diff --git a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegionFileSystem.java b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegionFileSystem.java
index 8528bd412b1..28279ba7e48 100644
--- a/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegionFileSystem.java
+++ b/hbase-server/src/main/java/org/apache/hadoop/hbase/regionserver/HRegionFileSystem.java
@@ -540,6 +540,8 @@ public class HRegionFileSystem {
         return null;
       }      
     }
+ 
+    f.getReader().close(true);
     
     Path splitDir = new Path(getSplitsDir(hri), familyName);
     // A reference to the bottom half of the hsf store file.