diff --git a/nmsg/io.c b/nmsg/io.c
index 9f13fb06..f29f3877 100644
--- a/nmsg/io.c
+++ b/nmsg/io.c
@@ -741,29 +741,24 @@ io_write(struct nmsg_io_thr *iothr, struct nmsg_io_output *io_output,
 	nmsg_io_t io = iothr->io;
 	nmsg_res res;
 
-	/* It's possible a set "count" has been reached. */
-	check_close_event(iothr, io_output, 1);
-
-	if (io->stop) {
-		reset_close_event(iothr, io_output);
-		nmsg_message_destroy(&msg);
-		return (nmsg_res_stop);
-	}
 
 	res = nmsg_output_write(io_output->output, msg);
 	if (io_output->output->type != nmsg_output_type_callback)
 		nmsg_message_destroy(&msg);
 
-	/*
-	 * Reset only after the write, in case another thread invokes
-	 * check_close_event and makes changes to io_output in the meantime.
-	 */
-	reset_close_event(iothr, io_output);
-
 	if (res != nmsg_res_success)
 		return (res);
-
+	
 	atomic_fetch_add_explicit(&io->io_count_nmsg_payload_out, 1, memory_order_relaxed);
+	
+	/* It's possible a set "count" has been reached. */
+	check_close_event(iothr, io_output, 1);
+	reset_close_event(iothr, io_output);
+
+	if (io->stop) {
+		// nmsg_message_destroy(&msg);
+		return (nmsg_res_stop);
+	}
 
 	return (res);
 }
@@ -797,6 +792,8 @@ check_close_event(struct nmsg_io_thr *iothr, struct nmsg_io_output *io_output, u
 	if (io->count > 0 && io_output->count_next_close == 0)
 		io_output->count_next_close = io->count;
 
+	io_output->count_nmsg_payload_out += count;
+
 	if (io->count > 0 &&
 	    io_output->count_nmsg_payload_out == io_output->count_next_close)
 	{
@@ -856,13 +853,6 @@ check_close_event(struct nmsg_io_thr *iothr, struct nmsg_io_output *io_output, u
 	}
 
 out:
-	/*
-	 * This incr is implicitly locked IF it's used, and this counter is
-	 * only used IF io->count > 0; that condition results in an acquired
-	 * lock at the beginning of this function.
-	 */
-	io_output->count_nmsg_payload_out += count;
-
 	if (io->close_fp != NULL || io->count > 0)
 		pthread_mutex_unlock(&io_output->lock);
 }