diff --git a/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts b/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
index b09d8198b..3f351be99 100644
--- a/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
+++ b/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
@@ -100,17 +100,6 @@ export function joinLobby(
         terrainLoad,
       ).then((r) => r.start());
     }
-    if (message.type === "error") {
-      showErrorModal(
-        message.error,
-        message.message,
-        lobbyConfig.gameID,
-        lobbyConfig.clientID,
-        true,
-        false,
-        "error_modal.connection_error",
-      );
-    }
   };
   transport.connect(onconnect, onmessage);
   return () => {
@@ -326,17 +315,6 @@ export class ClientGameRunner {
           "error_modal.desync_notice",
         );
       }
-      if (message.type === "error") {
-        showErrorModal(
-          message.error,
-          message.message,
-          this.lobby.gameID,
-          this.lobby.clientID,
-          true,
-          false,
-          "error_modal.connection_error",
-        );
-      }
       if (message.type === "turn") {
         if (!this.hasJoined) {
           this.transport.joinGame(0);
diff --git a/src/core/Schemas.ts b/src/core/Schemas.ts
index f439ea5fa..6dddeda52 100644
--- a/src/core/Schemas.ts
+++ b/src/core/Schemas.ts
@@ -88,8 +88,7 @@ export type ServerMessage =
   | ServerStartGameMessage
   | ServerPingMessage
   | ServerDesyncMessage
-  | ServerPrestartMessage
-  | ServerErrorMessage;
+  | ServerPrestartMessage;
 
 export type ServerTurnMessage = z.infer<typeof ServerTurnMessageSchema>;
 export type ServerStartGameMessage = z.infer<
@@ -98,7 +97,6 @@ export type ServerStartGameMessage = z.infer<
 export type ServerPingMessage = z.infer<typeof ServerPingMessageSchema>;
 export type ServerDesyncMessage = z.infer<typeof ServerDesyncSchema>;
 export type ServerPrestartMessage = z.infer<typeof ServerPrestartMessageSchema>;
-export type ServerErrorMessage = z.infer<typeof ServerErrorSchema>;
 export type ClientSendWinnerMessage = z.infer<typeof ClientSendWinnerSchema>;
 export type ClientPingMessage = z.infer<typeof ClientPingMessageSchema>;
 export type ClientIntentMessage = z.infer<typeof ClientIntentMessageSchema>;
@@ -445,19 +443,12 @@ export const ServerDesyncSchema = z.object({
   yourHash: z.number().optional(),
 });
 
-export const ServerErrorSchema = z.object({
-  type: z.literal("error"),
-  error: z.string(),
-  message: z.string().optional(),
-});
-
 export const ServerMessageSchema = z.discriminatedUnion("type", [
   ServerTurnMessageSchema,
   ServerPrestartMessageSchema,
   ServerStartGameMessageSchema,
   ServerPingMessageSchema,
   ServerDesyncSchema,
-  ServerErrorSchema,
 ]);
 
 //
diff --git a/src/server/GameServer.ts b/src/server/GameServer.ts
index e8480e7d0..69acb9c8d 100644
--- a/src/server/GameServer.ts
+++ b/src/server/GameServer.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import {
   Intent,
   PlayerRecord,
   ServerDesyncSchema,
-  ServerErrorMessage,
   ServerPrestartMessageSchema,
   ServerStartGameMessage,
   ServerTurnMessage,
@@ -194,17 +193,8 @@ export class GameServer {
             this.log.error("Failed to parse client message", error, {
               clientID: client.clientID,
             });
-            client.ws.send(
-              JSON.stringify({
-                type: "error",
-                error,
-                message,
-              } satisfies ServerErrorMessage),
-            );
-            // Add a small delay before closing the connection to ensure the error message is received
-            setTimeout(() => {
-              client.ws.close(1002, "ClientMessageSchema");
-            }, 100);
+            client.ws.removeAllListeners();
+            client.ws.close(1002, `Invalid client message: ${error}`);
             return;
           }
           const clientMsg = parsed.data;
@@ -545,21 +535,15 @@ export class GameServer {
         clientID: client.clientID,
         persistentID: client.persistentID,
       });
-      client.ws.send(
-        JSON.stringify({
-          type: "error",
-          error: "Kicked from game (you may have been playing on another tab)",
-        } satisfies ServerErrorMessage),
+      client.ws.close(
+        1002,
+        "Kicked from game (you may have been playing on another tab)",
       );
-      // Add a small delay before closing the connection to ensure the error message is received
-      setTimeout(() => {
-        client.ws.close(1000, "Kicked from game");
-        this.activeClients = this.activeClients.filter(
-          (c) => c.clientID !== clientID,
-        );
-        client.ws.removeAllListeners();
-        this.kickedClients.add(clientID);
-      }, 100);
+      this.activeClients = this.activeClients.filter(
+        (c) => c.clientID !== clientID,
+      );
+      client.ws.removeAllListeners();
+      this.kickedClients.add(clientID);
     } else {
       this.log.warn(`cannot kick client, not found in game`, {
         clientID,
diff --git a/src/server/Worker.ts b/src/server/Worker.ts
index 96efde652..27d2fee93 100644
--- a/src/server/Worker.ts
+++ b/src/server/Worker.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import {
   ClientMessageSchema,
   GameRecord,
   GameRecordSchema,
-  ServerErrorMessage,
 } from "../core/Schemas";
 import { CreateGameInputSchema, GameInputSchema } from "../core/WorkerSchemas";
 import { archive, readGameRecord } from "./Archive";
@@ -310,14 +309,8 @@ export function startWorker() {
           if (!parsed.success) {
             const error = z.prettifyError(parsed.error);
             log.warn("Error parsing client message", error);
-            ws.send(
-              JSON.stringify({
-                type: "error",
-                error: error.toString(),
-              } satisfies ServerErrorMessage),
-            );
             ws.removeAllListeners();
-            ws.close(1002, "ClientJoinMessageSchema");
+            ws.close(1002, `Failed to parse client message: ${error}`);
             return;
           }
           const clientMsg = parsed.data;
@@ -328,14 +321,8 @@ export function startWorker() {
           } else if (clientMsg.type !== "join") {
             const error = `Invalid message before join: ${JSON.stringify(clientMsg)}`;
             log.warn(error);
-            ws.send(
-              JSON.stringify({
-                type: "error",
-                error,
-              } satisfies ServerErrorMessage),
-            );
             ws.removeAllListeners();
-            ws.close(1002, "ClientJoinMessageSchema");
+            ws.close(1002, error);
             return;
           }