diff --git a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_component.c b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_component.c
index 4398b9bd48..e6982bafc0 100644
--- a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_component.c
+++ b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_component.c
@@ -695,6 +695,9 @@ static void component_shutdown(void)
         /* tell the thread to exit */
         write(mca_oob_tcp_component.stop_thread[1], &i, sizeof(int));
         opal_thread_join(&mca_oob_tcp_component.listen_thread, NULL);
+
+        close(mca_oob_tcp_component.stop_thread[0]);
+        close(mca_oob_tcp_component.stop_thread[1]);
     } else {
         opal_output_verbose(2, orte_oob_base_framework.framework_output,
                         "no hnp or not active");
diff --git a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_listener.c b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_listener.c
index 41c4aeb51c..0c7855e600 100644
--- a/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_listener.c
+++ b/orte/mca/oob/tcp/oob_tcp_listener.c
@@ -705,8 +705,6 @@ static void* listen_thread(opal_object_t *obj)
         rc = select(max + 1, &readfds, NULL, NULL, &timeout);
         if (!mca_oob_tcp_component.listen_thread_active) {
             /* we've been asked to terminate */
-            close(mca_oob_tcp_component.stop_thread[0]);
-            close(mca_oob_tcp_component.stop_thread[1]);
             return NULL;
         }
         if (rc < 0) {