diff --git a/fetch-pack.c b/fetch-pack.c
index a0e0350ae6bdf338b3c11c21fc050edb60c88569..1042448fa0b321e8826f0fdb69c89810c731cf5d 100644
--- a/fetch-pack.c
+++ b/fetch-pack.c
@@ -747,6 +747,10 @@ static int get_pack(struct fetch_pack_args *args,
 		close(cmd.out);
 	}
 
+	if (!use_sideband)
+		/* Closed by start_command() */
+		xd[0] = -1;
+
 	ret = finish_command(&cmd);
 	if (!ret || (args->check_self_contained_and_connected && ret == 1))
 		args->self_contained_and_connected =
diff --git a/send-pack.c b/send-pack.c
index b228d65613c511ffa59eb3ab254ee2e2b6f26c9b..fab62e3da05913b5a4f76db7ed1c17e5831384d2 100644
--- a/send-pack.c
+++ b/send-pack.c
@@ -302,8 +302,12 @@ int send_pack(struct send_pack_args *args,
 				shutdown(fd[0], SHUT_WR);
 			if (use_sideband)
 				finish_async(&demux);
+			fd[1] = -1;
 			return -1;
 		}
+		if (!args->stateless_rpc)
+			/* Closed by pack_objects() via start_command() */
+			fd[1] = -1;
 	}
 	if (args->stateless_rpc && cmds_sent)
 		packet_flush(out);