diff --git a/docs/changes.txt b/docs/changes.txt
index 673dc9544..09306c412 100644
--- a/docs/changes.txt
+++ b/docs/changes.txt
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 ##
 
 - Fixed missing call to WSAStartup() and client indexing in order to start the brain server on windows
+- Fixed missing call to WSACleanup() to cleanly shutdown windows sockets system
 - Fixed endianness and invalid separator character in outfile format of hash-mode 16801 (WPA-PMKID-PMK)
 
 * changes v4.2.1 -> v5.0.0
diff --git a/src/brain.c b/src/brain.c
index e97102455..440aa93d2 100644
--- a/src/brain.c
+++ b/src/brain.c
@@ -3286,5 +3286,9 @@ int brain_server (const char *listen_host, const int listen_port, const char *br
 
   close (server_fd);
 
+  #if defined (_WIN)
+  WSACleanup();
+  #endif
+
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/hashcat.c b/src/hashcat.c
index ea3eec594..91c500016 100644
--- a/src/hashcat.c
+++ b/src/hashcat.c
@@ -1026,6 +1026,28 @@ int hashcat_session_init (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, const char *install_folder
 
   user_options_postprocess (hashcat_ctx);
 
+  /**
+   * windows and sockets...
+   */
+
+  #if defined (_WIN)
+  if (user_options->brain_client == true)
+  {
+    WSADATA wsaData;
+
+    WORD wVersionRequested = MAKEWORD (2,2);
+
+    const int iResult = WSAStartup (wVersionRequested, &wsaData);
+
+    if (iResult != NO_ERROR)
+    {
+      fprintf (stderr, "WSAStartup: %s\n", strerror (errno));
+
+      return -1;
+    }
+  }
+  #endif
+
   /**
    * logfile
    */
@@ -1292,6 +1314,15 @@ int hashcat_session_quit (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx)
 
 int hashcat_session_destroy (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx)
 {
+  #if defined (_WIN)
+  user_options_t *user_options = hashcat_ctx->user_options;
+
+  if (user_options->brain_client == true)
+  {
+    WSACleanup();
+  }
+  #endif
+
   debugfile_destroy          (hashcat_ctx);
   dictstat_destroy           (hashcat_ctx);
   folder_config_destroy      (hashcat_ctx);
diff --git a/src/user_options.c b/src/user_options.c
index 476047b61..58aa084ac 100644
--- a/src/user_options.c
+++ b/src/user_options.c
@@ -1894,25 +1894,6 @@ int user_options_check_files (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx)
   // brain
 
   #ifdef WITH_BRAIN
-
-  #if defined (_WIN)
-  if (user_options->brain_client == true)
-  {
-    WSADATA wsaData;
-
-    WORD wVersionRequested = MAKEWORD (2,2);
-
-    const int iResult = WSAStartup (wVersionRequested, &wsaData);
-
-    if (iResult != NO_ERROR)
-    {
-      fprintf (stderr, "WSAStartup: %s\n", strerror (errno));
-
-      return -1;
-    }
-  }
-  #endif
-
   if (user_options->brain_host)
   {
     struct addrinfo hints;