diff --git a/src/runtime2/scheduler.rs b/src/runtime2/scheduler.rs
index ba86851b7b78e55725512edcefc15e23a9f91cd9..949372cab20039bb34bd20b88e5872af73ae32f8 100644
--- a/src/runtime2/scheduler.rs
+++ b/src/runtime2/scheduler.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ use std::sync::atomic::Ordering;
 
 use super::component::*;
 use super::runtime::*;
-use super::communication::*;
 
 /// Data associated with a scheduler thread
 pub(crate) struct Scheduler {
@@ -74,6 +73,10 @@ impl Scheduler {
 
     // local utilities
 
+    /// Marks component as sleeping, if after marking itself as sleeping the
+    /// inbox contains messages then the component will be immediately
+    /// rescheduled. After calling this function the component should not be
+    /// executed anymore.
     fn mark_component_as_sleeping(&self, key: CompKey, component: &mut RuntimeComp) {
         debug_assert_eq!(key.downgrade(), component.ctx.id); // make sure component matches key
         debug_assert_eq!(component.public.sleeping.load(Ordering::Acquire), false); // we're executing it, so it cannot be sleeping
@@ -90,30 +93,26 @@ impl Scheduler {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Marks the component as exiting by removing the reference it holds to
+    /// itself. Afterward the component will enter "normal" sleeping mode (if it
+    /// has not yet been destroyed)
     fn mark_component_as_exiting(&self, sched_ctx: &SchedulerCtx, component: &mut RuntimeComp) {
-        // Send messages that all ports will be closed
-        for port_index in 0..component.ctx.ports.len() {
-            let port_info = &component.ctx.ports[port_index];
-            if let Some((peer_id, message)) = component.code.control.initiate_port_closing(port_info.self_id, &mut component.ctx) {
-                let peer_info = component.ctx.get_peer(peer_id);
-                peer_info.handle.send_message(sched_ctx, Message::Control(message), true);
+        // If we didn't yet decrement our reference count, do so now
+        let comp_key = unsafe{ component.ctx.id.upgrade() };
+
+        if !component.exiting {
+            component.exiting = true;
+
+            let old_count = component.public.num_handles.fetch_sub(1, Ordering::AcqRel);
+            let new_count = old_count - 1;
+            println!(" ****** DEBUG [ sched]: Decremented count to {} for {:?}", new_count, component.ctx.id);
+            if new_count == 0 {
+                sched_ctx.runtime.destroy_component(comp_key);
+                return;
             }
         }
 
-        // Remove all references to the peers that we have
-        for mut peer in component.ctx.peers.drain(..) {
-            let should_remove = peer.handle.decrement_users();
-            if should_remove {
-                let key = unsafe{ peer.id.upgrade() };
-                sched_ctx.runtime.destroy_component(key);
-            }
-        }
-
-        let old_count = component.public.num_handles.fetch_sub(1, Ordering::AcqRel);
-        let new_count = old_count - 1;
-        if new_count == 0 {
-            let comp_key = unsafe{ component.ctx.id.upgrade() };
-            sched_ctx.runtime.destroy_component(comp_key);
-        }
+        // Enter "regular" sleeping mode
+        self.mark_component_as_sleeping(comp_key, component);
     }
 }
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