diff --git a/src/litdata/streaming/item_loader.py b/src/litdata/streaming/item_loader.py
index acc50d2b6..17a2d5342 100644
--- a/src/litdata/streaming/item_loader.py
+++ b/src/litdata/streaming/item_loader.py
@@ -360,6 +360,14 @@ def delete(self, chunk_index: int, chunk_filepath: str) -> None:
                 del self._mmaps[chunk_index]
             os.remove(chunk_filepath)
 
+    def close(self, chunk_index: int) -> None:
+        """Release the memory-mapped file for a specific chunk index."""
+        if chunk_index in self._mmaps:
+            self._mmaps[chunk_index]._mmap.close()
+            del self._mmaps[chunk_index]
+        if chunk_index in self._buffers:
+            del self._buffers[chunk_index]
+
     @classmethod
     def encode_data(cls, data: List[bytes], _: List[int], flattened: List[Any]) -> Tuple[bytes, Optional[int]]:
         return data[0], flattened[0].shape[0]
diff --git a/src/litdata/streaming/reader.py b/src/litdata/streaming/reader.py
index 60cd29658..8cb28ef74 100644
--- a/src/litdata/streaming/reader.py
+++ b/src/litdata/streaming/reader.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple, Union
 
 from litdata.streaming.config import ChunksConfig, Interval
-from litdata.streaming.item_loader import BaseItemLoader, PyTreeLoader
+from litdata.streaming.item_loader import BaseItemLoader, PyTreeLoader, TokensLoader
 from litdata.streaming.sampler import ChunkedIndex
 from litdata.streaming.serializers import Serializer, _get_serializers
 from litdata.utilities.encryption import Encryption
@@ -288,7 +288,6 @@ def read(self, index: ChunkedIndex) -> Any:
             item = self._item_loader.load_item_from_chunk(
                 index.index, index.chunk_index, chunk_filepath, begin, chunk_bytes
             )
-
         # We need to request deletion after the latest element has been loaded.
         # Otherwise, this could trigger segmentation fault error depending on the item loader used.
         if (
@@ -302,6 +301,11 @@ def read(self, index: ChunkedIndex) -> Any:
             # inform the chunk has been completely consumed
             self._prepare_thread.delete([self._last_chunk_index])
 
+        if index.chunk_index != self._last_chunk_index:
+            # Close the memory-mapped file for the last chunk index
+            if isinstance(self._item_loader, TokensLoader) and self._last_chunk_index is not None:
+                self._item_loader.close(self._last_chunk_index)
+
             # track the new chunk index as the latest one
             self._last_chunk_index = index.chunk_index
 
diff --git a/tests/streaming/test_dataset.py b/tests/streaming/test_dataset.py
index ef93021c9..3b0010996 100644
--- a/tests/streaming/test_dataset.py
+++ b/tests/streaming/test_dataset.py
@@ -507,6 +507,28 @@ def test_dataset_for_text_tokens(tmpdir):
             break
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform == "win32", reason="windows isn't supported")
+def test_dataset_for_text_tokens_with_large_num_chunks(tmpdir):
+    import resource
+
+    resource.setrlimit(resource.RLIMIT_NOFILE, (1024, 1024))
+
+    block_size = 1024
+    cache = Cache(input_dir=str(tmpdir), chunk_bytes="10KB", item_loader=TokensLoader(block_size))
+
+    for i in range(10000):
+        text_ids = torch.randint(0, 10001, (torch.randint(100, 1001, (1,)).item(),)).numpy()
+        cache._add_item(i, text_ids)
+
+    cache.done()
+    cache.merge()
+
+    dataset = StreamingDataset(input_dir=str(tmpdir), item_loader=TokensLoader(block_size), shuffle=True)
+
+    for _ in dataset:
+        pass
+
+
 def test_dataset_with_1d_array(tmpdir):
     seed_everything(42)