diff --git a/grpclb/grpclb.go b/grpclb/grpclb.go
index 5864cce0..931a4d84 100644
--- a/grpclb/grpclb.go
+++ b/grpclb/grpclb.go
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ type addrInfo struct {
 type balancer struct {
 	r      naming.Resolver
 	mu     sync.Mutex
+	w      naming.Watcher
 	addrCh chan []grpc.Address
 	rbs    []remoteBalancerInfo
 	addrs  []addrInfo
@@ -86,6 +87,9 @@ func (b *balancer) watchAddrUpdates(w naming.Watcher, ch chan remoteBalancerInfo
 	var bAddr remoteBalancerInfo
 	b.mu.Lock()
 	defer b.mu.Unlock()
+	if b.done {
+		return grpc.ErrClientConnClosing
+	}
 	if len(b.rbs) > 0 {
 		bAddr = b.rbs[0]
 	}
@@ -120,10 +124,6 @@ func (b *balancer) watchAddrUpdates(w naming.Watcher, ch chan remoteBalancerInfo
 			grpclog.Println("Unknown update.Op ", update.Op)
 		}
 	}
-	if b.done {
-		close(ch)
-		return grpc.ErrClientConnClosing
-	}
 	// TODO: Fall back to the basic round-robin load balancing if the resulting address is
 	// not a load balancer.
 	if len(b.rbs) > 0 {
@@ -160,7 +160,6 @@ func (b *balancer) processServerList(l *lbpb.ServerList) {
 	b.mu.Lock()
 	defer b.mu.Unlock()
 	if b.done {
-		close(b.addrCh)
 		return
 	}
 	if len(sl) > 0 {
@@ -235,18 +234,20 @@ func (b *balancer) Start(target string, config grpc.BalancerConfig) error {
 		return grpc.ErrClientConnClosing
 	}
 	b.addrCh = make(chan []grpc.Address)
-	b.mu.Unlock()
 	w, err := b.r.Resolve(target)
 	if err != nil {
+		b.mu.Unlock()
 		return err
 	}
+	b.w = w
+	b.mu.Unlock()
 	balancerAddrCh := make(chan remoteBalancerInfo, 1)
 	// Spawn a goroutine to monitor the name resolution of remote load balancer.
 	go func() {
 		for {
 			if err := b.watchAddrUpdates(w, balancerAddrCh); err != nil {
-				w.Close()
 				grpclog.Printf("grpc: the naming watcher stops working due to %v.\n", err)
+				close(balancerAddrCh)
 				return
 			}
 		}
@@ -432,5 +433,11 @@ func (b *balancer) Close() error {
 	if b.waitCh != nil {
 		close(b.waitCh)
 	}
+	if b.addrCh != nil {
+		close(b.addrCh)
+	}
+	if b.w != nil {
+		b.w.Close()
+	}
 	return nil
 }