diff --git a/backend/src/http/request.c b/backend/src/http/request.c
index c5b2796..de48b5b 100644
--- a/backend/src/http/request.c
+++ b/backend/src/http/request.c
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #include "request.h"
-#include "../str_util.h"
 #include "packet.h"
 #include <ctype.h>
 #include <netinet/in.h>
@@ -14,123 +13,6 @@
 #include <threads.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
-int http_request_parse(
-    Request* req, size_t* body_idx, const char* const buf, size_t buf_size)
-{
-    StrSplitter splitter = str_splitter(buf, buf_size, "\r\n");
-
-    StrSlice req_line = str_split_next(&splitter);
-    StrSplitter req_line_splitter
-        = str_splitter(req_line.ptr, req_line.len, " ");
-    StrSlice method_str = str_split_next(&req_line_splitter);
-    StrSlice uri_str = str_split_next(&req_line_splitter);
-    StrSlice version_str = str_split_next(&req_line_splitter);
-
-    if (strncmp(version_str.ptr, "HTTP/1.1", 8) != 0) {
-        fprintf(stderr,
-            "error: unrecognized http version '%.*s'\n",
-            (int)version_str.len,
-            version_str.ptr);
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    if (method_str.len >= 8) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "error: malformed http method\n");
-        return -1;
-    }
-    char normalized_method[8] = "";
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < method_str.len; ++i) {
-        normalized_method[i] = (char)toupper(method_str.ptr[i]);
-    }
-
-    Method method;
-    if (strncmp(normalized_method, "GET", method_str.len) == 0) {
-        method = Method_GET;
-    } else if (strncmp(normalized_method, "POST", method_str.len) == 0) {
-        method = Method_POST;
-    } else {
-        fprintf(stderr,
-            "error: unrecognized http method '%.*s'\n",
-            (int)method_str.len,
-            method_str.ptr);
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    if (uri_str.len >= MAX_PATH_LEN + 1) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "error: path too long\n");
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    size_t path_len = 0;
-    while (path_len < uri_str.len && uri_str.ptr[path_len] != '?'
-        && uri_str.ptr[path_len] != '#') {
-        path_len += 1;
-    }
-
-    char* path = calloc(path_len + 1, sizeof(char));
-    strncpy(path, uri_str.ptr, path_len);
-    path[path_len] = '\0';
-
-    char* query = NULL;
-    if (path_len < uri_str.len) {
-        size_t query_len = 0;
-        while (path_len + query_len < uri_str.len
-            && uri_str.ptr[path_len + query_len] != '#') {
-            query_len += 1;
-        }
-        query = calloc(query_len + 1, sizeof(char));
-        strncpy(query, &uri_str.ptr[path_len], query_len);
-        query[query_len] = '\0';
-    }
-
-    HeaderVec headers;
-    header_vec_construct(&headers);
-
-    while (headers.size < MAX_HEADERS_LEN) {
-        StrSlice line = str_split_next(&splitter);
-        if (line.len == 0) {
-            *body_idx = (size_t)&line.ptr[2] - (size_t)buf;
-            break;
-        }
-
-        size_t key_len = 0;
-        while (key_len < line.len && line.ptr[key_len] != ':') {
-            key_len += 1;
-        }
-        if (key_len == 0 || key_len > MAX_HEADER_KEY_LEN) {
-            fprintf(stderr, "error: header key too long\n");
-            return -1;
-        }
-        size_t value_begin = key_len + 1;
-        while (value_begin < line.len && line.ptr[value_begin] == ' ') {
-            value_begin += 1;
-        }
-        size_t value_len = line.len - value_begin;
-        if (value_len == 0 || value_len > MAX_HEADER_VALUE_LEN) {
-            fprintf(stderr, "error: header value too long, %ld\n", value_len);
-            return -1;
-        }
-
-        char* key = calloc(key_len + 1, sizeof(char));
-        strncpy(key, line.ptr, key_len);
-
-        char* value = calloc(value_len + 1, sizeof(char));
-        strncpy(value, &line.ptr[value_begin], value_len);
-
-        header_vec_push(&headers, (Header) { key, value });
-    }
-
-    *req = (Request) {
-        method,
-        path,
-        query,
-        headers,
-        .body = NULL,
-        .body_size = 0,
-    };
-    return 0;
-}
-
 void http_request_destroy(Request* req)
 {
     free(req->path);
diff --git a/backend/src/http/request.h b/backend/src/http/request.h
index ef6f317..6acb1d0 100644
--- a/backend/src/http/request.h
+++ b/backend/src/http/request.h
@@ -12,9 +12,6 @@ typedef struct {
     size_t body_size;
 } Request;
 
-/// On error, returns -1.
-int http_request_parse(
-    Request* req, size_t* body_idx, const char* const buf, size_t buf_size);
 void http_request_destroy(Request* req);
 bool http_request_has_header(const Request* req, const char* key);
 const char* http_request_get_header(const Request* req, const char* key);
diff --git a/backend/src/http/worker.c b/backend/src/http/worker.c
index fc6f02b..6fd4063 100644
--- a/backend/src/http/worker.c
+++ b/backend/src/http/worker.c
@@ -83,9 +83,11 @@ void http_worker_handle_connection(Worker* worker, ClientConnection connection)
         fprintf(stderr,
             "warning: failed to parse request. sending 400 Bad Request "
             "response\n");
-        const char* res = "HTTP/1.1 400 Bad Request\r\n\r\n";
-        ssize_t bytes_written = write(connection.file, res, strlen(res));
-        if (bytes_written != (ssize_t)strlen(res)) {
+        const char* response
+            = "HTTP/1.1 400 Bad Request\r\nConnection: close\r\n\r\n";
+        ssize_t bytes_written
+            = write(connection.file, response, strlen(response));
+        if (bytes_written != (ssize_t)strlen(response)) {
             fprintf(stderr, "error: could not send 400 Bad Request response\n");
         }
         goto l0_return;