diff --git a/src/libmsc/gsm_subscriber.c b/src/libmsc/gsm_subscriber.c
index e60344f..c4faa94 100644
--- a/src/libmsc/gsm_subscriber.c
+++ b/src/libmsc/gsm_subscriber.c
@@ -200,8 +200,14 @@
 	struct ran_conn *conn;
 
 	llist_for_each_entry(conn, &net->ran_conns, entry) {
-		if (conn->vsub == vsub)
-			return conn;
+		if (conn->vsub != vsub)
+			continue;
+		/* Found a conn, but is it in a usable state? Must not add transactions to a conn that is in release,
+		 * and must not start transactions for an unauthenticated subscriber. There will obviously be only one
+		 * conn for this vsub, so return NULL right away. */
+		if (!ran_conn_is_accepted(conn))
+			return NULL;
+		return conn;
 	}
 
 	return NULL;
diff --git a/src/libmsc/ran_conn.c b/src/libmsc/ran_conn.c
index 79709c6..e54e542 100644
--- a/src/libmsc/ran_conn.c
+++ b/src/libmsc/ran_conn.c
@@ -538,8 +538,10 @@
 {
 	struct ran_conn *conn = fi->priv;
 
-	if (ran_conn_fsm_has_active_transactions(fi))
+	if (ran_conn_fsm_has_active_transactions(fi)) {
 		LOGPFSML(fi, LOGL_ERROR, "Deallocating despite active transactions\n");
+		trans_conn_closed(conn);
+	}
 
 	if (!conn) {
 		LOGP(DRLL, LOGL_ERROR, "Freeing NULL RAN connection\n");