diff --git a/core/pom.xml b/core/pom.xml
index 0cccbe62d3e..468e375fad3 100644
--- a/core/pom.xml
+++ b/core/pom.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>org.bitcoinj</groupId>
         <artifactId>bitcoinj-parent</artifactId>
-        <version>0.14.4.3</version>
+        <version>0.14.4.4</version>
     </parent>
 
     <artifactId>bitcoinj-core</artifactId>
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/net/BlockingClient.java b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/net/BlockingClient.java
index a6762b269a2..fc0873e001f 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/net/BlockingClient.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/bitcoinj/net/BlockingClient.java
@@ -145,11 +145,14 @@ public void closeConnection() {
     @Override
     public synchronized void writeBytes(byte[] message) throws IOException {
         try {
-            OutputStream stream = socket.getOutputStream();
-            stream.write(message);
-            stream.flush();
+            if(!socket.isClosed()) {
+                OutputStream stream = socket.getOutputStream();
+                stream.write(message);
+                stream.flush();
+            }
         } catch (IOException e) {
-            log.error("Error writing message to connection, closing connection", e);
+            if(!(e instanceof SocketException && e.toString().equals("Socket is closed")))
+                log.error("Error writing message to connection, closing connection", e);
             closeConnection();
             throw e;
         }
diff --git a/examples/pom.xml b/examples/pom.xml
index 67797d15f40..0320e885803 100644
--- a/examples/pom.xml
+++ b/examples/pom.xml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>org.bitcoinj</groupId>
         <artifactId>bitcoinj-parent</artifactId>
-        <version>0.14.4.3</version>
+        <version>0.14.4.4</version>
     </parent>
     <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
 
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 3bc18511ceb..487f2335b21 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
   <groupId>org.bitcoinj</groupId>
   <artifactId>bitcoinj-parent</artifactId>
-    <version>0.14.4.3</version>
+    <version>0.14.4.4</version>
   <packaging>pom</packaging>
 
   <modules>
diff --git a/tools/pom.xml b/tools/pom.xml
index 91b8874890c..6c5ac6ae8ad 100644
--- a/tools/pom.xml
+++ b/tools/pom.xml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.bitcoinj</groupId>
     <artifactId>bitcoinj-parent</artifactId>
-      <version>0.14.4.3</version>
+      <version>0.14.4.4</version>
   </parent>
   <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
 
diff --git a/wallettemplate/pom.xml b/wallettemplate/pom.xml
index 165e7be87dc..c69fce76391 100644
--- a/wallettemplate/pom.xml
+++ b/wallettemplate/pom.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>org.bitcoinj</groupId>
         <artifactId>bitcoinj-parent</artifactId>
-        <version>0.14.4.3</version>
+        <version>0.14.4.4</version>
     </parent>
 
     <artifactId>wallettemplate</artifactId>