diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 4d9061d3..02a2a47a 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 
 * Fixed #1362 - SUB socket sometimes fails to resubscribe properly.
 
+* Fixed #1377, #1144 - failed with WSANOTINITIALISED in some cases.
+
 
 0MQ version 4.1.0 rc1, released on 2014/10/14
 =============================================
diff --git a/src/signaler.cpp b/src/signaler.cpp
index 25667bf5..300e0dcc 100644
--- a/src/signaler.cpp
+++ b/src/signaler.cpp
@@ -132,11 +132,14 @@ zmq::signaler_t::~signaler_t ()
     const struct linger so_linger = { 1, 0 };
     int rc = setsockopt (w, SOL_SOCKET, SO_LINGER,
         (const char *) &so_linger, sizeof so_linger);
-    wsa_assert (rc != SOCKET_ERROR);
-    rc = closesocket (w);
-    wsa_assert (rc != SOCKET_ERROR);
-    rc = closesocket (r);
-    wsa_assert (rc != SOCKET_ERROR);
+    //  Only check shutdown if WSASTARTUP was previously done
+    if (rc == 0 || WSAGetLastError () != WSANOTINITIALISED) {
+        wsa_assert (rc != SOCKET_ERROR);
+        rc = closesocket (w);
+        wsa_assert (rc != SOCKET_ERROR);
+        rc = closesocket (r);
+        wsa_assert (rc != SOCKET_ERROR);
+    }
 #else
     int rc = close_wait_ms (w);
     errno_assert (rc == 0);