diff --git a/crates/pod/src/ipc/server.rs b/crates/pod/src/ipc/server.rs
index 930b6270..9ad57ace 100644
--- a/crates/pod/src/ipc/server.rs
+++ b/crates/pod/src/ipc/server.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use std::io;
+use std::io::ErrorKind;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
 
 use protocol::stream::{JsonLineReader, JsonLineWriter};
@@ -57,6 +58,16 @@ impl Drop for SocketServer {
     }
 }
 
+fn is_peer_disconnect_read_error(error: &io::Error) -> bool {
+    matches!(
+        error.kind(),
+        ErrorKind::ConnectionReset
+            | ErrorKind::ConnectionAborted
+            | ErrorKind::BrokenPipe
+            | ErrorKind::UnexpectedEof
+    )
+}
+
 async fn handle_connection(stream: tokio::net::UnixStream, handle: PodHandle) {
     let (reader, writer) = stream.into_split();
     let mut reader = JsonLineReader::new(reader);
@@ -206,14 +217,48 @@ async fn handle_connection(stream: tokio::net::UnixStream, handle: PodHandle) {
                         let _ = handle.send(method).await;
                     }
                     Ok(None) => break,
+                    Err(e) if is_peer_disconnect_read_error(&e) => break,
                     Err(e) => {
-                        let _ = handle.send_event(Event::Error {
-                            code: protocol::ErrorCode::Internal,
-                            message: format!("invalid method: {e}"),
-                        });
+                        if writer
+                            .write(&Event::Error {
+                                code: protocol::ErrorCode::InvalidRequest,
+                                message: format!("invalid method: {e}"),
+                            })
+                            .await
+                            .is_err()
+                        {
+                            break;
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }
         }
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn peer_disconnect_read_errors_are_connection_close() {
+        for kind in [
+            ErrorKind::ConnectionReset,
+            ErrorKind::ConnectionAborted,
+            ErrorKind::BrokenPipe,
+            ErrorKind::UnexpectedEof,
+        ] {
+            let error = io::Error::new(kind, "peer disconnected");
+            assert!(
+                is_peer_disconnect_read_error(&error),
+                "{kind:?} should be treated as a normal peer disconnect"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn invalid_data_is_not_peer_disconnect() {
+        let error = io::Error::new(ErrorKind::InvalidData, "malformed method");
+        assert!(!is_peer_disconnect_read_error(&error));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/pod/tests/controller_test.rs b/crates/pod/tests/controller_test.rs
index 937816ff..0252cb31 100644
--- a/crates/pod/tests/controller_test.rs
+++ b/crates/pod/tests/controller_test.rs
@@ -1100,45 +1100,128 @@ async fn socket_pod_event_turn_ended_while_idle_auto_starts_turn() {
     );
 }
 
-#[tokio::test]
-async fn socket_invalid_method_returns_error() {
+async fn socket_error_after_method_line(
+    handle: &PodHandle,
+    line: &[u8],
+) -> (pod::ErrorCode, String) {
     use protocol::stream::JsonLineReader;
     use tokio::io::AsyncWriteExt;
     use tokio::net::UnixStream;
 
+    let sock_path = handle.runtime_dir.socket_path();
+    let stream = UnixStream::connect(&sock_path).await.unwrap();
+    let (reader, mut writer) = stream.into_split();
+    let mut reader = JsonLineReader::new(reader);
+
+    writer.write_all(line).await.unwrap();
+
+    let deadline = tokio::time::Instant::now() + std::time::Duration::from_secs(1);
+    loop {
+        tokio::select! {
+            event = reader.next::<Event>() => {
+                match event {
+                    Ok(Some(Event::Error { code, message })) => return (code, message),
+                    Ok(Some(_)) => {}
+                    Ok(None) => panic!("socket closed before invalid-method error"),
+                    Err(e) => panic!("socket read failed before invalid-method error: {e}"),
+                }
+            }
+            _ = tokio::time::sleep_until(deadline) => {
+                panic!("timed out waiting for invalid-method error")
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn socket_schema_invalid_method_returns_error() {
+    let client = MockClient::new(simple_text_events());
+    let pod = make_pod(client).await;
+    let handle = spawn_controller(pod).await;
+
+    tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(50)).await;
+
+    let (code, message) = socket_error_after_method_line(&handle, b"{\"bad\":\"json\"}\n").await;
+
+    assert_eq!(code, pod::ErrorCode::InvalidRequest);
+    assert!(
+        message.contains("invalid method"),
+        "expected invalid-method diagnostic, got: {message}"
+    );
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn socket_malformed_method_returns_error() {
+    let client = MockClient::new(simple_text_events());
+    let pod = make_pod(client).await;
+    let handle = spawn_controller(pod).await;
+
+    tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(50)).await;
+
+    let (code, message) = socket_error_after_method_line(&handle, b"{not-json}\n").await;
+
+    assert_eq!(code, pod::ErrorCode::InvalidRequest);
+    assert!(
+        message.contains("invalid method"),
+        "expected invalid-method diagnostic, got: {message}"
+    );
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn socket_peer_close_without_method_does_not_broadcast_error() {
+    use protocol::stream::JsonLineReader;
+    use tokio::net::UnixStream;
+
     let client = MockClient::new(simple_text_events());
     let pod = make_pod(client).await;
     let handle = spawn_controller(pod).await;
 
     tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(50)).await;
 
+    let mut broadcast_rx = handle.subscribe();
     let sock_path = handle.runtime_dir.socket_path();
     let stream = UnixStream::connect(&sock_path).await.unwrap();
-    let (reader, mut writer) = stream.into_split();
+    let (reader, writer) = stream.into_split();
     let mut reader = JsonLineReader::new(reader);
 
-    // Send garbage
-    writer.write_all(b"{\"bad\":\"json\"}\n").await.unwrap();
-
     let deadline = tokio::time::Instant::now() + std::time::Duration::from_secs(1);
-    let mut saw_error = false;
     loop {
         tokio::select! {
             event = reader.next::<Event>() => {
                 match event {
-                    Ok(Some(Event::Error { .. })) => {
-                        saw_error = true;
-                        break;
+                    Ok(Some(Event::Snapshot { .. })) => break,
+                    Ok(Some(_)) => {}
+                    Ok(None) => panic!("socket closed before connect-time snapshot"),
+                    Err(e) => panic!("socket read failed before connect-time snapshot: {e}"),
+                }
+            }
+            _ = tokio::time::sleep_until(deadline) => {
+                panic!("timed out waiting for connect-time snapshot")
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    drop(writer);
+    drop(reader);
+
+    let deadline = tokio::time::Instant::now() + std::time::Duration::from_millis(200);
+    loop {
+        tokio::select! {
+            event = broadcast_rx.recv() => {
+                match event {
+                    Ok(Event::Error { code, message }) => {
+                        panic!("peer close without Method broadcast error {code:?}: {message}")
                     }
-                    Ok(None) | Err(_) => break,
-                    _ => {}
+                    Ok(_) => {}
+                    Err(tokio::sync::broadcast::error::RecvError::Lagged(n)) => {
+                        panic!("broadcast receiver lagged while checking peer close: {n}")
+                    }
+                    Err(tokio::sync::broadcast::error::RecvError::Closed) => break,
                 }
             }
             _ = tokio::time::sleep_until(deadline) => break,
         }
     }
-
-    assert!(saw_error, "should see error for invalid method");
 }
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------