diff --git a/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/util/IOUtils.java b/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/util/IOUtils.java
index 766d6fb32ea..350ae432306 100644
--- a/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/util/IOUtils.java
+++ b/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/util/IOUtils.java
@@ -113,20 +113,32 @@ public final class IOUtils {
   }
   
   /**
-   * Closes all given <tt>Closeable</tt>s, suppressing all thrown exceptions.
+   * Closes all given <tt>Closeable</tt>s, suppressing all thrown non {@link VirtualMachineError} exceptions.
+   * Even if a {@link VirtualMachineError} is thrown all given closeable are closed.
    * @see #closeWhileHandlingException(Closeable...)
    */
   public static void closeWhileHandlingException(Iterable<? extends Closeable> objects) {
+    VirtualMachineError firstError = null;
+    Throwable firstThrowable = null;
     for (Closeable object : objects) {
       try {
         if (object != null) {
           object.close();
         }
       } catch (VirtualMachineError e) {
-        throw e;
+        firstError = useOrSuppress(firstError, e);
       } catch (Throwable t) {
+        firstThrowable = useOrSuppress(firstThrowable, t);
       }
     }
+    if (firstError != null) {
+      // we ensure that we bubble up any errors. We can't recover from these but need to make sure they are
+      // bubbled up. if a non-VMError is thrown we also add the suppressed exceptions to it.
+      if (firstThrowable != null) {
+        firstError.addSuppressed(firstThrowable);
+      }
+      throw firstError;
+    }
   }
   
   /** adds a Throwable to the list of suppressed Exceptions of the first Throwable