diff --git a/src/ptvsd/_vendored/pydevd/_pydevd_bundle/pydevd_comm.py b/src/ptvsd/_vendored/pydevd/_pydevd_bundle/pydevd_comm.py
index a00227dd..037aefbc 100644
--- a/src/ptvsd/_vendored/pydevd/_pydevd_bundle/pydevd_comm.py
+++ b/src/ptvsd/_vendored/pydevd/_pydevd_bundle/pydevd_comm.py
@@ -285,14 +285,15 @@ class ReaderThread(PyDBDaemonThread):
                 # processing anything read).
                 try:
                     line = self._read_line()
-                    if self._kill_received:
-                        continue
 
                     if len(line) == 0:
                         pydev_log.debug('ReaderThread: empty contents received (len(line) == 0).')
                         self._terminate_on_socket_close()
                         return  # Finished communication.
 
+                    if self._kill_received:
+                        continue
+
                     if line.startswith(b'Content-Length:'):
                         content_len = int(line.strip().split(b':', 1)[1])
                         continue
@@ -301,8 +302,6 @@ class ReaderThread(PyDBDaemonThread):
                         # If we previously received a content length, read until a '\r\n'.
                         if line == b'\r\n':
                             json_contents = self._read(content_len)
-                            if self._kill_received:
-                                continue
 
                             content_len = -1
 
@@ -311,6 +310,9 @@ class ReaderThread(PyDBDaemonThread):
                                 self._terminate_on_socket_close()
                                 return  # Finished communication.
 
+                            if self._kill_received:
+                                continue
+
                             # We just received a json message, let's process it.
                             self.process_net_command_json(self.py_db, json_contents)