diff --git a/api/api_test.go b/api/api_test.go
index c048ad6d..fb34d6c0 100644
--- a/api/api_test.go
+++ b/api/api_test.go
@@ -383,6 +383,20 @@ func TestStartQuotaScan(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestGetSFTPConnections(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := api.GetSFTPConnections(http.StatusOK)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("unable to get sftp connections: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCloseActiveSFTPConnection(t *testing.T) {
+	err := api.CloseSFTPConnection("non_existent_id", http.StatusNotFound)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected error closing non existent sftp connection: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 // test using mock http server
 
 func TestBasicUserHandlingMock(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/api/api_utils.go b/api/api_utils.go
index 5873215b..0c9d7601 100644
--- a/api/api_utils.go
+++ b/api/api_utils.go
@@ -180,6 +180,35 @@ func StartQuotaScan(user dataprovider.User, expectedStatusCode int) error {
 	return checkResponse(resp.StatusCode, expectedStatusCode, resp)
 }
 
+// GetSFTPConnections returns status and stats for active SFTP connections
+func GetSFTPConnections(expectedStatusCode int) ([]sftpd.ConnectionStatus, error) {
+	var connections []sftpd.ConnectionStatus
+	resp, err := getHTTPClient().Get(httpBaseURL + activeConnectionsPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return connections, err
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	err = checkResponse(resp.StatusCode, expectedStatusCode, resp)
+	if err == nil && expectedStatusCode == http.StatusOK {
+		err = render.DecodeJSON(resp.Body, &connections)
+	}
+	return connections, err
+}
+
+// CloseSFTPConnection closes an active SFTP connection identified by connectionID
+func CloseSFTPConnection(connectionID string, expectedStatusCode int) error {
+	req, err := http.NewRequest(http.MethodDelete, httpBaseURL+activeConnectionsPath+"/"+connectionID, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	resp, err := getHTTPClient().Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	return checkResponse(resp.StatusCode, expectedStatusCode, resp)
+}
+
 func checkResponse(actual int, expected int, resp *http.Response) error {
 	if expected != actual {
 		return fmt.Errorf("wrong status code: got %v want %v", actual, expected)
diff --git a/api/internal_test.go b/api/internal_test.go
index db7abf68..b4e32c51 100644
--- a/api/internal_test.go
+++ b/api/internal_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/drakkan/sftpgo/dataprovider"
 )
 
+const (
+	invalidURL  = "http://foo\x7f.com/"
+	inactiveURL = "http://127.0.0.1:12345"
+)
+
 func TestGetRespStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	var err error
 	err = &dataprovider.MethodDisabledError{}
@@ -136,3 +141,65 @@ func TestCompareUserFields(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("DownloadBandwidth does not match")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestApiCallsWithBadURL(t *testing.T) {
+	oldBaseURL := httpBaseURL
+	SetBaseURL(invalidURL)
+	u := dataprovider.User{}
+	_, err := UpdateUser(u, http.StatusBadRequest)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("request with invalid URL must fail")
+	}
+	err = RemoveUser(u, http.StatusNotFound)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("request with invalid URL must fail")
+	}
+	err = CloseSFTPConnection("non_existent_id", http.StatusNotFound)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("request with invalid URL must fail")
+	}
+	SetBaseURL(oldBaseURL)
+}
+
+func TestApiCallToNotListeningServer(t *testing.T) {
+	oldBaseURL := httpBaseURL
+	SetBaseURL(inactiveURL)
+	u := dataprovider.User{}
+	_, err := AddUser(u, http.StatusBadRequest)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("request to an inactive URL must fail")
+	}
+	_, err = UpdateUser(u, http.StatusNotFound)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("request to an inactive URL must fail")
+	}
+	err = RemoveUser(u, http.StatusNotFound)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("request to an inactive URL must fail")
+	}
+	_, err = GetUserByID(-1, http.StatusNotFound)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("request to an inactive URL must fail")
+	}
+	_, err = GetUsers(100, 0, "", http.StatusOK)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("request to an inactive URL must fail")
+	}
+	_, err = GetQuotaScans(http.StatusOK)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("request to an inactive URL must fail")
+	}
+	err = StartQuotaScan(u, http.StatusNotFound)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("request to an inactive URL must fail")
+	}
+	_, err = GetSFTPConnections(http.StatusOK)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("request to an inactive URL must fail")
+	}
+	err = CloseSFTPConnection("non_existent_id", http.StatusNotFound)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Errorf("request to an inactive URL must fail")
+	}
+	SetBaseURL(oldBaseURL)
+}