diff --git a/go/kbfs/kbfsgit/runner.go b/go/kbfs/kbfsgit/runner.go
index c5f761af7057..ba343b938bdb 100644
--- a/go/kbfs/kbfsgit/runner.go
+++ b/go/kbfs/kbfsgit/runner.go
@@ -488,6 +488,7 @@ func (r *runner) printStageStart(ctx context.Context,
 				ctx, "Couldn't create CPU profile: %s", cpuProfName)
 			cpuProfPath = ""
 		} else {
+			defer f.Close()
 			err := pprof.StartCPUProfile(f)
 			if err != nil {
 				r.log.CDebugf(ctx, "Couldn't start CPU profile: %+v", err)
diff --git a/go/service/main.go b/go/service/main.go
index 40f3058813e0..09b3b7f5f1ff 100644
--- a/go/service/main.go
+++ b/go/service/main.go
@@ -1420,6 +1420,7 @@ func (d *Service) startProfile() {
 			d.G().Log.Warning("error creating cpu profile: %s", err)
 		} else {
 			d.G().Log.Debug("+ starting service cpu profile in %s", cpu)
+			defer f.Close()
 			err := pprof.StartCPUProfile(f)
 			if err != nil {
 				d.G().Log.Warning("error starting CPU profile: %s", err)
diff --git a/go/tools/sigchain/main.go b/go/tools/sigchain/main.go
index 991bd4d11dc5..1b20e40aee2c 100644
--- a/go/tools/sigchain/main.go
+++ b/go/tools/sigchain/main.go
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ func main() {
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
+		defer f.Close()
 		if err := pprof.StartCPUProfile(f); err != nil {
 			errout(err.Error())
 		}