diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index c07e631..4a9f6c2 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ empty string with zero_terminate. This was a bug in pcre2test, not the library.
 of the section that is compiled when Unix-style directory scanning is
 available, and into a new section that is always compiled for Windows.
 
+10. In pcre2test, explicitly close the file after an error during serialization 
+or deserialization (the "load" or "save" commands).
+
 
 Version 10.23 14-February-2017
 ------------------------------
diff --git a/src/pcre2test.c b/src/pcre2test.c
index 39eedbe..b6d3ec9 100644
--- a/src/pcre2test.c
+++ b/src/pcre2test.c
@@ -4456,6 +4456,7 @@ switch(cmd)
   if (rc < 0)
     {
     serial_error(rc, "Serialization");
+    fclose(f); 
     break;
     }
 
@@ -4469,6 +4470,7 @@ switch(cmd)
   if (fwrite(serial, 1, serial_size, f) != serial_size)
     {
     fprintf(outfile, "** Wrong return from fwrite()\n");
+    fclose(f); 
     return PR_ABEND;
     }
 
@@ -4496,6 +4498,7 @@ switch(cmd)
     {
     fprintf(outfile, "** Failed to get memory (size %lu) for #load\n",
       (unsigned long int)serial_size);
+    fclose(f);   
     return PR_ABEND;
     }
 
@@ -4503,6 +4506,7 @@ switch(cmd)
     {
     fprintf(outfile, "** Wrong return from fread()\n");
     free(serial);
+    fclose(f); 
     return PR_ABEND;
     }
   fclose(f);