diff --git a/litecord/gateway/state_manager.py b/litecord/gateway/state_manager.py
index e393a79..5185b1d 100644
--- a/litecord/gateway/state_manager.py
+++ b/litecord/gateway/state_manager.py
@@ -1,18 +1,68 @@
+import asyncio
+
 from typing import List, Dict, Any
 from collections import defaultdict
 
+from websockets.exceptions import ConnectionClosed
 from logbook import Logger
 
-from .state import GatewayState
+from litecord.gateway.state import GatewayState
+from litecord.gateway.opcodes import OP
 
 
 log = Logger(__name__)
 
 
+class ManagerClose(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+class StateDictWrapper:
+    """Wrap a mapping so that any kind of access to the mapping while the
+    state manager is closed raises a ManagerClose error"""
+    def __init__(self, state_manager, mapping):
+        self.state_manager = state_manager
+        self._map = mapping
+
+    def _check_closed(self):
+        if self.state_manager.closed:
+            raise ManagerClose()
+
+    def __getitem__(self, key):
+        self._check_closed()
+        return self._map[key]
+
+    def __delitem__(self, key):
+        self._check_closed()
+        del self._map[key]
+
+    def __setitem__(self, key, value):
+        if not self.state_manager.accept_new:
+            raise ManagerClose()
+
+        self._check_closed()
+        self._map[key] = value
+
+    def __iter__(self):
+        return self._map.__iter__()
+
+    def pop(self, key):
+        return self._map.pop(key)
+
+    def values(self):
+        return self._map.values()
+
+
 class StateManager:
     """Manager for gateway state information."""
 
     def __init__(self):
+        #: closed flag
+        self.closed = False
+
+        #: accept new states?
+        self.accept_new = True
+
         # {
         #  user_id: {
         #   session_id: GatewayState,
@@ -20,10 +70,10 @@ class StateManager:
         #  },
         #  user_id_2: {}, ...
         # }
-        self.states = defaultdict(dict)
+        self.states = StateDictWrapper(self, defaultdict(dict))
 
         #: raw mapping from session ids to GatewayState
-        self.states_raw = {}
+        self.states_raw = StateDictWrapper(self, {})
 
     def insert(self, state: GatewayState):
         """Insert a new state object."""
@@ -113,3 +163,54 @@ class StateManager:
             states.extend(member_states)
 
         return states
+
+    async def shutdown_single(self, state: GatewayState):
+        """Send OP Reconnect to a single connection."""
+        websocket = state.ws
+
+        await websocket.send({
+            'op': OP.RECONNECT
+        })
+
+        # wait 200ms
+        # so that the client has time to process
+        # our payload then close the connection
+        await asyncio.sleep(0.2)
+
+        try:
+            # try to close the connection ourselves
+            await websocket.ws.close(
+                code=4000,
+                reason='litecord shutting down'
+            )
+        except ConnectionClosed:
+            log.info('client {} already closed', state)
+
+    def gen_close_tasks(self):
+        """Generate the tasks that will order the clients
+        to reconnect.
+
+        This is required to be ran before :meth:`StateManager.close`,
+        since this function doesn't wait for the tasks to complete.
+        """
+
+        self.accept_new = False
+
+        #: store the shutdown tasks
+        tasks = []
+
+        for state in self.states_raw.values():
+            if not state.ws:
+                continue
+
+            tasks.append(
+                self.shutdown_single(state)
+            )
+
+        log.info('made {} shutdown tasks', len(tasks))
+
+        return tasks
+
+    def close(self):
+        """Close the state manager."""
+        self.closed = True
diff --git a/litecord/gateway/websocket.py b/litecord/gateway/websocket.py
index 90bbc07..0d54ad3 100644
--- a/litecord/gateway/websocket.py
+++ b/litecord/gateway/websocket.py
@@ -753,6 +753,15 @@ class GatewayWebsocket:
 
     async def listen_messages(self):
         """Listen for messages coming in from the websocket."""
+
+        # close anyone trying to login while the
+        # server is shutting down
+        if self.ext.state_manager.closed:
+            raise WebsocketClose(4000, 'state manager closed')
+
+        if not self.ext.state_manager.accept_new:
+            raise WebsocketClose(4000, 'state manager closed for new')
+
         while True:
             message = await self.ws.recv()
             if len(message) > 4096:
@@ -762,6 +771,9 @@ class GatewayWebsocket:
             await self.process_message(payload)
 
     def _cleanup(self):
+        for task in self.wsp.tasks.values():
+            task.cancel()
+
         if self.state:
             self.ext.state_manager.remove(self.state)
             self.state.ws = None
diff --git a/run.py b/run.py
index 27753dd..6f9f748 100644
--- a/run.py
+++ b/run.py
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ async def app_before_serving():
     async def _wrapper(ws, url):
         # We wrap the main websocket_handler
         # so we can pass quart's app object.
+
+        # TODO: pass just the app object
         await websocket_handler((app.db, app.state_manager, app.storage,
                                  app.loop, app.dispatcher, app.presence),
                                 ws, url)
@@ -142,6 +144,15 @@ async def app_before_serving():
 
 @app.after_serving
 async def app_after_serving():
+    """Shutdown tasks for the server."""
+
+    # first close all clients, then close db
+    tasks = app.state_manager.gen_close_tasks()
+    if tasks:
+        await asyncio.wait(tasks, loop=app.loop)
+
+    app.state_manager.close()
+
     log.info('closing db')
     await app.db.close()