diff --git a/blockdev-nbd.c b/blockdev-nbd.c
index 922cf5657b..b60b66d66c 100644
--- a/blockdev-nbd.c
+++ b/blockdev-nbd.c
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ static void nbd_accept(void *opaque)
     socklen_t addr_len = sizeof(addr);
 
     int fd = accept(server_fd, (struct sockaddr *)&addr, &addr_len);
-    if (fd >= 0) {
-        nbd_client_new(NULL, fd, nbd_client_put);
+    if (fd >= 0 && !nbd_client_new(NULL, fd, nbd_client_put)) {
+        close(fd);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/qemu-nbd.c b/qemu-nbd.c
index eed79fa15e..f70e4b0dfc 100644
--- a/qemu-nbd.c
+++ b/qemu-nbd.c
@@ -369,8 +369,10 @@ static void nbd_accept(void *opaque)
         return;
     }
 
-    if (fd >= 0 && nbd_client_new(exp, fd, nbd_client_closed)) {
+    if (nbd_client_new(exp, fd, nbd_client_closed)) {
         nb_fds++;
+    } else {
+        close(fd);
     }
 }