diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 957e63b..4993faf 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -10,18 +10,18 @@ a sibling of the `mongo` lib. Class is **`PsqlDB`**.
 `requirements.txt`:
 
 ```
-psql @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/psql.git@v0.1.6
+psql @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/psql.git@v0.1.7
 ```
 
 Direct:
 
 ```bash
-pip install "psql @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/psql.git@v0.1.6"
+pip install "psql @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/psql.git@v0.1.7"
 ```
 
 Pulls `asyncpg`.
 
-Drop the `@v0.1.6` suffix from the line above to install the latest unpinned.
+Drop the `@v0.1.7` suffix from the line above to install the latest unpinned.
 
 ## The two-layer API
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 9792361..c7cab2e 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "hatchling.build"
 
 [project]
 name = "psql"
-version = "0.1.6"
+version = "0.1.7"
 description = "async postgres wrapper over asyncpg: two-layer API (friendly verbs + raw escape hatch), fail-loud, config-free"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
 dependencies = [
diff --git a/src/psql/psql.py b/src/psql/psql.py
index 5728a5f..b511572 100644
--- a/src/psql/psql.py
+++ b/src/psql/psql.py
@@ -123,23 +123,36 @@ class PsqlDB:
         """
         async with self._connect_lock:
             if self._pool is not None:
-                await self.close()
-            pool = await asyncpg.create_pool(**self._config)
+                await self._close_locked()
+            pool = None
             try:
+                pool = await asyncpg.create_pool(**self._config)
                 await pool.fetchval("SELECT 1")
             except _DRIVER_ERRORS:
-                log.exception("psql.connect() validation failed")
-                await pool.close()
+                log.exception("psql.connect() failed")
+                if pool is not None:
+                    await pool.close()
                 raise
             except BaseException:
-                await pool.close()
+                if pool is not None:
+                    await pool.close()
                 raise
             self._pool = pool
             return self
 
     async def close(self) -> None:
         """close the pool on shutdown and null the reference (so pool/connected checks
-        report not-connected against a dead pool)"""
+        report not-connected against a dead pool)
+
+        guarded by the same lock as connect() - a close() racing an in-flight connect()
+        waits for it rather than no-opping against a not-yet-installed pool and leaving
+        the just-built one live.
+        """
+        async with self._connect_lock:
+            await self._close_locked()
+
+    async def _close_locked(self) -> None:
+        """close the pool and null the reference; caller must hold `_connect_lock`"""
         if self._pool is None:
             return
         try: