unsigned char           minor;          /* the starting minor number for this device */
 
        int                     open_count;     /* number of times this port has been opened */
+       unsigned long           disconnected:1;
 
        char*                   read_buffer;
        size_t                  read_buffer_length; /* this much came in */
  */
 static inline void tower_delete (struct lego_usb_tower *dev)
 {
-       tower_abort_transfers (dev);
-
        /* free data structures */
        usb_free_urb(dev->interrupt_in_urb);
        usb_free_urb(dev->interrupt_out_urb);
                retval = -ENODEV;
                goto unlock_exit;
        }
-       if (dev->udev == NULL) {
+
+       if (dev->disconnected) {
                /* the device was unplugged before the file was released */
 
                /* unlock here as tower_delete frees dev */
        if (dev->interrupt_in_running) {
                dev->interrupt_in_running = 0;
                mb();
-               if (dev->udev)
-                       usb_kill_urb (dev->interrupt_in_urb);
+               usb_kill_urb(dev->interrupt_in_urb);
        }
-       if (dev->interrupt_out_busy && dev->udev)
+       if (dev->interrupt_out_busy)
                usb_kill_urb(dev->interrupt_out_urb);
 }
 
 
        dev = file->private_data;
 
-       if (!dev->udev)
+       if (dev->disconnected)
                return EPOLLERR | EPOLLHUP;
 
        poll_wait(file, &dev->read_wait, wait);
        }
 
        /* verify that the device wasn't unplugged */
-       if (dev->udev == NULL) {
+       if (dev->disconnected) {
                retval = -ENODEV;
                pr_err("No device or device unplugged %d\n", retval);
                goto unlock_exit;
        }
 
        /* verify that the device wasn't unplugged */
-       if (dev->udev == NULL) {
+       if (dev->disconnected) {
                retval = -ENODEV;
                pr_err("No device or device unplugged %d\n", retval);
                goto unlock_exit;
 
 resubmit:
        /* resubmit if we're still running */
-       if (dev->interrupt_in_running && dev->udev) {
+       if (dev->interrupt_in_running) {
                retval = usb_submit_urb (dev->interrupt_in_urb, GFP_ATOMIC);
                if (retval)
                        dev_err(&dev->udev->dev,
 
        dev->udev = udev;
        dev->open_count = 0;
+       dev->disconnected = 0;
 
        dev->read_buffer = NULL;
        dev->read_buffer_length = 0;
        /* give back our minor and prevent further open() */
        usb_deregister_dev (interface, &tower_class);
 
+       /* stop I/O */
+       usb_poison_urb(dev->interrupt_in_urb);
+       usb_poison_urb(dev->interrupt_out_urb);
+
        mutex_lock(&dev->lock);
 
        /* if the device is not opened, then we clean up right now */
                mutex_unlock(&dev->lock);
                tower_delete (dev);
        } else {
-               dev->udev = NULL;
+               dev->disconnected = 1;
                /* wake up pollers */
                wake_up_interruptible_all(&dev->read_wait);
                wake_up_interruptible_all(&dev->write_wait);