diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2790fa6..63fd416 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ tests/*
 !tests/test_positions.py
 !tests/test_rh_lighter.py
 !tests/test_mempool.py
+!tests/test_websocket_sends.py
 !tests/_mock_api.py
 !tests/test_timestamps.py
 !tests/test_spec_fixes.py
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 475be9c..4bc0d2b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -32,6 +32,15 @@ this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.htm
   `ws_endpoint`, `None` means the default endpoint, `wss://api.0xarchive.io/ws`.
   For `plans`, `None` means every plan.
 
+### Fixed
+
+- `OxArchiveWs.disconnect()` now sends the subscribe and unsubscribe calls
+  made just before it (waiting up to 2 seconds), so an unsubscribe followed
+  by `disconnect()` reaches the server. A background send that finds the
+  connection already closed is dropped quietly instead of logging
+  `Task exception was never retrieved`; any other send failure goes to the
+  `on_error` handler.
+
 ## [1.12.0] - 2026-10-05
 
 Builds on 1.11.0. Two venues, Hyperliquid and Lighter; Lighter now has two
diff --git a/oxarchive/websocket.py b/oxarchive/websocket.py
index e3ce59c..f8fc96e 100644
--- a/oxarchive/websocket.py
+++ b/oxarchive/websocket.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
 import warnings
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from types import MappingProxyType
-from typing import Any, Callable, Literal, Mapping, Optional, Set, Union
+from typing import Any, Callable, Coroutine, Literal, Mapping, Optional, Set, Union
 from urllib.parse import urlencode
 
 try:
@@ -828,6 +828,10 @@ def __init__(self, options: WsOptions):
         self._running = False
         self._ping_task: Optional[asyncio.Task] = None
         self._receive_task: Optional[asyncio.Task] = None
+        # Subscribe and unsubscribe frames sent in the background by the
+        # non-async methods; held here because asyncio keeps only weak
+        # references to tasks, and flushed by disconnect().
+        self._pending_sends: Set[asyncio.Task[None]] = set()
 
         # Event handlers
         self._on_message: Optional[MessageHandler] = None
@@ -920,7 +924,14 @@ def _connection_url(self) -> str:
         return f"{self.options.ws_url}{separator}{query}"
 
     async def disconnect(self) -> None:
-        """Disconnect from the WebSocket server."""
+        """Disconnect from the WebSocket server.
+
+        Subscribe and unsubscribe calls made just before are sent first (for
+        up to 2 seconds), so an unsubscribe followed by ``disconnect()`` reaches
+        the server.
+        """
+        if self._pending_sends:
+            await asyncio.wait(set(self._pending_sends), timeout=2)
         self._running = False
         self._set_state("disconnected")
 
@@ -969,7 +980,7 @@ def subscribe(
         self._remember_subscription(channel, coin, interval_ms)
 
         if self.is_connected:
-            asyncio.create_task(self._send_subscribe(channel, coin, interval_ms))
+            self._send_in_background(self._send_subscribe(channel, coin, interval_ms))
 
     async def subscribe_async(
         self,
@@ -1012,7 +1023,7 @@ def unsubscribe(self, channel: WsChannel, coin: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
         self._subscription_options.pop(key, None)
 
         if self.is_connected:
-            asyncio.create_task(self._send_unsubscribe(channel, coin))
+            self._send_in_background(self._send_unsubscribe(channel, coin))
 
     async def unsubscribe_async(self, channel: WsChannel, coin: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
         """Unsubscribe from a channel (async version)."""
@@ -1959,6 +1970,28 @@ def _remember_subscription(
         else:
             self._subscription_options.pop(key, None)
 
+    def _send_in_background(self, send: Coroutine[Any, Any, None]) -> None:
+        """Run a subscribe or unsubscribe send without blocking the caller."""
+        task = asyncio.create_task(send)
+        self._pending_sends.add(task)
+        task.add_done_callback(self._send_finished)
+
+    def _send_finished(self, task: asyncio.Task[None]) -> None:
+        """Retrieve a background send's outcome. A send that lost the
+        connection is dropped: the server forgets a closed connection's
+        subscriptions, and a reconnect resubscribes from the remembered set.
+        Any other failure goes to the error handler."""
+        self._pending_sends.discard(task)
+        if task.cancelled():
+            return
+        exc = task.exception()
+        if not isinstance(exc, Exception) or isinstance(exc, ConnectionClosed):
+            return
+        if self._on_error:
+            self._on_error(exc)
+        else:
+            logger.warning("WebSocket send failed: %s", exc)
+
     async def _send_subscribe(
         self,
         channel: WsChannel,
diff --git a/tests/test_websocket_sends.py b/tests/test_websocket_sends.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..48fae76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_websocket_sends.py
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+"""Background subscribe and unsubscribe sends: flushed by disconnect(), and
+quiet when the connection is already gone."""
+
+import asyncio
+import json
+
+import pytest
+
+pytest.importorskip("websockets")
+
+from websockets.exceptions import ConnectionClosedError  # noqa: E402
+from websockets.protocol import State  # noqa: E402
+
+from oxarchive.websocket import OxArchiveWs, WsOptions  # noqa: E402
+
+
+class FakeConnection:
+    def __init__(self, fail_with=None):
+        self.state = State.OPEN
+        self.sent = []
+        self.closed = False
+        self.fail_with = fail_with
+
+    async def send(self, text):
+        await asyncio.sleep(0.01)
+        if self.fail_with is not None:
+            raise self.fail_with
+        if self.closed:
+            raise ConnectionClosedError(None, None)
+        self.sent.append(json.loads(text))
+
+    async def close(self, code=1000, reason=""):
+        self.closed = True
+        self.state = State.CLOSED
+
+
+def client(conn):
+    ws = OxArchiveWs(WsOptions(api_key="0xa_" + "0" * 64))
+    ws._ws = conn
+    return ws
+
+
+def unretrieved(loop_errors):
+    return [e for e in loop_errors if "exception was never retrieved" in str(e.get("message", ""))]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_unsubscribe_then_disconnect_sends_the_unsubscribe_first():
+    loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+    errors = []
+    loop.set_exception_handler(lambda _loop, ctx: errors.append(ctx))
+    conn = FakeConnection()
+    ws = client(conn)
+    ws.subscribe_mempool("BTC")
+    ws.unsubscribe_mempool("BTC")
+    await ws.disconnect()
+    assert [m["op"] for m in conn.sent] == ["subscribe", "unsubscribe"]
+    assert conn.closed
+    assert not ws._pending_sends
+    await asyncio.sleep(0.05)
+    assert not unretrieved(errors)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_a_send_that_finds_the_connection_closed_is_dropped_quietly():
+    loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+    errors = []
+    loop.set_exception_handler(lambda _loop, ctx: errors.append(ctx))
+    ws = client(FakeConnection(fail_with=ConnectionClosedError(None, None)))
+    seen = []
+    ws.on_error(seen.append)
+    ws.unsubscribe("trades", "BTC")
+    await asyncio.sleep(0.05)
+    import gc
+
+    gc.collect()
+    await asyncio.sleep(0)
+    assert seen == []
+    assert not ws._pending_sends
+    assert not unretrieved(errors)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_any_other_send_failure_reaches_the_error_handler():
+    boom = RuntimeError("boom")
+    ws = client(FakeConnection(fail_with=boom))
+    seen = []
+    ws.on_error(seen.append)
+    ws.subscribe("trades", "BTC")
+    await asyncio.sleep(0.05)
+    assert seen == [boom]
+    assert not ws._pending_sends