diff --git a/java/libraries/net/src/processing/net/Client.java b/java/libraries/net/src/processing/net/Client.java
index 18867e5dc..a93baa838 100644
--- a/java/libraries/net/src/processing/net/Client.java
+++ b/java/libraries/net/src/processing/net/Client.java
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ public class Client implements Runnable {
    * @throws IOException
    */
   public Client(PApplet parent, Socket socket) throws IOException {
+    this.parent = parent;
     this.socket = socket;
 
     input = socket.getInputStream();
@@ -125,6 +126,16 @@ public class Client implements Runnable {
 
     thread = new Thread(this);
     thread.start();
+
+    // reflection to check whether host sketch has a call for
+    // public void disconnectEvent(processing.net.Client)
+    try {
+      disconnectEventMethod =
+        parent.getClass().getMethod("disconnectEvent",
+                                    new Class[] { Client.class });
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      // no such method, or an error.. which is fine, just ignore
+    }
   }
 
 
diff --git a/java/libraries/net/src/processing/net/Server.java b/java/libraries/net/src/processing/net/Server.java
index 12b73a71b..cdc81a386 100644
--- a/java/libraries/net/src/processing/net/Server.java
+++ b/java/libraries/net/src/processing/net/Server.java
@@ -109,7 +109,11 @@ public class Server implements Runnable {
    * @param client the client to disconnect
    */
   public void disconnect(Client client) {
-    //client.stop();
+    //Calling client.stop() here would cause duplicate
+    //calls to disconnectEvent in the containing sketch,
+    //once for the stop() and once for the terminated connection.
+    //Instead just dispose of the client and let the terminated
+    //connection generate the disconnectEvent message;
     client.dispose();
     int index = clientIndex(client);
     if (index != -1) {