diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index b32cd1f10a4..7002d4a9de6 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ Release 0.21.0 - Unreleased
    HBASE-1777  column length is not checked before saved to memstore
    HBASE-1925  IllegalAccessError: Has not been initialized (getMaxSequenceId)
    HBASE-1929  If hbase-default.xml is not in CP, zk session timeout is 10 secs!
+   HBASE-1927  Scanners not closed properly in certain circumstances
 
   IMPROVEMENTS
    HBASE-1760  Cleanup TODOs in HTable
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/KeyValueHeap.java b/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/KeyValueHeap.java
index c7932307439..63f94afa068 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/KeyValueHeap.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/KeyValueHeap.java
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ public class KeyValueHeap implements KeyValueScanner, InternalScanner {
   private KVScannerComparator comparator;
 
   /**
-   * Constructor
+   * Constructor.  This KeyValueHeap will handle closing of passed in 
+   * KeyValueScanners.
    * @param scanners
    * @param comparator
    */
@@ -57,6 +58,8 @@ public class KeyValueHeap implements KeyValueScanner, InternalScanner {
     for (KeyValueScanner scanner : scanners) {
       if (scanner.peek() != null) {
         this.heap.add(scanner);
+      } else {
+        scanner.close();
       }
     }
     this.current = heap.poll();
diff --git a/src/test/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/TestKeyValueHeap.java b/src/test/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/TestKeyValueHeap.java
index 8312f0ca104..74d19df9376 100644
--- a/src/test/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/TestKeyValueHeap.java
+++ b/src/test/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/TestKeyValueHeap.java
@@ -154,9 +154,46 @@ implements HConstants {
     
   }
 
+  public void testScannerLeak() {
+    // Test for unclosed scanners (HBASE-1927)
+    
+    List<KeyValue> l1 = new ArrayList<KeyValue>();
+    l1.add(new KeyValue(row1, fam1, col5, data));
+    l1.add(new KeyValue(row2, fam1, col1, data));
+    l1.add(new KeyValue(row2, fam1, col2, data));
+    scanners.add(new Scanner(l1));
+
+    List<KeyValue> l2 = new ArrayList<KeyValue>();
+    l2.add(new KeyValue(row1, fam1, col1, data));
+    l2.add(new KeyValue(row1, fam1, col2, data));
+    scanners.add(new Scanner(l2));
+
+    List<KeyValue> l3 = new ArrayList<KeyValue>();
+    l3.add(new KeyValue(row1, fam1, col3, data));
+    l3.add(new KeyValue(row1, fam1, col4, data));
+    l3.add(new KeyValue(row1, fam2, col1, data));
+    l3.add(new KeyValue(row1, fam2, col2, data));
+    l3.add(new KeyValue(row2, fam1, col3, data));
+    scanners.add(new Scanner(l3));
+    
+    List<KeyValue> l4 = new ArrayList<KeyValue>();
+    scanners.add(new Scanner(l4));
+
+    //Creating KeyValueHeap
+    KeyValueHeap kvh =
+      new KeyValueHeap(scanners.toArray(new Scanner[0]), KeyValue.COMPARATOR);
+    
+    while(kvh.next() != null);
+    
+    for(Scanner scanner : scanners) {
+      assertTrue(scanner.isClosed());
+    }
+  }
+  
   private static class Scanner implements KeyValueScanner {
     private Iterator<KeyValue> iter;
     private KeyValue current;
+    private boolean closed = false;
 
     public Scanner(List<KeyValue> list) {
       Collections.sort(list, KeyValue.COMPARATOR);
@@ -180,7 +217,13 @@ implements HConstants {
       return oldCurrent;
     }
 
-    public void close(){}
+    public void close(){
+      closed = true;
+    }
+    
+    public boolean isClosed() {
+      return closed;
+    }
     
     public boolean seek(KeyValue seekKv) {
       while(iter.hasNext()){