diff --git a/hscontrol/state/ping.go b/hscontrol/state/ping.go
index a7e2df30..43cf6914 100644
--- a/hscontrol/state/ping.go
+++ b/hscontrol/state/ping.go
@@ -10,8 +10,10 @@ import (
 
 const pingIDLength = 16
 
-// pingTracker manages pending ping requests and their response channels.
-// It correlates outgoing PingRequests with incoming HEAD callbacks.
+// pingTracker correlates outgoing PingRequests with incoming HEAD
+// callbacks. Entries have no server-side TTL: callers are responsible
+// for cleaning up via CancelPing or by reading from the response channel
+// within their own timeout.
 type pingTracker struct {
 	mu      sync.Mutex
 	pending map[string]*pendingPing
@@ -29,9 +31,9 @@ func newPingTracker() *pingTracker {
 	}
 }
 
-// register creates a new pending ping and returns a unique ping ID
-// and a channel that will receive the round-trip latency when the
-// ping response arrives.
+// register creates a pending ping and returns a unique ping ID and a
+// channel that receives the round-trip latency once the response
+// arrives.
 func (pt *pingTracker) register(nodeID types.NodeID) (string, <-chan time.Duration) {
 	pingID, _ := util.GenerateRandomStringDNSSafe(pingIDLength)
 	ch := make(chan time.Duration, 1)
@@ -47,9 +49,9 @@ func (pt *pingTracker) register(nodeID types.NodeID) (string, <-chan time.Durati
 	return pingID, ch
 }
 
-// complete signals that a ping response was received.
-// It sends the measured latency on the response channel and returns true.
-// Returns false if the pingID is unknown (already completed, cancelled, or expired).
+// complete sends the measured latency on the response channel and
+// returns true. Returns false if the pingID is unknown (already
+// completed or cancelled).
 func (pt *pingTracker) complete(pingID string) bool {
 	pt.mu.Lock()
 
@@ -70,28 +72,40 @@ func (pt *pingTracker) complete(pingID string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-// cancel removes a pending ping without completing it.
-// Used for cleanup when the caller times out or disconnects.
+// cancel removes a pending ping without completing it. Idempotent.
 func (pt *pingTracker) cancel(pingID string) {
 	pt.mu.Lock()
 	delete(pt.pending, pingID)
 	pt.mu.Unlock()
 }
 
-// RegisterPing creates a pending ping for the given node and returns
-// a unique ping ID and a channel that receives the round-trip latency
-// when the response arrives.
+// drain closes every outstanding response channel and clears the map.
+// Called from State.Close to unblock any caller still waiting on a
+// channel that will never receive.
+func (pt *pingTracker) drain() {
+	pt.mu.Lock()
+	defer pt.mu.Unlock()
+
+	for id, pp := range pt.pending {
+		close(pp.responseCh)
+		delete(pt.pending, id)
+	}
+}
+
+// RegisterPing tracks a pending ping and returns its ID and a channel
+// for the latency. Callers must defer CancelPing or read the channel
+// within their own timeout; there is no server-side TTL.
 func (s *State) RegisterPing(nodeID types.NodeID) (string, <-chan time.Duration) {
 	return s.pings.register(nodeID)
 }
 
-// CompletePing signals that a ping response was received for the given ID.
-// Returns true if the ping was found and completed, false otherwise.
+// CompletePing signals that a ping response arrived. Returns true if
+// the ID was known, false otherwise.
 func (s *State) CompletePing(pingID string) bool {
 	return s.pings.complete(pingID)
 }
 
-// CancelPing removes a pending ping without completing it.
+// CancelPing removes a pending ping. Idempotent.
 func (s *State) CancelPing(pingID string) {
 	s.pings.cancel(pingID)
 }
diff --git a/hscontrol/state/ping_test.go b/hscontrol/state/ping_test.go
index 595688fe..a51a851c 100644
--- a/hscontrol/state/ping_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/state/ping_test.go
@@ -140,6 +140,27 @@ func TestPingTracker_TwoToSameNode(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestPingTracker_Drain(t *testing.T) {
+	pt := newPingTracker()
+
+	_, ch1 := pt.register(types.NodeID(1))
+	_, ch2 := pt.register(types.NodeID(2))
+
+	pt.drain()
+
+	// Drained channels must be closed so blocked readers unblock.
+	for i, ch := range []<-chan time.Duration{ch1, ch2} {
+		select {
+		case _, ok := <-ch:
+			assert.False(t, ok, "channel %d should be closed, got value", i)
+		case <-time.After(time.Second):
+			t.Fatalf("channel %d not closed by drain", i)
+		}
+	}
+
+	assert.Empty(t, pt.pending, "pending map should be empty after drain")
+}
+
 func TestPingTracker_LatencyNonNegative(t *testing.T) {
 	pt := newPingTracker()
 
diff --git a/hscontrol/state/state.go b/hscontrol/state/state.go
index a40991d1..1857e057 100644
--- a/hscontrol/state/state.go
+++ b/hscontrol/state/state.go
@@ -267,6 +267,7 @@ func NewState(cfg *types.Config) (*State, error) {
 
 // Close gracefully shuts down the State instance and releases all resources.
 func (s *State) Close() error {
+	s.pings.drain()
 	s.nodeStore.Stop()
 
 	err := s.db.Close()