diff --git a/doc/api.markdown b/doc/api.markdown
index 5f7f14193..08fbf0af6 100644
--- a/doc/api.markdown
+++ b/doc/api.markdown
@@ -2311,9 +2311,16 @@ Emitted when data is received.  The argument `data` will be a `Buffer` or
 
 `function () { }`
 
-Emitted when the other end of the stream sends a FIN packet. After this is
-emitted the `readyState` will be `'writeOnly'`. One should probably just
-call `stream.end()` when this event is emitted.
+Emitted when the other end of the stream sends a FIN packet. 
+
+By default (`allowHalfOpen == false`) the stream will destroy its file
+descriptor  once it has written out its pending write queue.  However, by
+setting `allowHalfOpen == true` the stream will not automatically `end()`
+its side allowing the user to write arbitrary amounts of data, with the
+caviot that the user is required to `end()` thier side now. In the
+`allowHalfOpen == true` case after `'end'` is emitted the `readyState` will
+be `'writeOnly'`.
+
 
 ### Event: 'timeout'
 
diff --git a/doc/index.html b/doc/index.html
index 7a6c2d78a..4630f90cd 100644
--- a/doc/index.html
+++ b/doc/index.html
@@ -67,14 +67,10 @@ Server running at http://127.0.0.1:8124/</pre>
       <pre>
 var net = require('net');
 net.createServer(function (socket) {
-  socket.setEncoding("utf8");
   socket.write("Echo server\r\n");
   socket.on("data", function (data) {
     socket.write(data);
   });
-  socket.on("end", function () {
-    socket.end();
-  });
 }).listen(8124, "127.0.0.1");
 </pre>
 
diff --git a/lib/http.js b/lib/http.js
index 50bc6f16d..d561058b7 100755
--- a/lib/http.js
+++ b/lib/http.js
@@ -743,9 +743,9 @@ function httpSocketSetup (socket) {
 
 function Server (requestListener) {
   if (!(this instanceof Server)) return new Server(requestListener);
-  net.Server.call(this);
+  net.Server.call(this, { allowHalfOpen: true });
 
-  if(requestListener){
+  if (requestListener) {
     this.addListener("request", requestListener);
   }
 
@@ -877,7 +877,7 @@ function connectionListener (socket) {
 
 function Client ( ) {
   if (!(this instanceof Client)) return new Client();
-  net.Stream.call(this);
+  net.Stream.call(this, { allowHalfOpen: true });
   var self = this;
 
   httpSocketSetup(self);
diff --git a/lib/net.js b/lib/net.js
index b3f0643ef..28f8660b8 100644
--- a/lib/net.js
+++ b/lib/net.js
@@ -475,6 +475,7 @@ function initStream (self) {
       if (!self.writable) self.destroy();
       // Note: 'close' not emitted until nextTick.
 
+      if (!self.allowHalfOpen) self.end();
       if (self._events && self._events['end']) self.emit('end');
       if (self.onend) self.onend();
     } else if (bytesRead > 0) {
@@ -519,16 +520,29 @@ function initStream (self) {
   self.writable = false;
 }
 
-function Stream (fd, type) {
-  if (!(this instanceof Stream)) return new Stream(fd, type);
+// Deprecated API: Stream(fd, type)
+// New API: Stream({ fd: 10, type: "unix", allowHalfOpen: true })
+function Stream (options) {
+  if (!(this instanceof Stream)) return new Stream(arguments[0], arguments[1]);
   stream.Stream.call(this);
 
   this.fd = null;
   this.type = null;
   this.secure = false;
+  this.allowHalfOpen = false;
 
-  if (parseInt(fd, 10) >= 0) {
-    this.open(fd, type);
+  if (typeof options == "object") {
+    this.fd = options.fd !== undefined ? parseInt(options.fd, 10) : null;
+    this.type = options.type || null;
+    this.secure = options.secure ||  false;
+    this.allowHalfOpen = options.allowHalfOpen || false;
+  } else if (typeof options  == "number") {
+    this.fd = arguments[0];
+    this.type = arguments[1];
+  }
+
+  if (parseInt(this.fd, 10) >= 0) {
+    this.open(this.fd, this.type);
   } else {
     setImplmentationMethods(this);
   }
@@ -1030,8 +1044,8 @@ Stream.prototype._shutdown = function () {
 
 Stream.prototype.end = function (data, encoding) {
   if (this.writable) {
-    if (data) this.write(data, encoding);
     if (this._writeQueueLast() !== END_OF_FILE) {
+      if (data) this.write(data, encoding);
       this._writeQueue.push(END_OF_FILE);
       if (!this._connecting) {
         this.flush();
@@ -1041,13 +1055,22 @@ Stream.prototype.end = function (data, encoding) {
 };
 
 
-function Server (listener) {
-  if (!(this instanceof Server)) return new Server(listener);
+function Server (/* [ options, ] listener */) {
+  if (!(this instanceof Server)) return new Server(arguments[0], arguments[1]);
   events.EventEmitter.call(this);
   var self = this;
 
-  if (listener) {
-    self.addListener('connection', listener);
+  var options = {};
+  if (typeof arguments[0] == "object") {
+    options = arguments[0];
+  }
+  
+  // listener: find the last argument that is a function
+  for (var l = arguments.length - 1; l >= 0; l--) {
+    if (typeof arguments[l] == "function") {
+      self.addListener('connection', arguments[l]);
+    }
+    if (arguments[l] !== undefined) break;
   }
 
   self.connections = 0;
@@ -1055,6 +1078,8 @@ function Server (listener) {
   self.paused = false;
   self.pauseTimeout = 1000;
 
+  self.allowHalfOpen = options.allowHalfOpen || false;
+
   function pause () {
     // We've hit the maximum file limit. What to do?
     // Let's try again in 1 second.
@@ -1094,7 +1119,9 @@ function Server (listener) {
 
       self.connections++;
 
-      var s = new Stream(peerInfo.fd, self.type);
+      var s = new Stream({ fd: peerInfo.fd,
+                           type: self.type,
+                           allowHalfOpen: self.allowHalfOpen });
       s.remoteAddress = peerInfo.address;
       s.remotePort = peerInfo.port;
       s.type = self.type;
@@ -1118,8 +1145,8 @@ util.inherits(Server, events.EventEmitter);
 exports.Server = Server;
 
 
-exports.createServer = function (listener) {
-  return new Server(listener);
+exports.createServer = function () {
+  return new Server(arguments[0], arguments[1]);
 };
 
 
diff --git a/test/pummel/test-net-pingpong-delay.js b/test/pummel/test-net-pingpong-delay.js
index 39e746b1d..f1e3dace4 100644
--- a/test/pummel/test-net-pingpong-delay.js
+++ b/test/pummel/test-net-pingpong-delay.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ function pingPongTest (port, host, on_complete) {
   var count = 0;
   var client_ended = false;
 
-  var server = net.createServer(function (socket) {
+  var server = net.createServer({ allowHalfOpen: true }, function (socket) {
     socket.setEncoding("utf8");
 
     socket.addListener("data", function (data) {
diff --git a/test/pummel/test-net-pingpong.js b/test/pummel/test-net-pingpong.js
index 48704ef04..e58b4734a 100644
--- a/test/pummel/test-net-pingpong.js
+++ b/test/pummel/test-net-pingpong.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ function pingPongTest (port, host, on_complete) {
   var count = 0;
   var sent_final_ping = false;
 
-  var server = net.createServer(function (socket) {
+  var server = net.createServer({ allowHalfOpen: true }, function (socket) {
     assert.equal(true, socket.remoteAddress !== null);
     assert.equal(true, socket.remoteAddress !== undefined);
     if (host === "127.0.0.1" || host === "localhost" || !host) {
diff --git a/test/simple/test-net-pingpong.js b/test/simple/test-net-pingpong.js
index 5db5e127e..6596d0030 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-net-pingpong.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-net-pingpong.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ function pingPongTest (port, host) {
   var count = 0;
   var sent_final_ping = false;
 
-  var server = net.createServer(function (socket) {
+  var server = net.createServer({ allowHalfOpen: true }, function (socket) {
     console.log("connection: " + socket.remoteAddress);
     assert.equal(server, socket.server);
     assert.equal(1, server.connections);
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ function pingPongTest (port, host) {
     });
 
     socket.addListener("end", function () {
-      assert.equal(true, socket.writable);
+      assert.equal(true, socket.writable); // because allowHalfOpen
       assert.equal(false, socket.readable);
       socket.end();
     });