diff --git a/src/init.c b/src/init.c
index e9a317eefb2f8..6f3803460f7e8 100644
--- a/src/init.c
+++ b/src/init.c
@@ -428,6 +428,10 @@ void *init_stdio_handle(uv_file fd,int readable)
     // On windows however, libuv objects remember streams by their HANDLE, so this is
     // unnessecary.
     fd = dup(fd);
+#else
+    // Duplicate the file descritor so libuv can later close it without having to worry
+    // about needing to keep its handle open
+    fd = _dup(fd);
 #endif
     //printf("%d: %d -- %d\n", fd, type, 0);
     switch(type) {
diff --git a/src/jl_uv.c b/src/jl_uv.c
index 52dcd50c9ad77..995ebb9e9ed22 100644
--- a/src/jl_uv.c
+++ b/src/jl_uv.c
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ DLLEXPORT void jl_uv_shutdownCallback(uv_shutdown_t* req, int status)
      * in the shutdown request (in that case we call uv_close, thus cancelling this)
      * request.
      */
-    if (status != UV__ECANCELED) {
+    if (status != UV__ECANCELED && !uv_is_closing((uv_handle_t*)req->handle)) {
         uv_close((uv_handle_t*) req->handle, &jl_uv_closeHandle);
     }
     free(req);
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ DLLEXPORT void jl_close_uv(uv_handle_t *handle)
             fd->file = -1;
         }
     }
-    else {
+    else if (!uv_is_closing((uv_handle_t*)handle)) {
         uv_close(handle,&jl_uv_closeHandle);
     }
 }