diff --git a/ssh/channel.go b/ssh/channel.go
index cc0bb7a..00e4ceb 100644
--- a/ssh/channel.go
+++ b/ssh/channel.go
@@ -530,7 +530,17 @@ func (ch *channel) Reject(reason RejectionReason, message string) error {
 		Language: "en",
 	}
 	ch.decided = true
-	return ch.sendMessage(reject)
+	err := ch.sendMessage(reject)
+
+	// Remove the channel from the mux to prevent memory leaks.
+	// Do not call ch.close() here: no goroutine holds a reference to a
+	// rejected channel's internal channels (msg, incomingRequests), so
+	// removing it from chanList is sufficient for GC. Calling close()
+	// would race with the mux loop goroutine (handlePacket or dropAll),
+	// causing a panic from closing an already-closed channel.
+	ch.mux.chanList.remove(ch.localId)
+
+	return err
 }
 
 func (ch *channel) Read(data []byte) (int, error) {
diff --git a/ssh/mux_test.go b/ssh/mux_test.go
index 21f0ac3..95874fa 100644
--- a/ssh/mux_test.go
+++ b/ssh/mux_test.go
@@ -825,6 +825,50 @@ func TestMuxChannelWindowDeferredUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestMuxChannelRejectRemovesFromMux(t *testing.T) {
+	serverMux, clientMux := muxPair()
+	defer serverMux.Close()
+	defer clientMux.Close()
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	t.Cleanup(wg.Wait)
+	wg.Add(1)
+
+	go func() {
+		defer wg.Done()
+
+		// The server waits for the channel creation request
+		newCh, ok := <-serverMux.incomingChannels
+		if !ok {
+			t.Error("failed to accept channel")
+			return
+		}
+		ch := newCh.(*channel)
+
+		if serverMux.chanList.getChan(ch.localId) == nil {
+			t.Errorf("channel %d is not in the chanList before Reject", ch.localId)
+		}
+
+		if err := ch.Reject(Prohibited, "rejecting this channel"); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Reject failed: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		if serverMux.chanList.getChan(ch.localId) != nil {
+			t.Errorf("channel %d is still in the chanList after Reject", ch.localId)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	_, _, err := clientMux.OpenChannel("test_leak", nil)
+
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected an error (channel rejected), but got nil")
+	}
+
+	if _, ok := err.(*OpenChannelError); !ok {
+		t.Errorf("expected *OpenChannelError, got: %T", err)
+	}
+}
+
 // Don't ship code with debug=true.
 func TestDebug(t *testing.T) {
 	if debugMux {