diff --git a/include/git2/pkt.h b/include/git2/pkt.h
index 59826da8a..0b17b3eed 100644
--- a/include/git2/pkt.h
+++ b/include/git2/pkt.h
@@ -52,4 +52,5 @@ struct git_pkt_ref {
 };
 
 int git_pkt_parse_line(git_pkt **head, const char *line, const char **out, size_t len);
+int git_pkt_send_flush(int s);
 void git_pkt_free(git_pkt *pkt);
diff --git a/include/git2/types.h b/include/git2/types.h
index ef80435c4..dae96cf22 100644
--- a/include/git2/types.h
+++ b/include/git2/types.h
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ typedef struct git_transport git_transport;
 /** Whether to push or pull */
 typedef enum git_net_direction git_net_direction;
 
-typedef int (*git_transport_cb)(git_transport *transport);
+typedef int (*git_transport_cb)(git_transport **transport);
 
 typedef struct git_remote_head git_remote_head;
 typedef struct git_headarray git_headarray;
diff --git a/src/transport.c b/src/transport.c
index fb0dc32c9..59aecb4cf 100644
--- a/src/transport.c
+++ b/src/transport.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ struct {
 	{NULL, 0}
 };
 
-static git_transport_cb transport_fill_fn(const char *url)
+static git_transport_cb transport_new_fn(const char *url)
 {
 	int i = 0;
 
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ static git_transport_cb transport_fill_fn(const char *url)
  * Public API *
  **************/
 
-int git_transport_dummy(git_transport *GIT_UNUSED(transport))
+int git_transport_dummy(git_transport **GIT_UNUSED(transport))
 {
 	GIT_UNUSED_ARG(transport);
 	return git__throw(GIT_ENOTIMPLEMENTED, "This protocol isn't implemented. Sorry");
@@ -55,13 +55,11 @@ int git_transport_new(git_transport **out, git_repository *repo, const char *url
 	git_transport *transport;
 	int error;
 
-	fn = transport_fill_fn(url);
+	fn = transport_new_fn(url);
 
-	transport = git__malloc(sizeof(git_transport));
-	if (transport == NULL)
-		return GIT_ENOMEM;
-
-	memset(transport, 0x0, sizeof(git_transport));
+	error = fn(&transport);
+	if (error < GIT_SUCCESS)
+		return git__rethrow(error, "Failed to create new transport");
 
 	transport->url = git__strdup(url);
 	if (transport->url == NULL)
@@ -69,10 +67,6 @@ int git_transport_new(git_transport **out, git_repository *repo, const char *url
 
 	transport->repo = repo;
 
-	error = fn(transport);
-	if (error < GIT_SUCCESS)
-		return git__rethrow(error, "Failed to create new transport");
-
 	*out = transport;
 
 	return GIT_SUCCESS;
diff --git a/src/transport.h b/src/transport.h
index e951d4c6b..6d5f037b8 100644
--- a/src/transport.h
+++ b/src/transport.h
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ struct git_transport {
 	void (*free)(struct git_transport *transport);
 };
 
-int git_transport_local(struct git_transport *transport);
-int git_transport_git(struct git_transport *transport);
-int git_transport_dummy(struct git_transport *transport);
+int git_transport_local(struct git_transport **transport);
+int git_transport_git(struct git_transport **transport);
+int git_transport_dummy(struct git_transport **transport);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/transport_git.c b/src/transport_git.c
index eb5f70870..ca1f044e3 100644
--- a/src/transport_git.c
+++ b/src/transport_git.c
@@ -45,10 +45,12 @@
 #include "netops.h"
 
 typedef struct {
+	git_transport parent;
 	int socket;
 	git_vector refs;
 	git_remote_head **heads;
-} git_priv;
+} transport_git;
+
 /*
  * Create a git procol request.
  *
@@ -141,7 +143,7 @@ static int extract_host_and_port(char **host, char **port, const char *url)
  * out. For convenience this also takes care of asking for the remote
  * refs
  */
-static int do_connect(git_priv *priv, const char *url)
+static int do_connect(transport_git *t, const char *url)
 {
 	int s = -1;
 	char *host, *port;
@@ -155,7 +157,7 @@ static int do_connect(git_priv *priv, const char *url)
 	s = gitno_connect(host, port);
 	connected = 1;
 	error = send_request(s, NULL, url);
-	priv->socket = s;
+	t->socket = s;
 
 	free(host);
 	free(port);
@@ -171,10 +173,10 @@ static int do_connect(git_priv *priv, const char *url)
 /*
  * Read from the socket and store the references in the vector
  */
-static int store_refs(git_priv *priv)
+static int store_refs(transport_git *t)
 {
-	int s = priv->socket;
-	git_vector *refs = &priv->refs;
+	int s = t->socket;
+	git_vector *refs = &t->refs;
 	int error = GIT_SUCCESS;
 	char buffer[1024];
 	const char *line_end, *ptr;
@@ -239,33 +241,26 @@ static int store_refs(git_priv *priv)
  */
 static int git_connect(git_transport *transport, git_net_direction direction)
 {
-	git_priv *priv;
+	transport_git *t = (transport_git *) transport;
 	int error = GIT_SUCCESS;
 
 	if (direction == INTENT_PUSH)
 		return git__throw(GIT_EINVALIDARGS, "Pushing is not supported with the git protocol");
 
-	priv = git__malloc(sizeof(git_priv));
-	if (priv == NULL)
-		return GIT_ENOMEM;
-
-	memset(priv, 0x0, sizeof(git_priv));
-	transport->private = priv;
-	error = git_vector_init(&priv->refs, 16, NULL);
+	error = git_vector_init(&t->refs, 16, NULL);
 	if (error < GIT_SUCCESS)
 		goto cleanup;
 
 	/* Connect and ask for the refs */
-	error = do_connect(priv, transport->url);
+	error = do_connect(t, transport->url);
 	if (error < GIT_SUCCESS)
 		return error;
 
-	error = store_refs(priv);
+	error = store_refs(t);
 
 cleanup:
 	if (error < GIT_SUCCESS) {
-		git_vector_free(&priv->refs);
-		free(priv);
+		git_vector_free(&t->refs);
 	}
 
 	return error;
@@ -273,8 +268,8 @@ cleanup:
 
 static int git_ls(git_transport *transport, git_headarray *array)
 {
-	git_priv *priv = transport->private;
-	git_vector *refs = &priv->refs;
+	transport_git *t = (transport_git *) transport;
+	git_vector *refs = &t->refs;
 	int len = 0;
 	unsigned int i;
 
@@ -291,19 +286,19 @@ static int git_ls(git_transport *transport, git_headarray *array)
 		array->heads[i] = &(((git_pkt_ref *) p)->head);
 	}
 	array->len = len;
-	priv->heads = array->heads;
+	t->heads = array->heads;
 
 	return GIT_SUCCESS;
 }
 
 static int git_close(git_transport *transport)
 {
-	git_priv *priv = transport->private;
-	int s = priv->socket;
+	transport_git *t = (transport_git*) transport;
+	int s = t->socket;
 	int error;
 
-	/* FIXME:  We probably want to send a flush pkt back */
-
+	/* Can't do anything if there's an error, so don't bother checking  */
+	git_pkt_send_flush(s);
 	error = close(s);
 	if (error < 0)
 		error = git__throw(GIT_EOSERR, "Failed to close socket");
@@ -313,8 +308,8 @@ static int git_close(git_transport *transport)
 
 static void git_free(git_transport *transport)
 {
-	git_priv *priv = transport->private;
-	git_vector *refs = &priv->refs;
+	transport_git *t = (transport_git *) transport;
+	git_vector *refs = &t->refs;
 	unsigned int i;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < refs->length; ++i) {
@@ -323,18 +318,25 @@ static void git_free(git_transport *transport)
 	}
 
 	git_vector_free(refs);
-	free(priv->heads);
-	free(priv);
-	free(transport->url);
-	free(transport);
+	free(t->heads);
+	free(t->parent.url);
+	free(t);
 }
 
-int git_transport_git(git_transport *transport)
+int git_transport_git(git_transport **out)
 {
-	transport->connect = git_connect;
-	transport->ls = git_ls;
-	transport->close = git_close;
-	transport->free = git_free;
+	transport_git *t;
+
+	t = git__malloc(sizeof(transport_git));
+	if (t == NULL)
+		return GIT_ENOMEM;
+
+	t->parent.connect = git_connect;
+	t->parent.ls = git_ls;
+	t->parent.close = git_close;
+	t->parent.free = git_free;
+
+	*out = (git_transport *) t;
 
 	return GIT_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/src/transport_local.c b/src/transport_local.c
index a096e48c3..5dc5c26ca 100644
--- a/src/transport_local.c
+++ b/src/transport_local.c
@@ -9,9 +9,10 @@
 #include "transport.h"
 
 typedef struct {
+	git_transport parent;
 	git_repository *repo;
 	git_vector *refs;
-} local_priv;
+} transport_local;
 
 static int cmp_refs(const void *a, const void *b)
 {
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ static int local_connect(git_transport *transport, git_net_direction GIT_UNUSED(
 {
 	git_repository *repo;
 	int error;
-	local_priv *priv;
+	transport_local *t = (transport_local *) transport;
 	const char *path;
 	const char file_prefix[] = "file://";
 	GIT_UNUSED_ARG(dir);
@@ -44,17 +45,8 @@ static int local_connect(git_transport *transport, git_net_direction GIT_UNUSED(
 	if (error < GIT_SUCCESS)
 		return git__rethrow(error, "Failed to open remote");
 
-	priv = git__malloc(sizeof(local_priv));
-	if (priv == NULL) {
-		git_repository_free(repo);
-		return GIT_ENOMEM;
-	}
-
-	priv->repo = repo;
-
-	transport->private = priv;
-
-	transport->connected = 1;
+	t->repo = repo;
+	t->parent.connected = 1;
 
 	return GIT_SUCCESS;
 }
@@ -135,11 +127,11 @@ static int local_ls(git_transport *transport, git_headarray *array)
 	git_repository *repo;
 	git_vector *vec;
 	git_strarray refs;
-	local_priv *priv = transport->private;
+	transport_local *t = (transport_local *) transport;
 
 	assert(transport && transport->connected);
 
-	repo = priv->repo;
+	repo = t->repo;
 
 	error = git_reference_listall(&refs, repo, GIT_REF_LISTALL);
 	if (error < GIT_SUCCESS)
@@ -172,7 +164,7 @@ static int local_ls(git_transport *transport, git_headarray *array)
 	array->len = vec->length;
 	array->heads = (git_remote_head **)vec->contents;
 
-	priv->refs = vec;
+	t->refs = vec;
 
  out:
 
@@ -191,8 +183,8 @@ static int local_close(git_transport *GIT_UNUSED(transport))
 static void local_free(git_transport *transport)
 {
 	unsigned int i;
-	local_priv *priv = transport->private;
-	git_vector *vec = priv->refs;
+	transport_local *t = (transport_local *) transport;
+	git_vector *vec = t->refs;
 
 	assert(transport);
 
@@ -203,22 +195,29 @@ static void local_free(git_transport *transport)
 	}
 	git_vector_free(vec);
 	free(vec);
-	git_repository_free(priv->repo);
-	free(priv);
-	free(transport->url);
-	free(transport);
+	git_repository_free(t->repo);
+	free(t->parent.url);
+	free(t);
 }
 
 /**************
  * Public API *
  **************/
 
-int git_transport_local(git_transport *transport)
+int git_transport_local(git_transport **out)
 {
-	transport->connect = local_connect;
-	transport->ls = local_ls;
-	transport->close = local_close;
-	transport->free = local_free;
+	transport_local *t;
+
+	t = git__malloc(sizeof(transport_local));
+	if (t == NULL)
+		return GIT_ENOMEM;
+
+	t->parent.connect = local_connect;
+	t->parent.ls = local_ls;
+	t->parent.close = local_close;
+	t->parent.free = local_free;
+
+	*out = (git_transport *) t;
 
 	return GIT_SUCCESS;
 }