diff --git a/p2p/host/basic/basic_host.go b/p2p/host/basic/basic_host.go
index 355f5490aca8043d047ae612c0a082bd44ee49b8..d0c15752be50cef1e2adad7bc6503b2c416986a4 100644
--- a/p2p/host/basic/basic_host.go
+++ b/p2p/host/basic/basic_host.go
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ func (h *BasicHost) newStreamHandler(s inet.Stream) {
 		} else {
 			log.Warning("protocol mux failed: %s (took %s)", err, took)
 		}
+		s.Close()
 		return
 	}
 	s.SetProtocol(protocol.ID(protoID))
diff --git a/p2p/protocol/identify/id.go b/p2p/protocol/identify/id.go
index 36e08b2279d6f2267802eab5d8caceadabb91297..baffc5afaf06a54d31a90c8eb433f2feabf62c39 100644
--- a/p2p/protocol/identify/id.go
+++ b/p2p/protocol/identify/id.go
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ func (ids *IDService) IdentifyConn(c inet.Conn) {
 		c.Close()
 		return
 	}
+	defer s.Close()
 
 	s.SetProtocol(ID)
 
@@ -97,7 +98,6 @@ func (ids *IDService) IdentifyConn(c inet.Conn) {
 	if err := msmux.SelectProtoOrFail(ID, s); err != nil {
 		log.Debugf("error writing stream header for %s", ID)
 		log.Event(context.TODO(), "IdentifyOpenFailed", c.RemotePeer())
-		s.Close()
 		return
 	}