missing_ok, 0) < 0)
                        die("git-write-tree: error building trees");
                if (0 <= newfd) {
-                       if (!write_cache(newfd, active_cache, active_nr))
+                       if (!write_cache(newfd, active_cache, active_nr)
+                                       && !close(newfd))
                                commit_lock_file(lock_file);
                }
                /* Not being able to write is fine -- we are only interested