diff --git a/gateway/gateway.go b/gateway/gateway.go
index 86d2db8fb..00f983ca5 100644
--- a/gateway/gateway.go
+++ b/gateway/gateway.go
@@ -66,6 +66,18 @@ type GetRange struct {
 type GetResponse struct {
 	bytes             files.File
 	directoryMetadata *directoryMetadata
+	closeFn           func() error
+}
+
+func (g *GetResponse) Close() error {
+	if g.closeFn == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return g.closeFn()
+}
+
+func (g *GetResponse) SetCloser(closeFn func() error) {
+	g.closeFn = closeFn
 }
 
 type directoryMetadata struct {
diff --git a/gateway/handler_defaults.go b/gateway/handler_defaults.go
index 205ac6064..2c53208e6 100644
--- a/gateway/handler_defaults.go
+++ b/gateway/handler_defaults.go
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ func (i *handler) serveDefaults(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *h
 					}
 				}
 			}
+			defer getResp.Close()
 			if getResp.bytes != nil {
 				bytesResponse = getResp.bytes
 				defer bytesResponse.Close()
diff --git a/gateway/handler_unixfs__redirects.go b/gateway/handler_unixfs__redirects.go
index 3747d85d6..f241855e9 100644
--- a/gateway/handler_unixfs__redirects.go
+++ b/gateway/handler_unixfs__redirects.go
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ func (i *handler) getRedirectRules(r *http.Request, redirectsPath ImmutablePath)
 		}
 		return false, nil, err
 	}
+	defer redirectsFileGetResp.Close()
 
 	if redirectsFileGetResp.bytes == nil {
 		return false, nil, fmt.Errorf(" _redirects is not a file")
@@ -186,6 +187,7 @@ func (i *handler) serve4xx(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, content4xxPat
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	defer getresp.Close()
 
 	if getresp.bytes == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("could not convert node for %d page to file", status)
@@ -266,6 +268,7 @@ func (i *handler) searchUpTreeFor404(r *http.Request, imPath ImmutablePath) (fil
 		if err != nil {
 			continue
 		}
+		defer getResp.Close()
 		if getResp.bytes == nil {
 			return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("found a pretty 404 but it was not a file")
 		}
diff --git a/gateway/handler_unixfs_dir.go b/gateway/handler_unixfs_dir.go
index 6c5317246..5916f64ab 100644
--- a/gateway/handler_unixfs_dir.go
+++ b/gateway/handler_unixfs_dir.go
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ func (i *handler) serveDirectory(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *
 		var getResp *GetResponse
 		_, getResp, err = i.api.Get(ctx, imIndexPath)
 		if err == nil {
+			defer getResp.Close()
 			if getResp.bytes == nil {
 				webError(w, fmt.Errorf("%q could not be read: %w", imIndexPath, files.ErrNotReader), http.StatusUnprocessableEntity)
 				return false