diff --git a/src/etcp.c b/src/etcp.c
index 8114fa89..7acadd93 100644
--- a/src/etcp.c
+++ b/src/etcp.c
@@ -302,23 +302,26 @@ void etcp_connection_close(struct ETCP_CONN* etcp) {
         etcp->normalizer = NULL;
     }
     
-    // Drain and free all queues using helper functions
+    // Clear links BEFORE draining queues: etcp_link_close calls
+    // etcp_conn_on_inflight_lim_changed -> input_queue_try_resume
+    // which accesses input_send_q, input_queue, input_wait_ack.
+    if (etcp->links) {
+        struct ETCP_LINK* link = etcp->links;
+        while (link) {
+            struct ETCP_LINK* next = link->next;
+            etcp_link_close(link);
+            link = next;
+        }
+        etcp->links = NULL;
+    }
+
+    // Drain and free all queues
     drain_and_free_queue(&etcp->input_queue);
     drain_and_free_queue(&etcp->output_queue);
     drain_and_free_queue(&etcp->input_send_q);
     drain_and_free_queue(&etcp->input_wait_ack);
     drain_and_free_queue(&etcp->recv_q);
     drain_and_free_queue(&etcp->ack_q);
-    
-    // Drain and free ack_q (contains ACK_PACKET from ack_pool - special handling)
-    if (etcp->ack_q) {
-        struct ACK_PACKET* pkt;
-        while ((pkt = (struct ACK_PACKET*)queue_data_get(etcp->ack_q)) != NULL) {
-            queue_entry_free((struct ll_entry*)pkt);
-        }
-        queue_free(etcp->ack_q);
-        etcp->ack_q = NULL;
-    }
 
     // Free memory pools after all elements are returned
     if (etcp->inflight_pool) {
@@ -331,17 +334,6 @@ void etcp_connection_close(struct ETCP_CONN* etcp) {
         etcp->io_pool = NULL;
     }
 
-    // Clear links list safely
-    if (etcp->links) {
-        struct ETCP_LINK* link = etcp->links;
-        while (link) {
-            struct ETCP_LINK* next = link->next;
-            etcp_link_close(link);
-            link = next;
-        }
-        etcp->links = NULL;
-    }
-
     u_free(etcp->name);
 
     // Clear next pointer to prevent dangling references