diff --git a/fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/AmqpReplyInbox.java b/fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/AmqpReplyInbox.java
index 67c5d1b..95b984a 100644
--- a/fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/AmqpReplyInbox.java
+++ b/fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/AmqpReplyInbox.java
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import com.rabbitmq.client.DeliverCallback;
 import com.rabbitmq.client.Recoverable;
 import com.rabbitmq.client.RecoveryListener;
 import com.rabbitmq.client.Return;
-import com.rabbitmq.client.impl.ForgivingExceptionHandler;
+import com.rabbitmq.client.impl.DefaultExceptionHandler;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ public final class AmqpReplyInbox implements ReplyInbox, AutoCloseable {
  * Keeps RabbitMQ's forgiving exception behaviour while adding the connection identity that its
  * default logger drops. Package-private so both AMQP connections use the same two names.
  */
-final class AmqpConnectionFailureLogger extends ForgivingExceptionHandler {
+final class AmqpConnectionFailureLogger extends DefaultExceptionHandler {
 
     static final String REPLY_INBOX = "fleetd-reply-inbox";
     static final String LEAD_MAILBOX = "fleetd-lead-mailbox";
@@ -609,6 +609,7 @@ final class AmqpConnectionFailureLogger extends ForgivingExceptionHandler {
     }
 
     private static boolean isSocketClosedOrConnectionReset(Throwable cause) {
+        // Deliberate copy of ForgivingExceptionHandler's private static helper; check it on amqp-client upgrades.
         if (!(cause instanceof IOException)) {
             return false;
         }
diff --git a/fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/AmqpConnectionFailureLoggerTest.java b/fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/AmqpConnectionFailureLoggerTest.java
index a054a7f..e6d59e9 100644
--- a/fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/AmqpConnectionFailureLoggerTest.java
+++ b/fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/AmqpConnectionFailureLoggerTest.java
@@ -4,11 +4,15 @@ import ch.qos.logback.classic.Level;
 import ch.qos.logback.classic.Logger;
 import ch.qos.logback.classic.spi.ILoggingEvent;
 import ch.qos.logback.core.read.ListAppender;
+import com.rabbitmq.client.Channel;
 import com.rabbitmq.client.ConnectionFactory;
+import com.rabbitmq.client.impl.DefaultExceptionHandler;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.lang.reflect.Proxy;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
@@ -23,10 +27,8 @@ class AmqpConnectionFailureLoggerTest {
         ConnectionFactory inboxFactory = AmqpReplyInbox.connectionFactory("amqp://127.0.0.1");
         ConnectionFactory mailboxFactory = LeadMailbox.connectionFactory("amqp://127.0.0.1");
 
-        AmqpConnectionFailureLogger inboxHandler = assertInstanceOf(AmqpConnectionFailureLogger.class,
-                inboxFactory.getExceptionHandler());
-        AmqpConnectionFailureLogger mailboxHandler = assertInstanceOf(AmqpConnectionFailureLogger.class,
-                mailboxFactory.getExceptionHandler());
+        AmqpConnectionFailureLogger inboxHandler = installedStrictHandler(inboxFactory, "reply inbox");
+        AmqpConnectionFailureLogger mailboxHandler = installedStrictHandler(mailboxFactory, "lead mailbox");
         assertEquals(AmqpConnectionFailureLogger.REPLY_INBOX, inboxHandler.connectionName());
         assertEquals(AmqpConnectionFailureLogger.LEAD_MAILBOX, mailboxHandler.connectionName());
 
@@ -73,12 +75,32 @@ class AmqpConnectionFailureLoggerTest {
     }
 
     @Test
-    void handlerOnlyChangesForgivingHandlerLogging() {
-        assertEquals(com.rabbitmq.client.impl.ForgivingExceptionHandler.class,
+    void strictConsumerExceptionStillClosesItsChannel() {
+        AtomicInteger closes = new AtomicInteger();
+        Channel channel = (Channel) Proxy.newProxyInstance(getClass().getClassLoader(), new Class<?>[] {Channel.class},
+                (_, method, _) -> switch (method.getName()) {
+                    case "close" -> {
+                        closes.incrementAndGet();
+                        yield null;
+                    }
+                    case "toString" -> "test-channel";
+                    default -> throw new UnsupportedOperationException(method.getName());
+                });
+        AmqpConnectionFailureLogger handler = new AmqpConnectionFailureLogger(
+                AmqpConnectionFailureLogger.REPLY_INBOX, LoggerFactory.getLogger(AmqpReplyInbox.class));
+
+        handler.handleConsumerException(channel, new IllegalStateException("consumer failed"), null, "tag", "handleDelivery");
+
+        assertEquals(1, closes.get(), "DefaultExceptionHandler must close a channel after a consumer exception");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void handlerOnlyChangesDefaultHandlerLogging() {
+        assertEquals(DefaultExceptionHandler.class,
                 AmqpConnectionFailureLogger.class.getSuperclass());
         assertFalse(java.util.Arrays.stream(AmqpConnectionFailureLogger.class.getDeclaredMethods())
                         .anyMatch(method -> method.getName().startsWith("handle")),
-                "all exception-handling methods must remain inherited from ForgivingExceptionHandler");
+                "all exception-handling methods must remain inherited from DefaultExceptionHandler");
     }
 
     private static ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> attach(Class<?> owner) {
@@ -94,6 +116,13 @@ class AmqpConnectionFailureLoggerTest {
         ((Logger) LoggerFactory.getLogger(owner)).detachAppender(appender);
     }
 
+    private static AmqpConnectionFailureLogger installedStrictHandler(ConnectionFactory factory, String connection) {
+        assertInstanceOf(DefaultExceptionHandler.class, factory.getExceptionHandler(),
+                connection + " must keep DefaultExceptionHandler: replacing the strict handler with a forgiving one "
+                        + "changes when a channel is closed");
+        return assertInstanceOf(AmqpConnectionFailureLogger.class, factory.getExceptionHandler());
+    }
+
     private static void assertError(ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> events, String message, Throwable cause, String name) {
         assertEquals(1, events.list.size(), name);
         ILoggingEvent event = events.list.getFirst();