diff --git a/ntex/CHANGES.md b/ntex/CHANGES.md
index 24c02d56..91376c91 100644
--- a/ntex/CHANGES.md
+++ b/ntex/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Changes
 
+## [2.1.0] - 2024-07-30
+
+* Better handling for connection upgrade #385
+
 ## [2.0.3] - 2024-06-27
 
 * Re-export server signals api
diff --git a/ntex/Cargo.toml b/ntex/Cargo.toml
index a02d8a62..b3d4cb93 100644
--- a/ntex/Cargo.toml
+++ b/ntex/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "ntex"
-version = "2.0.3"
+version = "2.1.0"
 authors = ["ntex contributors <team@ntex.rs>"]
 description = "Framework for composable network services"
 readme = "README.md"
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ ntex-bytes = "0.1.27"
 ntex-server = "2.1"
 ntex-h2 = "1.0"
 ntex-rt = "0.4.13"
-ntex-io = "2.0"
+ntex-io = "2.1"
 ntex-net = "2.0"
 ntex-tls = "2.0"
 
diff --git a/ntex/examples/basic.rs b/ntex/examples/basic.rs
index d3e84fca..e4599b2a 100644
--- a/ntex/examples/basic.rs
+++ b/ntex/examples/basic.rs
@@ -1,44 +1,29 @@
-use ntex::http;
-use ntex::web::{self, middleware, App, HttpRequest, HttpResponse, HttpServer};
+use ntex::web;
 
-#[web::get("/resource1/{name}/index.html")]
-async fn index(req: HttpRequest, name: web::types::Path<String>) -> String {
-    println!("REQ: {:?}", req);
-    format!("Hello: {}!\r\n", name)
+#[derive(serde::Deserialize)]
+struct Info {
+    username: String,
 }
 
-async fn index_async(req: HttpRequest) -> &'static str {
-    println!("REQ: {:?}", req);
-    "Hello world!\r\n"
-}
-
-#[web::get("/")]
-async fn no_params() -> &'static str {
-    "Hello world!\r\n"
+async fn submit(info: web::types::Json<Info>) -> Result<String, web::Error> {
+    Ok(format!("Welcome {}!", info.username))
 }
 
 #[ntex::main]
 async fn main() -> std::io::Result<()> {
-    std::env::set_var("RUST_LOG", "ntex=trace");
+    std::env::set_var("RUST_LOG", "trace");
     env_logger::init();
+    web::HttpServer::new(|| {
+        let json_config = web::types::JsonConfig::default().limit(4096);
 
-    HttpServer::new(|| {
-        App::new()
-            .wrap(middleware::Logger::default())
-            .service((index, no_params))
-            .service(
-                web::resource("/resource2/index.html")
-                    .wrap(middleware::DefaultHeaders::new().header("X-Version-R2", "0.3"))
-                    .default_service(
-                        web::route().to(|| async { HttpResponse::MethodNotAllowed() }),
-                    )
-                    .route(web::get().to(index_async)),
-            )
-            .service(web::resource("/test1.html").to(|| async { "Test\r\n" }))
+        web::App::new().service(
+            web::resource("/")
+                .state(json_config)
+                .route(web::post().to(submit)),
+        )
     })
-    .bind("0.0.0.0:8081")?
-    .workers(4)
-    .keep_alive(http::KeepAlive::Disabled)
+    .bind(("127.0.0.1", 8080))?
+    .workers(1)
     .run()
     .await
 }
diff --git a/ntex/src/http/h1/codec.rs b/ntex/src/http/h1/codec.rs
index 8a9e431f..eba02f04 100644
--- a/ntex/src/http/h1/codec.rs
+++ b/ntex/src/http/h1/codec.rs
@@ -99,10 +99,6 @@ impl Codec {
         self.ctype.get() == ConnectionType::KeepAlive
     }
 
-    pub(super) fn set_ctype(&self, ctype: ConnectionType) {
-        self.ctype.set(ctype)
-    }
-
     #[inline]
     #[doc(hidden)]
     pub fn set_date_header(&self, dst: &mut BytesMut) {
@@ -115,10 +111,11 @@ impl Codec {
         self.flags.set(flags);
     }
 
-    pub(super) fn unset_streaming(&self) {
+    pub(super) fn reset_upgrade(&self) {
         let mut flags = self.flags.get();
         flags.remove(Flags::STREAM);
         self.flags.set(flags);
+        self.ctype.set(ConnectionType::Close);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/ntex/src/http/h1/control.rs b/ntex/src/http/h1/control.rs
index b724dcce..f8844aaf 100644
--- a/ntex/src/http/h1/control.rs
+++ b/ntex/src/http/h1/control.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-use std::{fmt, future::Future, io};
+use std::{fmt, future::Future, io, rc::Rc};
 
 use crate::http::message::CurrentIo;
 use crate::http::{body::Body, h1::Codec, Request, Response, ResponseError};
-use crate::io::{Filter, Io, IoBoxed};
+use crate::io::{Filter, Io, IoBoxed, IoRef};
 
 pub enum Control<F, Err> {
     /// New request is loaded
@@ -46,12 +46,8 @@ pub(super) enum ControlResult {
     Upgrade(Request),
     /// forward request to publish service
     Publish(Request),
-    /// forward request to publish service
-    PublishUpgrade(Request),
     /// send response
     Response(Response<()>, Body),
-    /// send response
-    ResponseWithIo(Response<()>, Body, IoBoxed),
     /// drop connection
     Stop,
 }
@@ -72,7 +68,7 @@ impl<F, Err> Control<F, Err> {
         Control::NewRequest(NewRequest(req))
     }
 
-    pub(super) fn upgrade(req: Request, io: Io<F>, codec: Codec) -> Self {
+    pub(super) fn upgrade(req: Request, io: Rc<Io<F>>, codec: Codec) -> Self {
         Control::Upgrade(Upgrade { req, io, codec })
     }
 
@@ -188,10 +184,34 @@ impl NewRequest {
 
 pub struct Upgrade<F> {
     req: Request,
-    io: Io<F>,
+    io: Rc<Io<F>>,
     codec: Codec,
 }
 
+struct RequestIoAccess<F> {
+    io: Rc<Io<F>>,
+    codec: Codec,
+}
+
+impl<F> fmt::Debug for RequestIoAccess<F> {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+        f.debug_struct("RequestIoAccess")
+            .field("io", self.io.as_ref())
+            .field("codec", &self.codec)
+            .finish()
+    }
+}
+
+impl<F: Filter> crate::http::message::IoAccess for RequestIoAccess<F> {
+    fn get(&self) -> Option<&IoRef> {
+        Some(self.io.as_ref())
+    }
+
+    fn take(&self) -> Option<(IoBoxed, Codec)> {
+        Some((self.io.take().into(), self.codec.clone()))
+    }
+}
+
 impl<F: Filter> Upgrade<F> {
     #[inline]
     /// Returns reference to Io
@@ -215,12 +235,14 @@ impl<F: Filter> Upgrade<F> {
     /// Ack upgrade request and continue handling process
     pub fn ack(mut self) -> ControlAck {
         // Move io into request
-        let io: IoBoxed = self.io.into();
-        io.stop_timer();
-        self.req.head_mut().io = CurrentIo::new(io, self.codec);
+        let io = Rc::new(RequestIoAccess {
+            io: self.io,
+            codec: self.codec,
+        });
+        self.req.head_mut().io = CurrentIo::new(io);
 
         ControlAck {
-            result: ControlResult::PublishUpgrade(self.req),
+            result: ControlResult::Publish(self.req),
             flags: ControlFlags::DISCONNECT,
         }
     }
@@ -232,8 +254,9 @@ impl<F: Filter> Upgrade<F> {
         H: FnOnce(Request, Io<F>, Codec) -> R + 'static,
         R: Future<Output = O>,
     {
+        let io = self.io.take();
         let _ = crate::rt::spawn(async move {
-            let _ = f(self.req, self.io, self.codec).await;
+            let _ = f(self.req, io, self.codec).await;
         });
         ControlAck {
             result: ControlResult::Stop,
@@ -248,7 +271,7 @@ impl<F: Filter> Upgrade<F> {
         let (res, body) = res.into_parts();
 
         ControlAck {
-            result: ControlResult::ResponseWithIo(res, body.into(), self.io.into()),
+            result: ControlResult::Response(res, body.into()),
             flags: ControlFlags::DISCONNECT,
         }
     }
@@ -259,7 +282,7 @@ impl<F: Filter> Upgrade<F> {
         let (res, body) = res.into_parts();
 
         ControlAck {
-            result: ControlResult::ResponseWithIo(res, body.into(), self.io.into()),
+            result: ControlResult::Response(res, body.into()),
             flags: ControlFlags::DISCONNECT,
         }
     }
diff --git a/ntex/src/http/h1/dispatcher.rs b/ntex/src/http/h1/dispatcher.rs
index 664b0de8..e7e59cdf 100644
--- a/ntex/src/http/h1/dispatcher.rs
+++ b/ntex/src/http/h1/dispatcher.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 //! HTTP/1 protocol dispatcher
 use std::{error, future, io, marker, pin::Pin, rc::Rc, task::Context, task::Poll};
 
-use crate::io::{Decoded, Filter, Io, IoBoxed, IoStatusUpdate, RecvError};
+use crate::io::{Decoded, Filter, Io, IoStatusUpdate, RecvError};
 use crate::service::{PipelineCall, Service};
 use crate::time::Seconds;
 use crate::util::{ready, Either};
 
 use crate::http::body::{BodySize, MessageBody, ResponseBody};
 use crate::http::error::{PayloadError, ResponseError};
-use crate::http::message::{ConnectionType, CurrentIo};
+use crate::http::message::CurrentIo;
 use crate::http::{self, config::DispatcherConfig, request::Request, response::Response};
 
 use super::control::{Control, ControlAck, ControlFlags, ControlResult};
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ use super::{codec::Codec, Message, ProtocolError};
 bitflags::bitflags! {
     #[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug, Eq, PartialEq, Ord, PartialOrd, Hash)]
     pub struct Flags: u8 {
-        /// Upgrade hnd
-        const UPGRADE              = 0b0000_0001;
         /// Stopping
         const SENDPAYLOAD_AND_STOP = 0b0000_0010;
         /// Complete operation and disconnect
@@ -65,18 +63,13 @@ where
     SendPayload {
         body: ResponseBody<B>,
     },
-    SendPayloadAndStop {
-        body: ResponseBody<B>,
-        io: IoBoxed,
-    },
     Stop {
         fut: Option<PipelineCall<C, Control<F, S::Error>>>,
-        io: Option<IoBoxed>,
     },
 }
 
 struct DispatcherInner<F, C, S, B> {
-    io: Io<F>,
+    io: Rc<Io<F>>,
     flags: Flags,
     codec: Codec,
     config: Rc<DispatcherConfig<S, C>>,
@@ -112,10 +105,10 @@ where
         Dispatcher {
             st: State::ReadRequest,
             inner: DispatcherInner {
-                io,
                 flags,
                 codec,
                 config,
+                io: Rc::new(io),
                 payload: None,
                 read_remains: 0,
                 read_consumed: 0,
@@ -148,20 +141,10 @@ where
                 State::CallPublish { fut } => match Pin::new(fut).poll(cx) {
                     Poll::Ready(Ok(res)) => {
                         let (res, body) = res.into().into_parts();
-                        if inner.flags.contains(Flags::UPGRADE) {
-                            inner.send_response_to(res, body, None)
-                        } else {
-                            inner.send_response(res, body)
-                        }
+                        inner.send_response(res, body)
                     }
                     Poll::Ready(Err(err)) => inner.control(Control::err(err)),
-                    Poll::Pending => {
-                        if !inner.flags.contains(Flags::UPGRADE) {
-                            ready!(inner.poll_request(cx))
-                        } else {
-                            return Poll::Pending;
-                        }
-                    }
+                    Poll::Pending => ready!(inner.poll_request(cx)),
                 },
                 // handle control service responses
                 State::CallControl { fut } => match Pin::new(fut).poll(cx) {
@@ -181,16 +164,9 @@ where
 
                         match result {
                             ControlResult::Publish(req) => inner.publish(req),
-                            ControlResult::PublishUpgrade(req) => {
-                                inner.flags.insert(Flags::UPGRADE);
-                                inner.publish(req)
-                            }
                             ControlResult::Response(res, body) => {
                                 inner.send_response(res, body.into())
                             }
-                            ControlResult::ResponseWithIo(res, body, io) => {
-                                inner.send_response_to(res, body.into(), Some(io))
-                            }
                             ControlResult::Expect(req) => {
                                 inner.control(Control::expect(req))
                             }
@@ -219,27 +195,17 @@ where
                 State::SendPayload { body } => {
                     ready!(inner.poll_send_payload(cx, body))
                 }
-                // send response body
-                State::SendPayloadAndStop { body, io } => {
-                    ready!(inner.poll_send_payload_to(cx, body, io))
-                }
                 // shutdown io
-                State::Stop { fut, io } => {
+                State::Stop { fut } => {
                     if let Some(ref mut f) = fut {
                         let _ = ready!(Pin::new(f).poll(cx));
                         fut.take();
                     }
                     log::debug!("{}: Dispatcher is stopped", inner.io.tag());
 
+                    inner.io.stop_timer();
                     return Poll::Ready(
-                        if let Some(io) = io {
-                            io.stop_timer();
-                            ready!(io.poll_shutdown(cx))
-                        } else {
-                            inner.io.stop_timer();
-                            ready!(inner.io.poll_shutdown(cx))
-                        }
-                        .map_err(From::from),
+                        ready!(inner.io.poll_shutdown(cx)).map_err(From::from),
                     );
                 }
             }
@@ -438,76 +404,6 @@ where
         }
     }
 
-    fn send_response_to(
-        &mut self,
-        res: Response<()>,
-        body: ResponseBody<B>,
-        io: Option<IoBoxed>,
-    ) -> State<F, C, S, B> {
-        let io = if let Some(io) = io {
-            io
-        } else if let Some((io, codec)) = res.head().io.take() {
-            self.codec = codec;
-            io
-        } else {
-            log::trace!("Handler service consumed io, stop");
-            return self.stop();
-        };
-
-        self.codec.set_ctype(ConnectionType::Close);
-        self.codec.unset_streaming();
-
-        if io
-            .encode(Message::Item((res, body.size())), &self.codec)
-            .is_ok()
-        {
-            match body.size() {
-                BodySize::None | BodySize::Empty => self.stop_io(io),
-                _ => State::SendPayloadAndStop { io, body },
-            }
-        } else {
-            self.stop_io(io)
-        }
-    }
-
-    /// send response body to specified io
-    fn poll_send_payload_to(
-        &mut self,
-        cx: &mut Context<'_>,
-        body: &mut ResponseBody<B>,
-        io: &mut IoBoxed,
-    ) -> Poll<State<F, C, S, B>> {
-        if io.is_closed() {
-            return Poll::Ready(self.stop());
-        } else if !self.flags.contains(Flags::SENDPAYLOAD_AND_STOP) {
-            if let Poll::Ready(Err(_)) = self._poll_request_payload(Some(io), cx) {
-                self.flags.insert(Flags::SENDPAYLOAD_AND_STOP);
-            }
-        }
-
-        loop {
-            let _ = ready!(io.poll_flush(cx, false));
-            match ready!(body.poll_next_chunk(cx)) {
-                Some(Ok(item)) => {
-                    if let Err(e) = io.encode(Message::Chunk(Some(item)), &self.codec) {
-                        log::trace!("{}: Cannot encode chunk: {:?}", io.tag(), e);
-                    } else {
-                        continue;
-                    }
-                }
-                None => {
-                    if let Err(e) = io.encode(Message::Chunk(None), &self.codec) {
-                        log::trace!("{}: Cannot encode payload eof: {:?}", io.tag(), e);
-                    }
-                }
-                Some(Err(e)) => {
-                    log::trace!("{}: error during response body poll: {:?}", io.tag(), e);
-                }
-            }
-            return Poll::Ready(self.stop_io(io.take()));
-        }
-    }
-
     /// we might need to read more data into a request payload
     /// (ie service future can wait for payload data)
     fn poll_request(&mut self, cx: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<State<F, C, S, B>> {
@@ -823,20 +719,13 @@ where
     }
 
     fn ctl_upgrade(&mut self, req: Request) -> State<F, C, S, B> {
-        let msg = Control::upgrade(req, self.io.take(), self.codec.clone());
+        self.codec.reset_upgrade();
+        let msg = Control::upgrade(req, self.io.clone(), self.codec.clone());
         self.control(msg)
     }
 
     fn stop(&mut self) -> State<F, C, S, B> {
         State::Stop {
-            io: None,
-            fut: Some(self.config.control.call_nowait(Control::closed())),
-        }
-    }
-
-    fn stop_io(&mut self, io: IoBoxed) -> State<F, C, S, B> {
-        State::Stop {
-            io: Some(io),
             fut: Some(self.config.control.call_nowait(Control::closed())),
         }
     }
diff --git a/ntex/src/http/message.rs b/ntex/src/http/message.rs
index db5adc41..2d99b315 100644
--- a/ntex/src/http/message.rs
+++ b/ntex/src/http/message.rs
@@ -39,26 +39,32 @@ pub(crate) trait Head: Default + 'static + fmt::Debug {
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub(crate) enum CurrentIo {
     Ref(IoRef),
-    Io(Rc<(IoRef, RefCell<Option<(IoBoxed, Codec)>>)>),
+    Io(Rc<dyn IoAccess>),
     None,
 }
 
+pub(crate) trait IoAccess: fmt::Debug {
+    fn get(&self) -> Option<&IoRef>;
+
+    fn take(&self) -> Option<(IoBoxed, Codec)>;
+}
+
 impl CurrentIo {
-    pub(crate) fn new(io: IoBoxed, codec: Codec) -> Self {
-        CurrentIo::Io(Rc::new((io.get_ref(), RefCell::new(Some((io, codec))))))
+    pub(crate) fn new(io: Rc<dyn IoAccess>) -> Self {
+        CurrentIo::Io(io)
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn as_ref(&self) -> Option<&IoRef> {
         match self {
             CurrentIo::Ref(ref io) => Some(io),
-            CurrentIo::Io(ref io) => Some(&io.0),
+            CurrentIo::Io(ref io) => io.get(),
             CurrentIo::None => None,
         }
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn take(&self) -> Option<(IoBoxed, Codec)> {
         match self {
-            CurrentIo::Io(ref inner) => inner.1.borrow_mut().take(),
+            CurrentIo::Io(ref io) => io.take(),
             _ => None,
         }
     }
@@ -215,16 +221,6 @@ impl RequestHead {
     pub fn remove_io(&mut self) {
         self.io = CurrentIo::None;
     }
-
-    pub(crate) fn take_io_rc(
-        &self,
-    ) -> Option<Rc<(IoRef, RefCell<Option<(IoBoxed, Codec)>>)>> {
-        if let CurrentIo::Io(ref r) = self.io {
-            Some(r.clone())
-        } else {
-            None
-        }
-    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -384,10 +380,6 @@ impl ResponseHead {
             self.flags.remove(Flags::NO_CHUNKING);
         }
     }
-
-    pub(crate) fn set_io(&mut self, io: Rc<(IoRef, RefCell<Option<(IoBoxed, Codec)>>)>) {
-        self.io = CurrentIo::Io(io)
-    }
 }
 
 impl Default for ResponseHead {
diff --git a/ntex/src/http/test.rs b/ntex/src/http/test.rs
index dab5840d..4ee578b0 100644
--- a/ntex/src/http/test.rs
+++ b/ntex/src/http/test.rs
@@ -239,6 +239,7 @@ where
         sys.run(move || {
             crate::server::build()
                 .listen("test", tcp, move |_| factory())?
+                .set_tag("test", "HTTP-TEST-SRV")
                 .workers(1)
                 .disable_signals()
                 .run();
diff --git a/ntex/src/web/response.rs b/ntex/src/web/response.rs
index 17f10fb2..abd0d01b 100644
--- a/ntex/src/web/response.rs
+++ b/ntex/src/web/response.rs
@@ -124,10 +124,7 @@ impl WebResponse {
 }
 
 impl From<WebResponse> for Response<Body> {
-    fn from(mut res: WebResponse) -> Response<Body> {
-        if let Some(io) = res.request.head().take_io_rc() {
-            res.response.head_mut().set_io(io);
-        }
+    fn from(res: WebResponse) -> Response<Body> {
         res.response
     }
 }
diff --git a/ntex/tests/web_server.rs b/ntex/tests/web_server.rs
index bc405288..aefe6682 100644
--- a/ntex/tests/web_server.rs
+++ b/ntex/tests/web_server.rs
@@ -1141,8 +1141,9 @@ async fn test_web_server() {
     system.stop();
 }
 
+/// Websocket connection, no ws handler and response contains payload
 #[ntex::test]
-async fn web_no_ws_payload() {
+async fn web_no_ws_with_response_payload() {
     let srv = test::server_with(test::config().h1(), || {
         App::new()
             .service(web::resource("/").route(web::get().to(move || async {