diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 1447e55..cc82af9 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@uci/base",
-  "version": "0.5.3",
+  "version": "0.5.4",
   "description": "Multi type and transport JSON packet communication base class.  Used in UCI extended classes",
   "main": "src/base",
   "scripts": {
@@ -46,11 +46,11 @@
     "@uci-utils/bind-funcs": "^0.2.4",
     "@uci-utils/logger": "^0.0.18",
     "@uci-utils/ready": "^0.3.1",
-    "@uci/mqtt": "^0.3.1",
-    "@uci/socket": "^0.3.2",
-    "@uci/websocket": "^0.4.0",
+    "@uci/mqtt": "^0.3.2",
+    "@uci/socket": "^0.3.3",
+    "@uci/websocket": "^0.4.1",
     "await-to-js": "^2.1.1",
-    "is-plain-object": "^4.1.0",
+    "is-plain-object": "^4.1.1",
     "merge-anything": "^3.0.5"
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/base.js b/src/base.js
index 3b46efa..a84f676 100644
--- a/src/base.js
+++ b/src/base.js
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ class Base extends EventEmitter {
   }
 
   /**
-   * removeSocket - TODO not available
+   * removeSocket
    *
    * @param {string} name  name of socket as created
    * @returns {String | Object } success string or error object
@@ -301,20 +301,24 @@ class Base extends EventEmitter {
 
   async removeSocket(name) {
     // NOTE: uci consumers have .end renamed as .close to match socket method for convenience
-    if (!this.getSocket(name)) return 'no socket by that name'
+    if (typeof name !=='string') return 'no socket name passed, nothing to remove'
+    const socket = this.getSocket(name)
+    if (!socket) return 'no socket by that name, nothing to remove'
     let closeError
-    let [err] = await to(this._socket[name].close())
+    if (typeof socket.close !== 'function') return 'bad socket no close function, nothing to remove'
+    let [err] = await to(socket.close())
     if(err) if (err.code !== 'ERR_SERVER_NOT_RUNNING') {
       closeError = {socket:this._socket[name].name, error:err, msg:'socket/consumer closed with errors, but removed'}
     }
     this.emit('log', {level:'warn', msg:`socket ${name} has been removed`, socket:this._socket[name].opts})
-    this._socket[name].removeAllListeners()
+    socket.removeAllListeners()
+    this.ready.removeObserver(socket.type==='c' ? this._socket[name].obsName : `${name}:socket<listening>`)
     delete this._socket[name]
     return closeError ? closeError : 'success'
   }
 
   getSocket(name) {
-    if (name) return this._socket[name]
+    if (name) return this._socket[name] || null
     else return this._socket
   }
   // returns array of names of sockets that pass filter