diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 9a582d5e46..b35f9a4e4e 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -433,6 +433,17 @@ func validateClientListen() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func validateClientOPA() error {
+	hasOPAFlags := len(*clientAllowPolicy) > 0 || len(*clientAllowQuery) > 0
+	if !hasOPAFlags {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if *clientAllowPolicy == "" || *clientAllowQuery == "" {
+		return errors.New("--verify-policy and --verify-query have to be used together")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Validate flags for client mode
 func clientValidateFlags() error {
 	if err := validateClientCredentials(); err != nil {
@@ -441,6 +452,9 @@ func clientValidateFlags() error {
 	if err := validateClientListen(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if err := validateClientOPA(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	return validateCipherSuites()
 }
 
@@ -696,6 +710,7 @@ func serverListen(env *Environment) error {
 
 	serverConfig, err := getServerConfig(env.tlsConfigSource, config)
 	if err != nil {
+		listener.Close()
 		logger.Printf("error: unable to get server TLS config: %s", err)
 		return err
 	}
@@ -715,6 +730,7 @@ func serverListen(env *Environment) error {
 	if *statusAddress != "" {
 		err := env.serveStatus()
 		if err != nil {
+			listener.Close()
 			logger.Printf("error serving /_status: %s", err)
 			return err
 		}
@@ -760,6 +776,7 @@ func clientListen(env *Environment) error {
 	if *statusAddress != "" {
 		err := env.serveStatus()
 		if err != nil {
+			listener.Close()
 			logger.Printf("error serving /_status: %s", err)
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/main_test.go b/main_test.go
index 7953215431..d998508b75 100644
--- a/main_test.go
+++ b/main_test.go
@@ -424,6 +424,31 @@ func TestClientFlagValidation(t *testing.T) {
 	err = clientValidateFlags()
 	assert.NotNil(t, err, "--key without --cert should be rejected")
 	*keyPath = ""
+
+	// Test: OPA flags must be used together
+	*keystorePath = "file"
+	*clientListenAddress = "127.0.0.1:8080"
+	*enabledCipherSuites = "AES,CHACHA"
+
+	*clientAllowPolicy = "policy"
+	*clientAllowQuery = ""
+	err = clientValidateFlags()
+	assert.NotNil(t, err, "--verify-policy needs --verify-query")
+
+	*clientAllowPolicy = ""
+	*clientAllowQuery = "query"
+	err = clientValidateFlags()
+	assert.NotNil(t, err, "--verify-query needs --verify-policy")
+
+	*clientAllowPolicy = "policy"
+	*clientAllowQuery = "query"
+	err = clientValidateFlags()
+	assert.Nil(t, err, "--verify-policy and --verify-query together should be valid")
+
+	*clientAllowPolicy = ""
+	*clientAllowQuery = ""
+	err = clientValidateFlags()
+	assert.Nil(t, err, "neither OPA flag set should be valid")
 }
 
 func TestAllowsLocalhost(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/proxy/proxy.go b/proxy/proxy.go
index fc104fe070..f920664b96 100644
--- a/proxy/proxy.go
+++ b/proxy/proxy.go
@@ -359,6 +359,7 @@ func (p *Proxy) Accept() {
 				_, err = h.WriteTo(backend)
 				if err != nil {
 					p.logConditional(LogConnectionErrors, "error writing proxy header: %s", err)
+					backend.Close()
 					return
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/proxy/proxy_test.go b/proxy/proxy_test.go
index 5c560b3de0..daf600fb8f 100644
--- a/proxy/proxy_test.go
+++ b/proxy/proxy_test.go
@@ -1008,3 +1008,50 @@ func TestProxyProtoHeaderConnMode(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Nil(t, err)
 	assert.Empty(t, tlvs, "conn mode should have no TLVs even with TLS state")
 }
+
+// failWriteConn is a mock connection that tracks Close() calls and fails on Write().
+// Used to simulate a PROXY protocol header write failure.
+type failWriteConn struct {
+	closed bool
+	mockConn
+}
+
+func (f *failWriteConn) Write(b []byte) (int, error) { return 0, errors.New("write error") }
+func (f *failWriteConn) Close() error                { f.closed = true; return nil }
+
+func TestProxyProtocolWriteFailureClosesBackend(t *testing.T) {
+	// Incoming listener (plain TCP — forceHandshake is a no-op for non-TLS)
+	incoming, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer incoming.Close()
+
+	// Backend mock that fails on Write (simulating PROXY header write failure)
+	backend := &failWriteConn{}
+	dialCalled := make(chan struct{})
+
+	dialer := func(_ context.Context) (net.Conn, error) {
+		close(dialCalled)
+		return backend, nil
+	}
+
+	// Create proxy with PROXY protocol enabled
+	p := proxyForTestWithProxyProtocol(incoming, dialer)
+	go p.Accept()
+
+	// Connect a client to trigger the handler
+	client, err := net.Dial("tcp", incoming.Addr().String())
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+
+	// Wait for the handler to reach Dial, ensuring it's past the accept stage
+	<-dialCalled
+	client.Close()
+
+	// Shut down and wait for all handlers to complete
+	p.Shutdown()
+	p.Wait()
+
+	// Regression: verify backend connection is closed when PROXY header write fails.
+	assert.True(t, backend.closed, "backend connection must be closed when PROXY protocol header write fails")
+}
diff --git a/socket/launchd_enabled.go b/socket/launchd_enabled.go
index 2b806857c6..5a708bc784 100644
--- a/socket/launchd_enabled.go
+++ b/socket/launchd_enabled.go
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ func launchdSocket(address string) (net.Listener, error) {
 
 	fds := (*[1]C.int)(ptr)
 	file := os.NewFile(uintptr(fds[0]), "")
+	defer file.Close()
 
 	return net.FileListener(file)
 }
diff --git a/socket/systemd_enabled.go b/socket/systemd_enabled.go
index 597abde605..7bb9654bbe 100644
--- a/socket/systemd_enabled.go
+++ b/socket/systemd_enabled.go
@@ -31,11 +31,15 @@ func systemdSocket(name string) (net.Listener, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	return systemdSocketFromMap(name, listeners)
+}
+
+func systemdSocketFromMap(name string, listeners map[string][]net.Listener) (net.Listener, error) {
 	if listener, ok := listeners[name]; ok {
-		if len(listeners) != 1 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("expected exactly 1 listening socket configured in systemd for name %s, found %d", name, len(listeners))
+		if len(listener) != 1 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("expected exactly 1 listening socket configured in systemd for name %s, found %d", name, len(listener))
 		}
-		return listener[0], err
+		return listener[0], nil
 	}
 
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("expected listener with name %s, but found none", name)
diff --git a/socket/systemd_test.go b/socket/systemd_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..786be3b289
--- /dev/null
+++ b/socket/systemd_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+//go:build linux
+
+package socket
+
+import (
+	"net"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestSystemdSocketMultipleNames(t *testing.T) {
+	// Two systemd socket names, each with exactly one listener.
+	// Requesting "web" should succeed since "web" has exactly 1 socket.
+	webListener, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer webListener.Close()
+
+	apiListener, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer apiListener.Close()
+
+	listeners := map[string][]net.Listener{
+		"web": {webListener},
+		"api": {apiListener},
+	}
+
+	result, err := systemdSocketFromMap("web", listeners)
+	assert.Nil(t, err, "requesting 'web' with 1 socket should succeed even when other names exist")
+	assert.Equal(t, webListener, result)
+}
+
+func TestSystemdSocketMultipleSocketsSameName(t *testing.T) {
+	// One systemd socket name with two listeners.
+	// This should fail since we expect exactly 1 socket per name.
+	l1, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer l1.Close()
+
+	l2, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer l2.Close()
+
+	listeners := map[string][]net.Listener{
+		"web": {l1, l2},
+	}
+
+	_, err = systemdSocketFromMap("web", listeners)
+	assert.NotNil(t, err, "should fail when a name has multiple sockets")
+}
diff --git a/status.go b/status.go
index 9bf6d3f9e3..965ab3e01e 100644
--- a/status.go
+++ b/status.go
@@ -136,8 +136,7 @@ func (s *statusHandler) HandleWatchdog() {
 
 func (s *statusHandler) status(ctx context.Context) statusResponse {
 	resp := statusResponse{
-		Time:       time.Now(),
-		LastReload: s.lastReload,
+		Time: time.Now(),
 	}
 
 	resp.Revision = version
@@ -156,6 +155,7 @@ func (s *statusHandler) status(ctx context.Context) statusResponse {
 	}
 
 	s.mu.Lock()
+	resp.LastReload = s.lastReload
 	resp.Ok = s.listening && resp.BackendOk
 	if s.stopping {
 		resp.Message = "stopping"