diff --git a/src/unix/linux-core.c b/src/unix/linux-core.c
index 7a8fcd35..69a60b05 100644
--- a/src/unix/linux-core.c
+++ b/src/unix/linux-core.c
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ void uv__platform_loop_delete(uv_loop_t* loop) {
 
 void uv__platform_invalidate_fd(uv_loop_t* loop, int fd) {
   struct uv__epoll_event* events;
+  struct uv__epoll_event dummy;
   uintptr_t i;
   uintptr_t nfds;
 
@@ -106,13 +107,20 @@ void uv__platform_invalidate_fd(uv_loop_t* loop, int fd) {
 
   events = (struct uv__epoll_event*) loop->watchers[loop->nwatchers];
   nfds = (uintptr_t) loop->watchers[loop->nwatchers + 1];
-  if (events == NULL)
-    return;
+  if (events != NULL)
+    /* Invalidate events with same file descriptor */
+    for (i = 0; i < nfds; i++)
+      if ((int) events[i].data == fd)
+        events[i].data = -1;
 
-  /* Invalidate events with same file descriptor */
-  for (i = 0; i < nfds; i++)
-    if ((int) events[i].data == fd)
-      events[i].data = -1;
+  /* Remove the file descriptor from the epoll.
+   * This avoids a problem where the same file description remains open
+   * in another process, causing repeated junk epoll events.
+   *
+   * We pass in a dummy epoll_event, to work around a bug in old kernels.
+   */
+  if (loop->backend_fd >= 0)
+    uv__epoll_ctl(loop->backend_fd, UV__EPOLL_CTL_DEL, fd, &dummy);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/test/test-list.h b/test/test-list.h
index f60eab30..2d8942c3 100644
--- a/test/test-list.h
+++ b/test/test-list.h
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ TEST_DECLARE   (spawn_setuid_setgid)
 TEST_DECLARE   (we_get_signal)
 TEST_DECLARE   (we_get_signals)
 TEST_DECLARE   (signal_multiple_loops)
+TEST_DECLARE   (closed_fd_events)
 #endif
 #ifdef __APPLE__
 TEST_DECLARE   (osx_select)
@@ -458,6 +459,7 @@ TASK_LIST_START
   TEST_ENTRY  (we_get_signal)
   TEST_ENTRY  (we_get_signals)
   TEST_ENTRY  (signal_multiple_loops)
+  TEST_ENTRY  (closed_fd_events)
 #endif
 
 #ifdef __APPLE__
diff --git a/test/test-spawn.c b/test/test-spawn.c
index 43889878..337cd1d8 100644
--- a/test/test-spawn.c
+++ b/test/test-spawn.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ static char exepath[1024];
 static size_t exepath_size = 1024;
 static char* args[3];
 static int no_term_signal;
+static int timer_counter;
 
 #define OUTPUT_SIZE 1024
 static char output[OUTPUT_SIZE];
@@ -118,6 +119,12 @@ static void on_read(uv_stream_t* tcp, ssize_t nread, uv_buf_t buf) {
 }
 
 
+static void on_read_once(uv_stream_t* tcp, ssize_t nread, const uv_buf_t buf) {
+  uv_read_stop(tcp);
+  on_read(tcp, nread, buf);
+}
+
+
 static void write_cb(uv_write_t* req, int status) {
   ASSERT(status == 0);
   uv_close((uv_handle_t*)req->handle, close_cb);
@@ -145,6 +152,11 @@ static void timer_cb(uv_timer_t* handle, int status) {
 }
 
 
+static void timer_counter_cb(uv_timer_t* handle, int status) {
+  ++timer_counter;
+}
+
+
 TEST_IMPL(spawn_fails) {
   init_process_options("", exit_cb_failure_expected);
   options.file = options.args[0] = "program-that-had-better-not-exist";
@@ -1038,3 +1050,65 @@ TEST_IMPL(spawn_auto_unref) {
   MAKE_VALGRIND_HAPPY();
   return 0;
 }
+
+
+#ifndef _WIN32
+TEST_IMPL(closed_fd_events) {
+  uv_stdio_container_t stdio[3];
+  uv_pipe_t pipe_handle;
+  int fd[2];
+
+  /* create a pipe and share it with a child process */
+  ASSERT(0 == pipe(fd));
+  ASSERT(0 == fcntl(fd[0], F_SETFL, O_NONBLOCK));
+
+  /* spawn_helper4 blocks indefinitely. */
+  init_process_options("spawn_helper4", exit_cb);
+  options.stdio_count = 3;
+  options.stdio = stdio;
+  options.stdio[0].data.fd = fd[0];
+  options.stdio[0].flags = UV_INHERIT_FD;
+  options.stdio[1].flags = UV_IGNORE;
+  options.stdio[2].flags = UV_IGNORE;
+
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_spawn(uv_default_loop(), &process, options));
+  uv_unref((uv_handle_t*) &process);
+
+  /* read from the pipe with uv */
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_pipe_init(uv_default_loop(), &pipe_handle, 0));
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_pipe_open(&pipe_handle, fd[0]));
+  fd[0] = -1;
+
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_read_start((uv_stream_t*) &pipe_handle, on_alloc, on_read_once));
+
+  ASSERT(1 == write(fd[1], "", 1));
+
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_run(uv_default_loop(), UV_RUN_ONCE));
+
+  /* should have received just one byte */
+  ASSERT(output_used == 1);
+
+  /* close the pipe and see if we still get events */
+  uv_close((uv_handle_t*) &pipe_handle, close_cb);
+
+  ASSERT(1 == write(fd[1], "", 1));
+
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_timer_init(uv_default_loop(), &timer));
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_timer_start(&timer, timer_counter_cb, 10, 0));
+
+  /* see if any spurious events interrupt the timer */
+  if (1 == uv_run(uv_default_loop(), UV_RUN_ONCE)) {
+    if (1 == uv_run(uv_default_loop(), UV_RUN_ONCE))
+      ASSERT(0 == uv_run(uv_default_loop(), UV_RUN_ONCE));
+  }
+
+  ASSERT(timer_counter == 1);
+
+  /* cleanup */
+  ASSERT(0 == uv_process_kill(&process, /* SIGTERM */ 15));
+  ASSERT(0 == close(fd[1]));
+
+  MAKE_VALGRIND_HAPPY();
+  return 0;
+}
+#endif  /* !_WIN32 */