diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.txt b/RELEASE_NOTES.txt
index 61b0823092..3a3b1160a6 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES.txt
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 Changes since 4.0.1
 
+* [HTTPCORE-207] SocketHttp*Connection classes can leak sockets if the connection is half-closed
+  Contributed by David Koski <david_koski at mac.com>
+
 * [HTTPCORE-201] OSGi Export-Package to specify release version
   Contributed by Oleg Kalnichevski <olegk at apache.org>
 
diff --git a/httpcore/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/SocketHttpClientConnection.java b/httpcore/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/SocketHttpClientConnection.java
index f2ddb06d40..3b968cf5c8 100644
--- a/httpcore/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/SocketHttpClientConnection.java
+++ b/httpcore/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/SocketHttpClientConnection.java
@@ -245,20 +245,24 @@ public void close() throws IOException {
             return;
         }
         this.open = false;
-        doFlush();
+        Socket sock = this.socket;
         try {
+            doFlush();
             try {
-                this.socket.shutdownOutput();
-            } catch (IOException ignore) {
+                try {
+                    sock.shutdownOutput();
+                } catch (IOException ignore) {
+                }
+                try {
+                    sock.shutdownInput();
+                } catch (IOException ignore) {
+                }
+            } catch (UnsupportedOperationException ignore) {
+                // if one isn't supported, the other one isn't either
             }
-            try {
-                this.socket.shutdownInput();
-            } catch (IOException ignore) {
-            }
-        } catch (UnsupportedOperationException ignore) {
-            // if one isn't supported, the other one isn't either
+        } finally {
+            sock.close();
         }
-        this.socket.close();
     }
     
 }
diff --git a/httpcore/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/SocketHttpServerConnection.java b/httpcore/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/SocketHttpServerConnection.java
index 437bd00176..5d006c8d60 100644
--- a/httpcore/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/SocketHttpServerConnection.java
+++ b/httpcore/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/SocketHttpServerConnection.java
@@ -262,20 +262,25 @@ public void close() throws IOException {
             return;
         }
         this.open = false;
-        doFlush();
+        this.open = false;
+        Socket sock = this.socket;
         try {
+            doFlush();
             try {
-                this.socket.shutdownOutput();
-            } catch (IOException ignore) {
-            }
-            try {
-                this.socket.shutdownInput();
-            } catch (IOException ignore) {
+                try {
+                    sock.shutdownOutput();
+                } catch (IOException ignore) {
+                }
+                try {
+                    sock.shutdownInput();
+                } catch (IOException ignore) {
+                }
+            } catch (UnsupportedOperationException ignore) {
+                // if one isn't supported, the other one isn't either
             }
-        } catch (UnsupportedOperationException ignore) {
-            // if one isn't supported, the other one isn't either
+        } finally {
+            sock.close();
         }
-        this.socket.close();
     }
     
 }