diff --git a/pscp.c b/pscp.c
index 0dbe1e34..4c6aba73 100644
--- a/pscp.c
+++ b/pscp.c
@@ -1348,6 +1348,11 @@ int scp_get_sink_action(struct scp_sink_action *act)
 			break;
 		    tell_user(stderr, "scp: reading directory %s: %s\n",
 			      fname, fxp_error());
+
+                    req = fxp_close_send(dirhandle);
+                    pktin = sftp_wait_for_reply(req);
+                    fxp_close_recv(pktin, req);
+
 		    if (must_free_fname) sfree(fname);
 		    sfree(ournames);
 		    errs++;
diff --git a/psftp.c b/psftp.c
index 65d0dc50..26f24f9c 100644
--- a/psftp.c
+++ b/psftp.c
@@ -291,6 +291,11 @@ int sftp_get_file(char *fname, char *outfname, int recurse, int restart)
 		    if (fxp_error_type() == SSH_FX_EOF)
 			break;
 		    printf("%s: reading directory: %s\n", fname, fxp_error());
+
+                    req = fxp_close_send(dirhandle);
+                    pktin = sftp_wait_for_reply(req);
+                    fxp_close_recv(pktin, req);
+
 		    sfree(ournames);
 		    return 0;
 		}