diff --git a/bmspy/server.py b/bmspy/server.py
index 42ca4ff..b2c0242 100755
--- a/bmspy/server.py
+++ b/bmspy/server.py
@@ -476,6 +476,14 @@ def main():
                         debug,
                     )
 
+        except OSError as e:
+            if connection is None:
+                # accept() failed, so the listening socket is not usable.
+                raise
+            # A client that disconnects before its reply must not end the
+            # server for every other client.
+            debugger("socket ERROR: {}".format(e))
+
         except KeyboardInterrupt:
             if connection:
                 connection.close()
diff --git a/tests/test_server.py b/tests/test_server.py
index 421be6f..f7443c5 100644
--- a/tests/test_server.py
+++ b/tests/test_server.py
@@ -1006,6 +1006,52 @@ class TestServerMain:
         assert "invalid request from" in capsys.readouterr().out
 
 
+    def test_client_that_disconnects_before_the_reply_does_not_end_the_server(self, tmp_path, capsys):
+        """The reply to a closed connection fails. The next client must still get an answer."""
+        sock_path = str(tmp_path / "server_gone.sock")
+        ready, client_closed = threading.Event(), threading.Event()
+
+        def send_after_close(*args, **kwargs):
+            # Hold the reply until the client is gone, so that the send fails each time.
+            client_closed.wait(timeout=5)
+            return send_response(*args, **kwargs)
+
+        t = self._make_server_thread(sock_path, ready, threading.Event())
+        with patch("bmspy.server.send_response", send_after_close):
+            t.start()
+            ready.wait(timeout=2)
+            try:
+                sock = socket_module.socket(socket_module.AF_UNIX, socket_module.SOCK_STREAM)
+                sock.connect(sock_path)
+                payload = json.dumps({"command": "GET", "client": "gone"}).encode()
+                sock.sendall(struct.pack("!I", len(payload)) + payload)
+                sock.close()
+                client_closed.set()
+
+                response = self._send_command(sock_path, {"command": "REGISTER", "client": "test"})
+                assert response == {"status": "REGISTERED", "client": "test"}
+                assert t.is_alive()
+            finally:
+                client_closed.set()
+                self._stop_server(sock_path, t)
+        assert "socket ERROR: unable to encode response" in capsys.readouterr().out
+
+    def test_failed_accept_still_ends_the_server(self, tmp_path):
+        """A listening socket that fails must not become an endless loop."""
+        sock_path = str(tmp_path / "server_accept.sock")
+        with patch("sys.argv", ["bmspy-server", "--socket", sock_path, "--device", "/dev/ttyUSB0"]), \
+             patch("bmspy.server.signal.signal"), \
+             patch("bmspy.server.atexit.register"), \
+             patch("bmspy.server.initialise_serial"), \
+             patch("bmspy.server.start_polling"), \
+             patch("bmspy.server.os.path.isdir", return_value=True), \
+             patch.object(socket_module.socket, "accept", side_effect=OSError("accept failed")) as accept:
+            from bmspy.server import main as server_main
+            with pytest.raises(OSError, match="accept failed"):
+                server_main()
+        assert accept.call_count == 1
+
+
 class TestSendResponseDebug:
     def test_debug_3_logs_sending(self, capsys):
         srv, cli = socket_module.socketpair()