diff --git a/usr/src/lib/libzfs/common/libzfs_iter.c b/usr/src/lib/libzfs/common/libzfs_iter.c
index be5767f542d6..5dd0f6d0db17 100644
--- a/usr/src/lib/libzfs/common/libzfs_iter.c
+++ b/usr/src/lib/libzfs/common/libzfs_iter.c
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 2005, 2010, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
- * Copyright 2010 Nexenta Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
  * Copyright (c) 2012 by Delphix. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright 2013 Nexenta Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.
  */
 
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -443,8 +443,12 @@ iter_dependents_cb(zfs_handle_t *zhp, void *arg)
 			err = zfs_iter_snapshots(zhp, iter_dependents_cb, ida);
 		ida->stack = isf.next;
 	}
+
 	if (!first && err == 0)
 		err = ida->func(zhp, ida->data);
+	else
+		zfs_close(zhp);
+
 	return (err);
 }