diff --git a/src/stream_engine.cpp b/src/stream_engine.cpp
index 0df3ac0a..67fceb3d 100644
--- a/src/stream_engine.cpp
+++ b/src/stream_engine.cpp
@@ -660,6 +660,12 @@ void zmq::stream_engine_t::mechanism_ready ()
         msg_t identity;
         mechanism->peer_identity (&identity);
         const int rc = session->push_msg (&identity);
+        if (rc == -1 && errno == EAGAIN) {
+            // If the write is failing at this stage with
+            // an EAGAIN the pipe must be being shut down,
+            // so we can just bail out of the identity set.
+            return;
+        }
         errno_assert (rc == 0);
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/test_monitor.cpp b/tests/test_monitor.cpp
index 6554b1b4..86e82c5f 100644
--- a/tests/test_monitor.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_monitor.cpp
@@ -41,12 +41,14 @@ static bool read_msg(void* s, zmq_event_t& event, std::string& ep)
     zmq_msg_init (&msg2);
     rc = zmq_msg_recv (&msg1, s, 0);
     if (rc == -1 && zmq_errno() == ETERM)
-	return true ;
+        return true ;
+
     assert (rc != -1);
     assert (zmq_msg_more(&msg1) != 0);
     rc = zmq_msg_recv (&msg2, s, 0);
     if (rc == -1 && zmq_errno() == ETERM)
-	return true;
+        return true;
+
     assert (rc != -1);
     assert (zmq_msg_more(&msg2) == 0);
     // copy binary data to event struct
@@ -72,7 +74,7 @@ static void *req_socket_monitor (void *ctx)
     rc = zmq_connect (s, "inproc://monitor.req");
     assert (rc == 0);
     while (!read_msg(s, event, ep)) {
-	assert (ep == addr);
+        assert (ep == addr);
         switch (event.event) {
             case ZMQ_EVENT_CONNECTED:
                 assert (event.value > 0);
@@ -114,7 +116,7 @@ static void *req2_socket_monitor (void *ctx)
     rc = zmq_connect (s, "inproc://monitor.req2");
     assert (rc == 0);
     while (!read_msg(s, event, ep)) {
-	assert (ep == addr);
+        assert (ep == addr);
         switch (event.event) {
             case ZMQ_EVENT_CONNECTED:
                 assert (event.value > 0);
@@ -143,7 +145,7 @@ static void *rep_socket_monitor (void *ctx)
     rc = zmq_connect (s, "inproc://monitor.rep");
     assert (rc == 0);
     while (!read_msg(s, event, ep)) {
-	assert (ep == addr);
+        assert (ep == addr);
         switch (event.event) {
             case ZMQ_EVENT_LISTENING:
                 assert (event.value > 0);
@@ -203,10 +205,7 @@ int main (void)
     assert (rc == 0);
     rc = pthread_create (&threads [0], NULL, rep_socket_monitor, ctx);
     assert (rc == 0);
-
-    rc = zmq_bind (rep, addr.c_str());
-    assert (rc == 0);
-
+    
     // REQ socket
     req = zmq_socket (ctx, ZMQ_REQ);
     assert (req);
@@ -216,6 +215,11 @@ int main (void)
     assert (rc == 0);
     rc = pthread_create (&threads [1], NULL, req_socket_monitor, ctx);
     assert (rc == 0);
+    sleep(1);
+
+    // Bind REQ and REP
+    rc = zmq_bind (rep, addr.c_str());
+    assert (rc == 0);
 
     rc = zmq_connect (req, addr.c_str());
     assert (rc == 0);
@@ -271,4 +275,3 @@ int main (void)
 
     return 0 ;
 }
-