsentMessages) == 0 {
+			c.unsentMessagesLock.Unlock()
 			continue
 		}
+		c.unsentMessagesLock.Unlock()
 
 		c.tryResendFromDeque()
 	}
@@ -164,39 +197,42 @@ func (c *AggregatorRpcClient) tryResendFromDeque() {
 }
 
 func (c *AggregatorRpcClient) sendOperatorMessage(sendCb func() error, message RpcMessage) {
+	c.rpcClientLock.RLock()
+	defer c.rpcClientLock.RUnlock()
+
 	appendProtected := func() {
 		c.unsentMessagesLock.Lock()
 		c.unsentMessages = append(c.unsentMessages, message)
 		c.unsentMessagesLock.Unlock()
 	}
 
-	err := c.InitializeClientIfNotExist()
-	if err != nil {
+	if c.rpcClient == nil {
 		appendProtected()
 		return
 	}
 
 	c.logger.Info("Sending request to aggregator")
-	err = sendCb()
+	err := sendCb()
 	if err != nil {
+		c.handleRpcError(err)
 		appendProtected()
 		return
 	}
-
-	c.tryResendFromDeque()
 }
 
 func (c *AggregatorRpcClient) sendRequest(sendCb func() error) error {
-	err := c.InitializeClientIfNotExist()
-	if err != nil {
-		c.logger.Error("Could not reinitialize RPC client")
-		return err
+	c.rpcClientLock.RLock()
+	defer c.rpcClientLock.RUnlock()
+
+	if c.rpcClient == nil {
+		return errors.New("rpc client is nil")
 	}
 
 	c.logger.Info("Sending request to aggregator")
 
-	err = sendCb()
+	err := sendCb()
 	if err != nil {
+		c.handleRpcError(err)
 		return err
 	}