diff --git a/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/SocketIOClient.java b/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/SocketIOClient.java
index d443632..0823ec8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/SocketIOClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/SocketIOClient.java
@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@ public interface SocketIOClient extends ClientOperations {
 
     /**
      * Current client transport protocol
-     * 
+     *
      * @return transport protocol
      */
     Transport getTransport();
-    
+
     /**
      * Send event with ack callback
      *
@@ -84,4 +84,11 @@ public interface SocketIOClient extends ClientOperations {
      */
     SocketAddress getRemoteAddress();
 
+    /**
+     * Check is underlying channel open
+     *
+     * @return <code>true</code> if channel open, otherwise <code>false</code>
+     */
+    boolean isChannelOpen();
+
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/BaseClient.java b/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/BaseClient.java
index 5cbfe97..f10f818 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/BaseClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/BaseClient.java
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public abstract class BaseClient {
     private final AckManager ackManager;
     private final UUID sessionId;
     private final Transport transport;
-    protected Channel channel;
+    private Channel channel;
 
     public BaseClient(UUID sessionId, AckManager ackManager, DisconnectableHub disconnectable, Transport transport) {
         this.sessionId = sessionId;
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public abstract class BaseClient {
     public Transport getTransport() {
         return transport;
     }
-    
+
     public abstract ChannelFuture send(Packet packet);
 
     public void removeChildClient(SocketIOClient client) {
@@ -112,4 +112,12 @@ public abstract class BaseClient {
         onChannelDisconnect();
     }
 
+    Channel getChannel() {
+		return channel;
+	}
+
+    void setChannel(Channel channel) {
+		this.channel = channel;
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/NamespaceClient.java b/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/NamespaceClient.java
index f18a19d..ba8ff87 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/NamespaceClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/NamespaceClient.java
@@ -40,11 +40,18 @@ public class NamespaceClient implements SocketIOClient {
     public BaseClient getBaseClient() {
         return baseClient;
     }
-    
+
+    @Override
     public Transport getTransport() {
         return baseClient.getTransport();
     }
 
+	@Override
+	public boolean isChannelOpen() {
+		return baseClient.getChannel().isOpen();
+	}
+
+	@Override
     public Namespace getNamespace() {
         return namespace;
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/WebSocketClient.java b/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/WebSocketClient.java
index 4f61489..8ecd8c8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/WebSocketClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/WebSocketClient.java
@@ -28,19 +28,15 @@ import com.corundumstudio.socketio.parser.Packet;
 
 public class WebSocketClient extends BaseClient {
 
-    public WebSocketClient(Channel channel, AckManager ackManager, 
+    public WebSocketClient(Channel channel, AckManager ackManager,
                             DisconnectableHub disconnectable, UUID sessionId,
                              Transport transport) {
         super(sessionId, ackManager, disconnectable, transport);
-        this.channel = channel;
-    }
-
-    public Channel getChannel() {
-        return channel;
+        setChannel(channel);
     }
 
     public ChannelFuture send(Packet packet) {
-        return channel.write(new WebSocketPacketMessage(getSessionId(), packet));
+        return getChannel().write(new WebSocketPacketMessage(getSessionId(), packet));
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/XHRPollingClient.java b/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/XHRPollingClient.java
index 69380f1..5ebd657 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/XHRPollingClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/corundumstudio/socketio/transport/XHRPollingClient.java
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ public class XHRPollingClient extends BaseClient {
 
     public void update(Channel channel, String origin) {
         this.origin = origin;
-        this.channel = channel;
+        setChannel(channel);
         channel.write(new XHRNewChannelMessage(getSessionId(), origin));
     }
 
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public class XHRPollingClient extends BaseClient {
     }
 
     public ChannelFuture send(Packet packet) {
-        return channel.write(new XHRPacketMessage(getSessionId(), origin, packet));
+        return getChannel().write(new XHRPacketMessage(getSessionId(), origin, packet));
     }
 
 }