diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index c1e5d6077..6460ec9d5 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+Fri Sep 10 10:52:45 CEST 2010 (acab)
+------------------------------------
+ * clamav-milter/netcode.c: fix error path fd leak when connection succeeds
+			    but ping fails (bb#2259)
+
 Thu Sep  9 12:30:34 EEST 2010 (edwin)
 -------------------------------------
  * libclamav/bytecode.c: properly skip bytecodes with long lines.
diff --git a/clamav-milter/netcode.c b/clamav-milter/netcode.c
index bcdd16de5..6fea94548 100644
--- a/clamav-milter/netcode.c
+++ b/clamav-milter/netcode.c
@@ -293,12 +293,16 @@ void nc_ping_entry(struct CP_ENTRY *cpe) {
     int s = nc_connect_entry(cpe);
     char *reply;
 
-    if(s>=0 && !nc_send(s, "nPING\n", 6) && (reply = nc_recv(s))) {
-	cpe->dead = strcmp(reply, "PONG\n")!=0;
-	free(reply);
+    if(s>=0) {
+	if(!nc_send(s, "nPING\n", 6) && (reply = nc_recv(s))) {
+	    cpe->dead = strcmp(reply, "PONG\n")!=0;
+	    free(reply);
+	    close(s);
+	    return;
+	}
 	close(s);
-    } else cpe->dead = 1;
-    return;
+    }
+    cpe->dead = 1;
 }