diff --git a/swift/common/memcached.py b/swift/common/memcached.py
index 86ce8b6bc6..578bf6d5a0 100644
--- a/swift/common/memcached.py
+++ b/swift/common/memcached.py
@@ -88,13 +88,26 @@ class MemcacheRing(object):
         self._allow_pickle = allow_pickle
         self._allow_unpickle = allow_unpickle or allow_pickle
 
-    def _exception_occurred(self, server, e, action='talking'):
+    def _exception_occurred(self, server, e, action='talking',
+                            sock=None, fp=None):
         if isinstance(e, socket.timeout):
             logging.error(_("Timeout %(action)s to memcached: %(server)s"),
                           {'action': action, 'server': server})
         else:
             logging.exception(_("Error %(action)s to memcached: %(server)s"),
                               {'action': action, 'server': server})
+        try:
+            if fp:
+                fp.close()
+                del fp
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+        try:
+            if sock:
+                sock.close()
+                del sock
+        except Exception:
+            pass
         now = time.time()
         self._errors[server].append(time.time())
         if len(self._errors[server]) > ERROR_LIMIT_COUNT:
@@ -119,6 +132,7 @@ class MemcacheRing(object):
             served.append(server)
             if self._error_limited[server] > time.time():
                 continue
+            sock = None
             try:
                 fp, sock = self._client_cache[server].pop()
                 yield server, fp, sock
@@ -136,7 +150,8 @@ class MemcacheRing(object):
                     sock.settimeout(self._io_timeout)
                     yield server, sock.makefile(), sock
                 except Exception, e:
-                    self._exception_occurred(server, e, 'connecting')
+                    self._exception_occurred(
+                        server, e, action='connecting', sock=sock)
 
     def _return_conn(self, server, fp, sock):
         """ Returns a server connection to the pool """
@@ -182,7 +197,7 @@ class MemcacheRing(object):
                 self._return_conn(server, fp, sock)
                 return
             except Exception, e:
-                self._exception_occurred(server, e)
+                self._exception_occurred(server, e, sock=sock, fp=fp)
 
     def get(self, key):
         """
@@ -215,7 +230,7 @@ class MemcacheRing(object):
                 self._return_conn(server, fp, sock)
                 return value
             except Exception, e:
-                self._exception_occurred(server, e)
+                self._exception_occurred(server, e, sock=sock, fp=fp)
 
     def incr(self, key, delta=1, time=0, timeout=0):
         """
@@ -267,7 +282,7 @@ class MemcacheRing(object):
                 self._return_conn(server, fp, sock)
                 return ret
             except Exception, e:
-                self._exception_occurred(server, e)
+                self._exception_occurred(server, e, sock=sock, fp=fp)
         raise MemcacheConnectionError("No Memcached connections succeeded.")
 
     def decr(self, key, delta=1, time=0, timeout=0):
@@ -304,7 +319,7 @@ class MemcacheRing(object):
                 self._return_conn(server, fp, sock)
                 return
             except Exception, e:
-                self._exception_occurred(server, e)
+                self._exception_occurred(server, e, sock=sock, fp=fp)
 
     def set_multi(self, mapping, server_key, serialize=True, timeout=0,
                   time=0, min_compress_len=0):
@@ -352,7 +367,7 @@ class MemcacheRing(object):
                 self._return_conn(server, fp, sock)
                 return
             except Exception, e:
-                self._exception_occurred(server, e)
+                self._exception_occurred(server, e, sock=sock, fp=fp)
 
     def get_multi(self, keys, server_key):
         """
@@ -393,4 +408,4 @@ class MemcacheRing(object):
                 self._return_conn(server, fp, sock)
                 return values
             except Exception, e:
-                self._exception_occurred(server, e)
+                self._exception_occurred(server, e, sock=sock, fp=fp)
diff --git a/test/unit/common/test_memcached.py b/test/unit/common/test_memcached.py
index f5b04f9e88..b866a85ce1 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/test_memcached.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/test_memcached.py
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ class ExplodingMockMemcached(object):
         self.exploded = True
         raise socket.error()
 
+    def close(self):
+        pass
 
 class MockMemcached(object):
 
@@ -52,6 +54,7 @@ class MockMemcached(object):
         self.down = False
         self.exc_on_delete = False
         self.read_return_none = False
+        self.close_called = False
 
     def sendall(self, string):
         if self.down:
@@ -130,6 +133,10 @@ class MockMemcached(object):
             self.outbuf = self.outbuf[size:]
             return response
 
+    def close(self):
+        self.close_called = True
+        pass
+
 
 class TestMemcached(unittest.TestCase):
     """ Tests for swift.common.memcached"""
@@ -206,6 +213,7 @@ class TestMemcached(unittest.TestCase):
         mock.read_return_none = True
         self.assertRaises(memcached.MemcacheConnectionError,
                           memcache_client.incr, 'some_key', delta=-15)
+        self.assertTrue(mock.close_called)
 
     def test_incr_w_timeout(self):
         memcache_client = memcached.MemcacheRing(['1.2.3.4:11211'])