diff --git a/libby/zmq_transport.py b/libby/zmq_transport.py
index c5a4b46..c66748c 100644
--- a/libby/zmq_transport.py
+++ b/libby/zmq_transport.py
@@ -114,7 +114,16 @@ def send(self, dest: DestStr, frame: bytes) -> None:
 
         - ``"peer:<peer_id>"`` or ``"<peer_id>"`` -> direct to that peer
         - ``"broadcast:*"`` -> to all known peers
+
+        Dropped once stopped: sending lazily creates a DEALER per peer, and
+        after ``stop()`` there is nothing left to close it. bamboo's discovery
+        announces from its own thread, which its ``stop()`` sets a flag for
+        rather than joining, so a broadcast can arrive a whole announce
+        interval after this transport was torn down.
         """
+        if self._stop.is_set():
+            return
+
         # 1) broadcast
         if dest.startswith("broadcast:"):
             with self._send_lock:
diff --git a/tests/test_zmq_transport.py b/tests/test_zmq_transport.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e3ab75b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_zmq_transport.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+"""Unit tests for ZmqTransport's teardown behaviour.
+
+Needs no peer on the other end: sending over ZMQ queues locally, so these
+assert on the sockets this transport owns.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import socket
+import unittest
+
+from libby.zmq_transport import ZmqTransport
+
+# These assert on the sockets the transport owns, which are private
+# pylint: disable=protected-access
+
+
+def _free_endpoint() -> str:
+    """Return a loopback ZMQ endpoint on a port the OS just reported free."""
+    with socket.socket() as probe:
+        probe.bind(("127.0.0.1", 0))
+        return f"tcp://127.0.0.1:{probe.getsockname()[1]}"
+
+
+class SendAfterStopTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    """A send arriving after stop must not resurrect sockets.
+
+    Sending creates a DEALER per peer on demand, and ``stop()`` closes the ones
+    that exist. A later send would create another that nothing ever closes,
+    which is reachable in practice because bamboo's discovery announces from a
+    thread its own ``stop()`` does not join.
+    """
+
+    def setUp(self) -> None:
+        self.peer_endpoint = _free_endpoint()
+        self.transport = ZmqTransport(bind_router=_free_endpoint(),
+                                      address_book={"hsfei.peer": self.peer_endpoint},
+                                      my_id="hsfei.tester")
+        self.transport.start()
+
+    def test_broadcast_before_stop_opens_a_dealer(self):
+        """Confirm the leak is reachable: a live broadcast does open one."""
+        self.transport.send("broadcast:*", b"frame")
+        self.assertEqual(list(self.transport._dealers), ["hsfei.peer"])
+        self.transport.stop()
+
+    def test_stop_closes_the_dealers_it_opened(self):
+        """Leave nothing behind for a transport that was used and stopped."""
+        self.transport.send("broadcast:*", b"frame")
+        self.transport.stop()
+        self.assertEqual(self.transport._dealers, {})
+
+    def test_broadcast_after_stop_opens_nothing(self):
+        """Drop a late announce rather than opening a socket nothing will close."""
+        self.transport.stop()
+        self.transport.send("broadcast:*", b"frame")
+        self.assertEqual(self.transport._dealers, {})
+
+    def test_direct_send_after_stop_opens_nothing(self):
+        """Drop a late direct send for the same reason."""
+        self.transport.stop()
+        self.transport.send("peer:hsfei.peer", b"frame")
+        self.assertEqual(self.transport._dealers, {})
+
+    def test_stop_is_idempotent(self):
+        """Tolerate a second stop, as LibbyDaemon's teardown can retry."""
+        self.transport.stop()
+        self.transport.stop()
+        self.assertEqual(self.transport._dealers, {})
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()