diff --git a/cmd/micro/buffer.go b/cmd/micro/buffer.go
index d0dda6ef..6d0c641b 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/buffer.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/buffer.go
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ func NewBuffer(reader io.Reader, size int64, path string) *Buffer {
 		// If either savecursor or saveundo is turned on, we need to load the serialized information
 		// from ~/.config/micro/buffers
 		file, err := os.Open(configDir + "/buffers/" + EscapePath(b.AbsPath))
+		defer file.Close()
 		if err == nil {
 			var buffer SerializedBuffer
 			decoder := gob.NewDecoder(file)
@@ -242,7 +243,6 @@ func NewBuffer(reader io.Reader, size int64, path string) *Buffer {
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		file.Close()
 	}
 
 	if !b.Settings["fastdirty"].(bool) {
@@ -505,6 +505,7 @@ func (b *Buffer) SaveAs(filename string) error {
 	}
 
 	f, err := os.OpenFile(absFilename, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE, 0644)
+	defer f.Close()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/micro/messenger.go b/cmd/micro/messenger.go
index 29f96e38..b55557af 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/messenger.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/messenger.go
@@ -604,11 +604,11 @@ func (m *Messenger) Display() {
 func (m *Messenger) LoadHistory() {
 	if GetGlobalOption("savehistory").(bool) {
 		file, err := os.Open(configDir + "/buffers/history")
+		defer file.Close()
 		var decodedMap map[string][]string
 		if err == nil {
 			decoder := gob.NewDecoder(file)
 			err = decoder.Decode(&decodedMap)
-			file.Close()
 
 			if err != nil {
 				m.Error("Error loading history:", err)
@@ -638,6 +638,7 @@ func (m *Messenger) SaveHistory() {
 		}
 
 		file, err := os.Create(configDir + "/buffers/history")
+		defer file.Close()
 		if err == nil {
 			encoder := gob.NewEncoder(file)
 
@@ -646,7 +647,6 @@ func (m *Messenger) SaveHistory() {
 				m.Error("Error saving history:", err)
 				return
 			}
-			file.Close()
 		}
 	}
 }