diff --git a/index/scorch/merge.go b/index/scorch/merge.go
index 41abe065..fb4e80d2 100644
--- a/index/scorch/merge.go
+++ b/index/scorch/merge.go
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ func (s *Scorch) planMergeAtSnapshot(ourSnapshot *IndexSnapshot) error {
 		// give it to the introducer
 		select {
 		case <-s.closeCh:
+			_ = segment.Close()
 			return nil
 		case s.merges <- sm:
 		}
diff --git a/index/scorch/persister.go b/index/scorch/persister.go
index dab753d7..83909a88 100644
--- a/index/scorch/persister.go
+++ b/index/scorch/persister.go
@@ -241,14 +241,18 @@ func (s *Scorch) persistSnapshot(snapshot *IndexSnapshot) (err error) {
 	if len(newSegmentPaths) > 0 {
 		// now try to open all the new snapshots
 		newSegments := make(map[uint64]segment.Segment)
+		defer func() {
+			for _, s := range newSegments {
+				if s != nil {
+					// cleanup segments that were opened but not
+					// swapped into the new root
+					_ = s.Close()
+				}
+			}
+		}()
 		for segmentID, path := range newSegmentPaths {
 			newSegments[segmentID], err = zap.Open(path)
 			if err != nil {
-				for _, s := range newSegments {
-					if s != nil {
-						_ = s.Close() // cleanup segments that were successfully opened
-					}
-				}
 				return fmt.Errorf("error opening new segment at %s, %v", path, err)
 			}
 		}
@@ -273,6 +277,7 @@ func (s *Scorch) persistSnapshot(snapshot *IndexSnapshot) (err error) {
 					cachedDocs: segmentSnapshot.cachedDocs,
 				}
 				newIndexSnapshot.segment[i] = newSegmentSnapshot
+				delete(newSegments, segmentSnapshot.id)
 				// update items persisted incase of a new segment snapshot
 				atomic.AddUint64(&s.stats.numItemsPersisted, newSegmentSnapshot.Count())
 			} else {