diff --git a/haystack/backends/whoosh_backend.py b/haystack/backends/whoosh_backend.py
index 2dda457a3..78e22df9f 100644
--- a/haystack/backends/whoosh_backend.py
+++ b/haystack/backends/whoosh_backend.py
@@ -305,6 +305,8 @@ def search(self, query_string, sort_by=None, start_offset=0, end_offset=None,
             if len(registered_models) > 0:
                 narrow_queries.add('%s:(%s)' % (DJANGO_CT, ' OR '.join(registered_models)))
         
+        narrow_searcher = None
+        
         if narrow_queries is not None:
             # Potentially expensive? I don't see another way to do it in Whoosh...
             narrow_searcher = self.index.searcher()
@@ -367,7 +369,13 @@ def search(self, query_string, sort_by=None, start_offset=0, end_offset=None,
                     'spelling_suggestion': None,
                 }
             
-            return self._process_results(raw_page, highlight=highlight, query_string=query_string, spelling_query=spelling_query)
+            results = self._process_results(raw_page, highlight=highlight, query_string=query_string, spelling_query=spelling_query)
+            searcher.close()
+            
+            if hasattr(narrow_searcher, 'close'):
+                narrow_searcher.close()
+            
+            return results
         else:
             if getattr(settings, 'HAYSTACK_INCLUDE_SPELLING', False):
                 if spelling_query:
diff --git a/tests/run_all_tests.sh b/tests/run_all_tests.sh
index f295afc21..265035c4d 100755
--- a/tests/run_all_tests.sh
+++ b/tests/run_all_tests.sh
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@ django-admin.py test solr_tests --settings=solr_settings
 echo ""
 
 echo "** WHOOSH **"
-# For Mac OS X and because Whoosh creates a large number of files...
-ulimit -n 2000
 django-admin.py test whoosh_tests --settings=whoosh_settings
 echo ""