diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/SSHClient.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/SSHClient.java
index b391a866..daecc5a6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/SSHClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/SSHClient.java
@@ -139,6 +139,8 @@ public class SSHClient
     /** {@code ssh-connection} service */
     protected final Connection conn;
 
+    private final List<LocalPortForwarder> forwarders = new ArrayList<LocalPortForwarder>();
+
     /** Default constructor. Initializes this object using {@link DefaultConfig}. */
     public SSHClient() {
         this(new DefaultConfig());
@@ -431,6 +433,14 @@ public class SSHClient
     @Override
     public void disconnect()
             throws IOException {
+        for (LocalPortForwarder forwarder : forwarders) {
+            try {
+                forwarder.close();
+            } catch (IOException e) {
+                log.warn("Error closing forwarder", e);
+            }
+        }
+        forwarders.clear();
         trans.disconnect();
         super.disconnect();
     }
@@ -648,7 +658,9 @@ public class SSHClient
      */
     public LocalPortForwarder newLocalPortForwarder(LocalPortForwarder.Parameters parameters,
                                                     ServerSocket serverSocket) {
-        return new LocalPortForwarder(conn, parameters, serverSocket);
+        LocalPortForwarder forwarder = new LocalPortForwarder(conn, parameters, serverSocket);
+        forwarders.add(forwarder);
+        return forwarder;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/SocketClient.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/SocketClient.java
index 7d7dd9d1..e831bffa 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/SocketClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/SocketClient.java
@@ -48,12 +48,50 @@ public abstract class SocketClient {
         this.defaultPort = defaultPort;
     }
 
-    public void connect(InetAddress host, int port) throws IOException {
-        socket = socketFactory.createSocket();
-        socket.connect(new InetSocketAddress(host, port), connectTimeout);
+    /**
+     * Connect to a host via a proxy.
+     * @param hostname The host name to connect to.
+     * @param proxy The proxy to connect via.
+     * @deprecated This method will be removed after v0.12.0. If you want to connect via a proxy, you can do this by injecting a {@link javax.net.SocketFactory}
+     *             into the SocketClient. The SocketFactory should create sockets using the {@link java.net.Socket#Socket(java.net.Proxy)} constructor.
+     */
+    @Deprecated
+    public void connect(String hostname, Proxy proxy) throws IOException {
+        connect(hostname, defaultPort, proxy);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Connect to a host via a proxy.
+     * @param hostname The host name to connect to.
+     * @param port The port to connect to.
+     * @param proxy The proxy to connect via.
+     * @deprecated This method will be removed after v0.12.0. If you want to connect via a proxy, you can do this by injecting a {@link javax.net.SocketFactory}
+     *             into the SocketClient. The SocketFactory should create sockets using the {@link java.net.Socket#Socket(java.net.Proxy)} constructor.
+     */
+    @Deprecated
+    public void connect(String hostname, int port, Proxy proxy) throws IOException {
+        this.hostname = hostname;
+        if (JavaVersion.isJava7OrEarlier() && proxy.type() == Proxy.Type.HTTP) {
+            // Java7 and earlier have no support for HTTP Connect proxies, return our custom socket.
+            socket = new Jdk7HttpProxySocket(proxy);
+        } else {
+            socket = new Socket(proxy);
+        }
+        socket.connect(new InetSocketAddress(hostname, port), connectTimeout);
         onConnect();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Connect to a host via a proxy.
+     * @param host The host address to connect to.
+     * @param proxy The proxy to connect via.
+     * @deprecated This method will be removed after v0.12.0. If you want to connect via a proxy, you can do this by injecting a {@link javax.net.SocketFactory}
+     *             into the SocketClient. The SocketFactory should create sockets using the {@link java.net.Socket#Socket(java.net.Proxy)} constructor.
+     */
+    @Deprecated
+    public void connect(InetAddress host, Proxy proxy) throws IOException {
+        connect(host, defaultPort, proxy);
+    }
 
     /**
      * Connect to a host via a proxy.
@@ -75,23 +113,41 @@ public abstract class SocketClient {
         onConnect();
     }
 
-    public void connect(String hostname, int port) throws IOException {
-        this.hostname = hostname;
-        connect(InetAddress.getByName(hostname), port);
+    public void connect(String hostname) throws IOException {
+        connect(hostname, defaultPort);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Connect to a host via a proxy.
-     * @param hostname The host name to connect to.
-     * @param port The port to connect to.
-     * @param proxy The proxy to connect via.
-     * @deprecated This method will be removed after v0.12.0. If you want to connect via a proxy, you can do this by injecting a {@link javax.net.SocketFactory}
-     *             into the SocketClient. The SocketFactory should create sockets using the {@link java.net.Socket#Socket(java.net.Proxy)} constructor.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    public void connect(String hostname, int port, Proxy proxy) throws IOException {
-        this.hostname = hostname;
-        connect(InetAddress.getByName(hostname), port, proxy);
+    public void connect(String hostname, int port) throws IOException {
+        if (hostname == null) {
+            connect(InetAddress.getByName(null), port);
+        } else {
+            this.hostname = hostname;
+            socket = socketFactory.createSocket();
+            socket.connect(new InetSocketAddress(hostname, port), connectTimeout);
+            onConnect();
+        }
+    }
+
+    public void connect(String hostname, int port, InetAddress localAddr, int localPort) throws IOException {
+        if (hostname == null) {
+            connect(InetAddress.getByName(null), port, localAddr, localPort);
+        } else {
+            this.hostname = hostname;
+            socket = socketFactory.createSocket();
+            socket.bind(new InetSocketAddress(localAddr, localPort));
+            socket.connect(new InetSocketAddress(hostname, port), connectTimeout);
+            onConnect();
+        }
+    }
+
+    public void connect(InetAddress host) throws IOException {
+        connect(host, defaultPort);
+    }
+
+    public void connect(InetAddress host, int port) throws IOException {
+        socket = socketFactory.createSocket();
+        socket.connect(new InetSocketAddress(host, port), connectTimeout);
+        onConnect();
     }
 
     public void connect(InetAddress host, int port, InetAddress localAddr, int localPort)
@@ -102,43 +158,6 @@ public abstract class SocketClient {
         onConnect();
     }
 
-    public void connect(String hostname, int port, InetAddress localAddr, int localPort) throws IOException {
-        this.hostname = hostname;
-        connect(InetAddress.getByName(hostname), port, localAddr, localPort);
-    }
-
-    public void connect(InetAddress host) throws IOException {
-        connect(host, defaultPort);
-    }
-
-    public void connect(String hostname) throws IOException {
-        connect(hostname, defaultPort);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Connect to a host via a proxy.
-     * @param host The host address to connect to.
-     * @param proxy The proxy to connect via.
-     * @deprecated This method will be removed after v0.12.0. If you want to connect via a proxy, you can do this by injecting a {@link javax.net.SocketFactory}
-     *             into the SocketClient. The SocketFactory should create sockets using the {@link java.net.Socket#Socket(java.net.Proxy)} constructor.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    public void connect(InetAddress host, Proxy proxy) throws IOException {
-        connect(host, defaultPort, proxy);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Connect to a host via a proxy.
-     * @param hostname The host name to connect to.
-     * @param proxy The proxy to connect via.
-     * @deprecated This method will be removed after v0.12.0. If you want to connect via a proxy, you can do this by injecting a {@link javax.net.SocketFactory}
-     *             into the SocketClient. The SocketFactory should create sockets using the {@link java.net.Socket#Socket(java.net.Proxy)} constructor.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    public void connect(String hostname, Proxy proxy) throws IOException {
-        connect(hostname, defaultPort, proxy);
-    }
-
     public void disconnect() throws IOException {
         if (socket != null) {
             socket.close();
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/connection/channel/direct/LocalPortForwarder.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/connection/channel/direct/LocalPortForwarder.java
index a3511cac..1721e5a8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/connection/channel/direct/LocalPortForwarder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/connection/channel/direct/LocalPortForwarder.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.net.ServerSocket;
 import java.net.Socket;
+import java.net.SocketException;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import static com.hierynomus.sshj.backport.Sockets.asCloseable;
@@ -134,11 +135,33 @@ public class LocalPortForwarder {
             throws IOException {
         log.info("Listening on {}", serverSocket.getLocalSocketAddress());
         while (!Thread.currentThread().isInterrupted()) {
-            final Socket socket = serverSocket.accept();
-            log.debug("Got connection from {}", socket.getRemoteSocketAddress());
-            startChannel(socket);
+            try {
+                final Socket socket = serverSocket.accept();
+                log.debug("Got connection from {}", socket.getRemoteSocketAddress());
+                startChannel(socket);
+            } catch (SocketException e) {
+                if (!serverSocket.isClosed()) {
+                    throw e;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        if (serverSocket.isClosed()) {
+            log.debug("LocalPortForwarder closed");
+        } else {
+            log.debug("LocalPortForwarder interrupted!");
         }
-        log.debug("Interrupted!");
     }
 
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+    /**
+     * Close the ServerSocket that's listening for connections to forward.
+     *
+     * @throws IOException
+     */
+    public void close() throws IOException {
+        if (!serverSocket.isClosed()) {
+            log.info("Closing listener on {}", serverSocket.getLocalSocketAddress());
+            serverSocket.close();
+        }
+    }
+
+}