diff --git a/src/runtime2/port.rs b/src/runtime2/port.rs
index a4503b7ca237a1a045c634fc4210715ef8d9cf61..42b9ee27cfa77e70e25dc084aa8a382aeeefd9f3 100644
--- a/src/runtime2/port.rs
+++ b/src/runtime2/port.rs
@@ -27,14 +27,22 @@ pub enum PortKind {
     Getter,
 }
 
-/// Represents a port inside of the runtime. May be without owner if it is
-/// created by the application interfacing with the runtime, instead of being
-/// created by a connector.
+#[derive(Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
+pub enum PortState {
+    Open,
+    Closed,
+}
+
+/// Represents a port inside of the runtime. This is generally the local view of
+/// a connector on its port, which may not be consistent with the rest of the
+/// global system (e.g. its peer was moved to a new connector, or the peer might
+/// have died in the meantime, so it is no longer usable).
 pub struct Port {
     pub self_id: PortIdLocal,
     pub peer_id: PortIdLocal,
     pub kind: PortKind,
-    pub peer_connector: ConnectorId, // might be temporarily inconsistent while peer port is sent around in non-sync phase.
+    pub state: PortState,
+    pub peer_connector: ConnectorId, // might be temporarily inconsistent while peer port is sent around in non-sync phase
 }