diff --git a/examples/network/fetch.c b/examples/network/fetch.c
index d4a39746f..23046bd09 100644
--- a/examples/network/fetch.c
+++ b/examples/network/fetch.c
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@ int fetch(git_repository *repo, int argc, char **argv)
   } while (!data.finished);
   printf("\rReceived %d/%d objects in %d bytes\n", stats.processed, stats.total, bytes);
 
+  // Disconnect the underlying connection to prevent from idling.
+  git_remote_disconnect(remote);
+
   // Update the references in the remote's namespace to point to the
   // right commits. This may be needed even if there was no packfile
   // to download, which can happen e.g. when the branches have been
diff --git a/src/remote.c b/src/remote.c
index 71cb62719..98c256929 100644
--- a/src/remote.c
+++ b/src/remote.c
@@ -381,13 +381,8 @@ void git_remote_disconnect(git_remote *remote)
 {
 	assert(remote);
 
-	if (remote->transport != NULL) {
-		if (remote->transport->connected)
+	if (remote->transport != NULL && remote->transport->connected)
 			remote->transport->close(remote->transport);
-
-		remote->transport->free(remote->transport);
-		remote->transport = NULL;
-	}
 }
 
 void git_remote_free(git_remote *remote)
@@ -395,14 +390,21 @@ void git_remote_free(git_remote *remote)
 	if (remote == NULL)
 		return;
 
+	if (remote->transport != NULL) {
+		git_remote_disconnect(remote);
+
+		remote->transport->free(remote->transport);
+		remote->transport = NULL;
+	}
+
+	git_vector_free(&remote->refs);
+
 	git__free(remote->fetch.src);
 	git__free(remote->fetch.dst);
 	git__free(remote->push.src);
 	git__free(remote->push.dst);
 	git__free(remote->url);
 	git__free(remote->name);
-	git_vector_free(&remote->refs);
-	git_remote_disconnect(remote);
 	git__free(remote);
 }