diff --git a/tools/load_tester.cpp b/tools/load_tester.cpp
index 72025d0..a1e71ac 100644
--- a/tools/load_tester.cpp
+++ b/tools/load_tester.cpp
@@ -163,6 +163,8 @@ struct Connection {
     initRequest();
   }
 
+  // Match server's connection state management
+  bool hasMessages() const { return !request.empty(); }
   bool error = false;
 
   ~Connection() {
@@ -321,7 +323,7 @@ int main() {
               continue;
             }
             perror("epoll_wait");
-            abort();
+            abort(); // Keep abort for critical errors like server does
           }
           break;
         }
@@ -333,9 +335,9 @@ int main() {
           events[i].data.ptr = nullptr;
           const int fd = conn->fd;
 
-          if (events[i].events & EPOLLERR) {
-            // Done with connection
-            continue;
+          // Handle connection errors like server
+          if (events[i].events & (EPOLLERR | EPOLLHUP | EPOLLRDHUP)) {
+            continue; // Let unique_ptr destructor clean up
           }
           if (events[i].events & EPOLLOUT) {
             bool finished = conn->writeBytes();
@@ -363,17 +365,19 @@ int main() {
 
           // Transfer back to epoll instance. This thread or another thread
           // will wake when fd is ready
-          if (!conn->request.empty() && !conn->error) {
-            events[i].events = EPOLLOUT | EPOLLONESHOT;
+          if (conn->hasMessages()) {
+            events[i].events = EPOLLOUT | EPOLLONESHOT | EPOLLRDHUP;
           } else {
-            events[i].events = EPOLLIN | EPOLLONESHOT;
+            events[i].events = EPOLLIN | EPOLLONESHOT | EPOLLRDHUP;
           }
           conn->tsan_release();
-          events[i].data.ptr = conn.release();
+          Connection *raw_conn = conn.release();
+          events[i].data.ptr = raw_conn;
           int e = epoll_ctl(epollfd, EPOLL_CTL_MOD, fd, &events[i]);
           if (e == -1) {
-            perror("epoll_ctl");
-            abort();
+            perror("epoll_ctl MOD");
+            delete raw_conn; // Clean up on failure like server
+            continue;
           }
         }
       }
@@ -395,17 +399,25 @@ int main() {
         }
         // int fd = getConnectFd("127.0.0.1", "4569");
         int fd = getConnectFdUnix("weaseldb.sock");
+        if (fd == -1) {
+          continue; // Connection failed, try again
+        }
+
+        // Create connection with proper ownership like server
         auto conn = std::make_unique<Connection>(
             fd, connectionId.fetch_add(1, std::memory_order_relaxed));
-        // Post to epoll instance
+
+        // Add to epoll with proper events matching server pattern
         struct epoll_event event{};
-        event.events = EPOLLOUT | EPOLLONESHOT;
+        event.events = EPOLLOUT | EPOLLONESHOT | EPOLLRDHUP;
         conn->tsan_release();
-        event.data.ptr = conn.release();
+        Connection *raw_conn = conn.release();
+        event.data.ptr = raw_conn;
         e = epoll_ctl(epollfd, EPOLL_CTL_ADD, fd, &event);
         if (e == -1) {
-          perror("epoll_ctl");
-          abort();
+          perror("epoll_ctl ADD");
+          delete raw_conn; // Clean up on failure like server
+          continue;
         }
       }
     });