diff --git a/src/main/scala/netty/FrameHandler.scala b/src/main/scala/netty/FrameHandler.scala
index e0587393..9cad5fde 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/netty/FrameHandler.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/netty/FrameHandler.scala
@@ -2,14 +2,12 @@ package lila.ws
 package netty
 
 import com.typesafe.scalalogging.Logger
+import io.netty.channel.Channel
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext
 import io.netty.channel.SimpleChannelInboundHandler
-import io.netty.handler.codec.http.websocketx.TextWebSocketFrame
-import io.netty.handler.codec.http.websocketx.WebSocketFrame
+import io.netty.handler.codec.http.websocketx.*
 
 import ipc.ClientOut
-import io.netty.handler.codec.http.websocketx.PongWebSocketFrame
-import io.netty.channel.Channel
 
 final private class FrameHandler(connector: ActorChannelConnector)(using Executor)
     extends SimpleChannelInboundHandler[WebSocketFrame]:
@@ -26,7 +24,11 @@ final private class FrameHandler(connector: ActorChannelConnector)(using Executo
         val txt = frame.text
         if txt.nonEmpty then
           val endpoint = ctx.channel.attr(key.endpoint).get
-          if endpoint == null || endpoint.rateLimit(txt) then
+          if endpoint != null && !endpoint.rateLimit(txt) then
+            ctx.channel
+              .writeAndFlush(new CloseWebSocketFrame(1008, "rate limit exceeded"))
+              .addListener(_ => ctx.channel.close())
+          else
             ClientOut parse txt foreach:
 
               case ClientOut.Switch(uri) if endpoint != null =>