diff --git a/include/uv.h b/include/uv.h
index 2ee7c315..2e39d08a 100644
--- a/include/uv.h
+++ b/include/uv.h
@@ -228,6 +228,10 @@ int uv_is_active(uv_handle_t* handle);
 /*
  * Request handle to be closed. close_cb will be called asynchronously after
  * this call. This MUST be called on each handle before memory is released.
+ *
+ * Note that handles that wrap file descriptors are closed immediately but
+ * close_cb will still be deferred to the next iteration of the event loop.
+ * It gives you a chance to free up any resources associated with the handle.
  */
 void uv_close(uv_handle_t* handle, uv_close_cb close_cb);
 
diff --git a/src/uv-unix.c b/src/uv-unix.c
index a57a30b9..6fa51e72 100644
--- a/src/uv-unix.c
+++ b/src/uv-unix.c
@@ -199,19 +199,31 @@ static uv_err_t uv_err_new(uv_handle_t* handle, int sys_error) {
 
 
 void uv_close(uv_handle_t* handle, uv_close_cb close_cb) {
-  uv_tcp_t* tcp;
-  uv_pipe_t* pipe;
   uv_async_t* async;
   uv_timer_t* timer;
+  uv_stream_t* stream;
   uv_process_t* process;
 
   handle->close_cb = close_cb;
 
   switch (handle->type) {
+    case UV_NAMED_PIPE:
+      uv_pipe_cleanup((uv_pipe_t*)handle);
+      /* Fall through. */
+
     case UV_TCP:
-      tcp = (uv_tcp_t*) handle;
-      uv_read_stop((uv_stream_t*)tcp);
-      ev_io_stop(EV_DEFAULT_ &tcp->write_watcher);
+      stream = (uv_stream_t*)handle;
+
+      uv_read_stop(stream);
+      ev_io_stop(EV_DEFAULT_ &stream->write_watcher);
+
+      uv__close(stream->fd);
+      stream->fd = -1;
+
+      if (stream->accepted_fd >= 0) {
+        uv__close(stream->accepted_fd);
+        stream->accepted_fd = -1;
+      }
       break;
 
     case UV_PREPARE:
@@ -240,13 +252,6 @@ void uv_close(uv_handle_t* handle, uv_close_cb close_cb) {
       ev_timer_stop(EV_DEFAULT_ &timer->timer_watcher);
       break;
 
-    case UV_NAMED_PIPE:
-      pipe = (uv_pipe_t*)handle;
-      uv_pipe_cleanup(pipe);
-      uv_read_stop((uv_stream_t*)handle);
-      ev_io_stop(EV_DEFAULT_ &pipe->write_watcher);
-      break;
-
     case UV_PROCESS:
       process = (uv_process_t*)handle;
       ev_child_stop(EV_DEFAULT_UC_ &process->child_watcher);
@@ -574,23 +579,9 @@ void uv__finish_close(uv_handle_t* handle) {
 
     case UV_NAMED_PIPE:
     case UV_TCP:
-    {
-      uv_stream_t* stream;
-
-      stream = (uv_stream_t*)handle;
-
-      assert(!ev_is_active(&stream->read_watcher));
-      assert(!ev_is_active(&stream->write_watcher));
-
-      uv__close(stream->fd);
-      stream->fd = -1;
-
-      if (stream->accepted_fd >= 0) {
-        uv__close(stream->accepted_fd);
-        stream->accepted_fd = -1;
-      }
+      assert(!ev_is_active(&((uv_stream_t*)handle)->read_watcher));
+      assert(!ev_is_active(&((uv_stream_t*)handle)->write_watcher));
       break;
-    }
 
     case UV_PROCESS:
       assert(!ev_is_active(&((uv_process_t*)handle)->child_watcher));