diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/code/gossip/manager/ActiveGossipThread.java b/src/main/java/com/google/code/gossip/manager/ActiveGossipThread.java
index 1dd8837..cbc6051 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/code/gossip/manager/ActiveGossipThread.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/code/gossip/manager/ActiveGossipThread.java
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  */
 abstract public class ActiveGossipThread implements Runnable {
 
-  private final GossipManager _gossipManager;
+  protected final GossipManager _gossipManager;
 
   private final AtomicBoolean _keepRunning;
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/code/gossip/manager/GossipManager.java b/src/main/java/com/google/code/gossip/manager/GossipManager.java
index 377188d..81afaa3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/code/gossip/manager/GossipManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/code/gossip/manager/GossipManager.java
@@ -92,6 +92,10 @@
     return _settings;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * 
+   * @return a read only list of members found in the UP state
+   */
   public List<LocalGossipMember> getMemberList() {
     List<LocalGossipMember> up = new ArrayList<>();
     for (Entry<LocalGossipMember, GossipState> entry : members.entrySet()){
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/code/gossip/manager/impl/SendMembersActiveGossipThread.java b/src/main/java/com/google/code/gossip/manager/impl/SendMembersActiveGossipThread.java
index d788f79..88159f2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/code/gossip/manager/impl/SendMembersActiveGossipThread.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/code/gossip/manager/impl/SendMembersActiveGossipThread.java
@@ -26,51 +26,46 @@
   protected void sendMembershipList(LocalGossipMember me, List<LocalGossipMember> memberList) {
     GossipService.LOGGER.debug("Send sendMembershipList() is called.");
     me.setHeartbeat(me.getHeartbeat() + 1);
-    synchronized (memberList) {
-      try {
-        LocalGossipMember member = selectPartner(memberList);
-        if (member != null) {
-          InetAddress dest = InetAddress.getByName(member.getHost());
-          JSONArray jsonArray = new JSONArray();
-          GossipService.LOGGER.debug("Sending memberlist to " + dest + ":" + member.getPort());
-          jsonArray.put(me.toJSONObject());
-          GossipService.LOGGER.debug(me);
-          for (LocalGossipMember other : memberList) {
-            jsonArray.put(other.toJSONObject());
-            GossipService.LOGGER.debug(other);
-          }
-          byte[] json_bytes = jsonArray.toString().getBytes();
-          int packet_length = json_bytes.length;
-          if (packet_length < GossipManager.MAX_PACKET_SIZE) {
-            // Convert the packet length to the byte representation of the int.
-            byte[] length_bytes = new byte[4];
-            length_bytes[0] = (byte) (packet_length >> 24);
-            length_bytes[1] = (byte) ((packet_length << 8) >> 24);
-            length_bytes[2] = (byte) ((packet_length << 16) >> 24);
-            length_bytes[3] = (byte) ((packet_length << 24) >> 24);
-
-            GossipService.LOGGER.debug("Sending message (" + packet_length + " bytes): "
-                    + jsonArray.toString());
-
-            ByteBuffer byteBuffer = ByteBuffer.allocate(4 + json_bytes.length);
-            byteBuffer.put(length_bytes);
-            byteBuffer.put(json_bytes);
-            byte[] buf = byteBuffer.array();
-
-            DatagramSocket socket = new DatagramSocket();
-            DatagramPacket datagramPacket = new DatagramPacket(buf, buf.length, dest,
-                    member.getPort());
-            socket.send(datagramPacket);
-            socket.close();
-          } else {
-            GossipService.LOGGER.error("The length of the to be send message is too large ("
-                    + packet_length + " > " + GossipManager.MAX_PACKET_SIZE + ").");
-          }
-        }
-
-      } catch (IOException e1) {
-        e1.printStackTrace();
+    LocalGossipMember member = selectPartner(memberList);
+    if (member == null) {
+      return;
+    }
+    try (DatagramSocket socket = new DatagramSocket()){
+      socket.setSoTimeout(_gossipManager.getSettings().getGossipInterval());
+      InetAddress dest = InetAddress.getByName(member.getHost());
+      JSONArray jsonArray = new JSONArray();
+      jsonArray.put(me.toJSONObject());
+      for (LocalGossipMember other : memberList) {
+        jsonArray.put(other.toJSONObject());
+        GossipService.LOGGER.debug(other);
       }
+      byte[] json_bytes = jsonArray.toString().getBytes();
+      int packet_length = json_bytes.length;
+      if (packet_length < GossipManager.MAX_PACKET_SIZE) {
+        byte[] buf = createBuffer(packet_length, json_bytes);
+        DatagramPacket datagramPacket = new DatagramPacket(buf, buf.length, dest,
+                member.getPort());
+        socket.send(datagramPacket);
+      } else {
+        GossipService.LOGGER.error("The length of the to be send message is too large ("
+                + packet_length + " > " + GossipManager.MAX_PACKET_SIZE + ").");
+      }
+    } catch (IOException e1) {
+      GossipService.LOGGER.warn(e1);
     }
   }
+  
+  private byte[] createBuffer(int packetLength, byte [] jsonBytes){
+    byte[] lengthBytes = new byte[4];
+    lengthBytes[0] = (byte) (packetLength >> 24);
+    lengthBytes[1] = (byte) ((packetLength << 8) >> 24);
+    lengthBytes[2] = (byte) ((packetLength << 16) >> 24);
+    lengthBytes[3] = (byte) ((packetLength << 24) >> 24);
+    ByteBuffer byteBuffer = ByteBuffer.allocate(4 + jsonBytes.length);
+    byteBuffer.put(lengthBytes);
+    byteBuffer.put(jsonBytes);
+    byte[] buf = byteBuffer.array();
+    return buf;
+  }
+  
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/teknek/gossip/ShutdownDeadtimeTest.java b/src/test/java/io/teknek/gossip/ShutdownDeadtimeTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..27e34ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/io/teknek/gossip/ShutdownDeadtimeTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+package io.teknek.gossip;
+
+import io.teknek.tunit.TUnit;
+
+import java.net.UnknownHostException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Random;
+import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
+
+import org.apache.log4j.Logger;
+import org.junit.Ignore;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import com.google.code.gossip.GossipMember;
+import com.google.code.gossip.GossipService;
+import com.google.code.gossip.GossipSettings;
+import com.google.code.gossip.RemoteGossipMember;
+import com.google.code.gossip.event.GossipListener;
+import com.google.code.gossip.event.GossipState;
+
+public class ShutdownDeadtimeTest {
+
+  private static final Logger log = Logger.getLogger(ShutdownDeadtimeTest.class );
+  //@Test
+  @Ignore
+  public void DeadNodesDoNotComeAliveAgain() throws InterruptedException, UnknownHostException {
+      GossipSettings settings = new GossipSettings(10,10000);
+      
+      log.info( "Adding seed nodes" );
+      int seedNodes = 3;
+      List<GossipMember> startupMembers = new ArrayList<>();
+      for (int i = 1; i < seedNodes + 1; ++i) {
+          startupMembers.add(new RemoteGossipMember("127.0.0.1", 50000 + i, i + ""));
+      }
+
+      log.info( "Adding clients" );
+      final List<GossipService> clients = new ArrayList<>();
+      final int clusterMembers = 5;
+      for (int i = 1; i < clusterMembers+1; ++i) {
+          final int j = i;
+          GossipService gossipService = new GossipService("127.0.0.1", 50000 + i, i + "",
+                  startupMembers, settings,
+                  new GossipListener(){
+                      @Override
+                      public void gossipEvent(GossipMember member, GossipState state) {
+                          System.out.println(System.currentTimeMillis() + " Member "+j + " reports "+ member+" "+ state);
+                      }
+                  });
+          clients.add(gossipService);
+          gossipService.start();
+      }
+      TUnit.assertThat(new Callable<Integer> (){
+          public Integer call() throws Exception {
+              int total = 0;
+              for (int i = 0; i < clusterMembers; ++i) {
+                  total += clients.get(i).get_gossipManager().getMemberList().size();
+              }
+              return total;
+          }}).afterWaitingAtMost(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS).isEqualTo(20);
+
+      // shutdown one client and verify that one client is lost.
+      Random r = new Random();
+      int randomClientId = r.nextInt(clusterMembers);
+      log.info( "shutting down " + randomClientId );
+      final int shutdownPort = clients.get(randomClientId).get_gossipManager().getMyself().getPort();
+      final String shutdownId = clients.get(randomClientId).get_gossipManager().getMyself().getId();
+      clients.get(randomClientId).shutdown();
+      TUnit.assertThat(new Callable<Integer> (){
+          public Integer call() throws Exception {
+              int total = 0;
+              for (int i = 0; i < clusterMembers; ++i) {
+                  total += clients.get(i).get_gossipManager().getMemberList().size();
+              }
+              return total;
+          }}).afterWaitingAtMost(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS).isEqualTo(16);
+
+      // start client again
+      GossipService gossipService = new GossipService("127.0.0.1", shutdownPort, shutdownId + "",
+              startupMembers, settings,
+              new GossipListener(){
+                  @Override
+                  public void gossipEvent(GossipMember member, GossipState state) {
+                      //System.out.println("revived " + member+" "+ state);
+                  }
+              });
+      clients.add(gossipService);
+      gossipService.start();
+
+      // verify that the client is alive again for every node
+      TUnit.assertThat(new Callable<Integer> (){
+          public Integer call() throws Exception {
+              int total = 0;
+              for (int i = 0; i < clusterMembers; ++i) {
+                  total += clients.get(i).get_gossipManager().getMemberList().size();
+              }
+              return total;
+          }}).afterWaitingAtMost(70, TimeUnit.SECONDS).isEqualTo(20);
+      
+  }
+}