diff --git a/port_forwarder.go b/port_forwarder.go
index e6eedf16c..cc7b6ea1d 100644
--- a/port_forwarder.go
+++ b/port_forwarder.go
@@ -5,77 +5,116 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net"
-	"strconv"
 )
 
-// A PortForwader can forward ports from a remote liveshare host to localhost
+// A PortForwarder forwards TCP traffic between a port on a remote
+// LiveShare host and a local port.
 type PortForwarder struct {
 	client *Client
 	server *Server
 	port   int
-	errCh  chan error
 }
 
-// NewPortForwarder creates a new PortForwader with a given client, server and port
+// NewPortForwarder creates a new PortForwarder that connects a given client, server and port.
 func NewPortForwarder(client *Client, server *Server, port int) *PortForwarder {
 	return &PortForwarder{
 		client: client,
 		server: server,
 		port:   port,
-		errCh:  make(chan error),
 	}
 }
 
-// Start is a method to start forwarding the server to a localhost port
-func (l *PortForwarder) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
-	ln, err := net.Listen("tcp", ":"+strconv.Itoa(l.port))
+// Forward enables port forwarding. It accepts and handles TCP
+// connections until it encounters the first error, which may include
+// context cancellation. Its result is non-nil.
+func (l *PortForwarder) Forward(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
+	listen, err := net.Listen("tcp", fmt.Sprintf(":%d", l.port))
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error listening on tcp port: %v", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("error listening on TCP port: %v", err)
 	}
+	defer safeClose(listen, &err)
 
+	errc := make(chan error, 1)
+	sendError := func(err error) {
+		// Use non-blocking send, to avoid goroutines getting
+		// stuck in case of concurrent or sequential errors.
+		select {
+		case errc <- err:
+		default:
+		}
+	}
 	go func() {
 		for {
-			conn, err := ln.Accept()
+			conn, err := listen.Accept()
 			if err != nil {
-				l.errCh <- fmt.Errorf("error accepting incoming connection: %v", err)
+				sendError(err)
+				return
 			}
 
-			go l.handleConnection(ctx, conn)
+			go func() {
+				if err := l.handleConnection(ctx, conn); err != nil {
+					sendError(err)
+				}
+			}()
 		}
 	}()
 
+	return awaitError(ctx, errc)
+}
+
+// ForwardWithConn handles port forwarding for a single connection.
+func (l *PortForwarder) ForwardWithConn(ctx context.Context, conn io.ReadWriteCloser) error {
+	// Create buffered channel so that send doesn't get stuck after context cancellation.
+	errc := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() {
+		if err := l.handleConnection(ctx, conn); err != nil {
+			errc <- err
+		}
+	}()
+	return awaitError(ctx, errc)
+}
+
+func awaitError(ctx context.Context, errc <-chan error) error {
 	select {
-	case err := <-l.errCh:
+	case err := <-errc:
 		return err
 	case <-ctx.Done():
-		return ln.Close()
+		return ctx.Err() // canceled
 	}
+}
 
+// handleConnection handles forwarding for a single accepted connection, then closes it.
+func (l *PortForwarder) handleConnection(ctx context.Context, conn io.ReadWriteCloser) (err error) {
+	defer safeClose(conn, &err)
+
+	channel, err := l.client.openStreamingChannel(ctx, l.server.streamName, l.server.streamCondition)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error opening streaming channel for new connection: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer safeClose(channel, &err)
+
+	errs := make(chan error, 2)
+	copyConn := func(w io.Writer, r io.Reader) {
+		_, err := io.Copy(w, r)
+		errs <- err
+	}
+	go copyConn(conn, channel)
+	go copyConn(channel, conn)
+
+	// await result
+	for i := 0; i < 2; i++ {
+		if err := <-errs; err != nil && err != io.EOF {
+			return fmt.Errorf("tunnel connection: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (l *PortForwarder) StartWithConn(ctx context.Context, conn io.ReadWriteCloser) error {
-	go l.handleConnection(ctx, conn)
-	return <-l.errCh
-}
-
-func (l *PortForwarder) handleConnection(ctx context.Context, conn io.ReadWriteCloser) {
-	channel, err := l.client.openStreamingChannel(ctx, l.server.streamName, l.server.streamCondition)
-	if err != nil {
-		l.errCh <- fmt.Errorf("error opening streaming channel for new connection: %v", err)
-		return
+// safeClose reports the error (to *err) from closing the stream only
+// if no other error was previously reported.
+func safeClose(closer io.Closer, err *error) {
+	closeErr := closer.Close()
+	if *err == nil {
+		*err = closeErr
 	}
-
-	copyConn := func(writer io.Writer, reader io.Reader) {
-		if _, err := io.Copy(writer, reader); err != nil {
-			channel.Close()
-			conn.Close()
-			if err != io.EOF {
-				l.errCh <- fmt.Errorf("tunnel connection: %v", err)
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	go copyConn(conn, channel)
-	go copyConn(channel, conn)
 }
diff --git a/port_forwarder_test.go b/port_forwarder_test.go
index 33a33b39b..3ae846937 100644
--- a/port_forwarder_test.go
+++ b/port_forwarder_test.go
@@ -63,10 +63,7 @@ func TestPortForwarderStart(t *testing.T) {
 		if err := server.StartSharing(ctx, "http", 8000); err != nil {
 			done <- fmt.Errorf("start sharing: %v", err)
 		}
-		if err := pf.Start(ctx); err != nil {
-			done <- err
-		}
-		done <- nil
+		done <- pf.Forward(ctx)
 	}()
 
 	go func() {