diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Network/Connection.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Network/Connection.cs
index abe6324b23..66d6c655d9 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Network/Connection.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Network/Connection.cs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Network
 			public byte[] Data;
 		}
 
-		protected List<ReceivedPacket> receivedPackets = new List<ReceivedPacket>();
+		readonly List<ReceivedPacket> receivedPackets = new List<ReceivedPacket>();
 		public ReplayRecorder Recorder { get; private set; }
 
 		public virtual int LocalClientId
@@ -87,17 +87,22 @@ namespace OpenRA.Network
 		{
 			if (packet.Length == 0)
 				throw new NotImplementedException();
-			lock (this)
-				receivedPackets.Add(new ReceivedPacket { FromClient = LocalClientId, Data = packet });
+			AddPacket(new ReceivedPacket { FromClient = LocalClientId, Data = packet });
+		}
+
+		protected void AddPacket(ReceivedPacket packet)
+		{
+			lock (receivedPackets)
+				receivedPackets.Add(packet);
 		}
 
 		public virtual void Receive(Action<int, byte[]> packetFn)
 		{
-			List<ReceivedPacket> packets;
-			lock (this)
+			ReceivedPacket[] packets;
+			lock (receivedPackets)
 			{
-				packets = receivedPackets;
-				receivedPackets = new List<ReceivedPacket>();
+				packets = receivedPackets.ToArray();
+				receivedPackets.Clear();
 			}
 
 			foreach (var p in packets)
@@ -131,57 +136,65 @@ namespace OpenRA.Network
 
 	sealed class NetworkConnection : EchoConnection
 	{
-		TcpClient socket;
-		int clientId;
-		ConnectionState connectionState = ConnectionState.Connecting;
-		Thread t;
+		readonly TcpClient tcp;
+		readonly List<byte[]> queuedSyncPackets = new List<byte[]>();
+		volatile ConnectionState connectionState = ConnectionState.Connecting;
+		volatile int clientId;
+		bool disposed;
 
 		public NetworkConnection(string host, int port)
 		{
-			t = new Thread(_ =>
+			try
 			{
-				try
+				tcp = new TcpClient(host, port) { NoDelay = true };
+				new Thread(NetworkConnectionReceive)
 				{
-					socket = new TcpClient(host, port);
-					socket.NoDelay = true;
-					var reader = new BinaryReader(socket.GetStream());
-					var serverProtocol = reader.ReadInt32();
+					Name = GetType().Name + " " + host + ":" + port,
+					IsBackground = true
+				}.Start(tcp.GetStream());
+			}
+			catch
+			{
+				connectionState = ConnectionState.NotConnected;
+			}
+		}
 
-					if (ProtocolVersion.Version != serverProtocol)
-						throw new InvalidOperationException(
-							"Protocol version mismatch. Server={0} Client={1}"
-								.F(serverProtocol, ProtocolVersion.Version));
+		void NetworkConnectionReceive(object networkStreamObject)
+		{
+			try
+			{
+				var networkStream = (NetworkStream)networkStreamObject;
+				var reader = new BinaryReader(networkStream);
+				var serverProtocol = reader.ReadInt32();
 
-					clientId = reader.ReadInt32();
-					connectionState = ConnectionState.Connected;
+				if (ProtocolVersion.Version != serverProtocol)
+					throw new InvalidOperationException(
+						"Protocol version mismatch. Server={0} Client={1}"
+							.F(serverProtocol, ProtocolVersion.Version));
 
-					for (;;)
-					{
-						var len = reader.ReadInt32();
-						var client = reader.ReadInt32();
-						var buf = reader.ReadBytes(len);
-						if (len == 0)
-							throw new NotImplementedException();
-						lock (this)
-							receivedPackets.Add(new ReceivedPacket { FromClient = client, Data = buf });
-					}
-				}
-				catch { }
-				finally
+				clientId = reader.ReadInt32();
+				connectionState = ConnectionState.Connected;
+
+				for (;;)
 				{
-					connectionState = ConnectionState.NotConnected;
-					if (socket != null)
-						socket.Close();
+					var len = reader.ReadInt32();
+					var client = reader.ReadInt32();
+					var buf = reader.ReadBytes(len);
+					if (len == 0)
+						throw new NotImplementedException();
+					AddPacket(new ReceivedPacket { FromClient = client, Data = buf });
 				}
-			}) { IsBackground = true };
-			t.Start();
+			}
+			catch { }
+			finally
+			{
+				connectionState = ConnectionState.NotConnected;
+			}
 		}
 
 		public override int LocalClientId { get { return clientId; } }
 		public override ConnectionState ConnectionState { get { return connectionState; } }
 
-		List<byte[]> queuedSyncPackets = new List<byte[]>();
-
 		public override void SendSync(int frame, byte[] syncData)
 		{
 			var ms = new MemoryStream();
@@ -208,7 +221,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Network
 				}
 
 				queuedSyncPackets.Clear();
-				ms.WriteTo(socket.GetStream());
+				ms.WriteTo(tcp.GetStream());
 			}
 			catch (SocketException) { /* drop this on the floor; we'll pick up the disconnect from the reader thread */ }
 			catch (ObjectDisposedException) { /* ditto */ }
@@ -216,25 +229,18 @@ namespace OpenRA.Network
 			catch (IOException) { /* ditto */ }
 		}
 
-		bool disposed = false;
-
 		protected override void Dispose(bool disposing)
 		{
 			if (disposed)
 				return;
 			disposed = true;
 
-			t.Abort();
-			if (disposing)
-				if (socket != null)
-					socket.Client.Close();
+			// Closing the stream will cause any reads on the receiving thread to throw.
+			// This will mark the connection as no longer connected and the thread will terminate cleanly.
+			if (tcp != null)
+				tcp.Close();
 
 			base.Dispose(disposing);
 		}
-
-		~NetworkConnection()
-		{
-			Dispose(false);
-		}
 	}
 }