diff --git a/repos/libports/include/libc-plugin/fd_alloc.h b/repos/libports/include/libc-plugin/fd_alloc.h
index f046636b5..593529f31 100644
--- a/repos/libports/include/libc-plugin/fd_alloc.h
+++ b/repos/libports/include/libc-plugin/fd_alloc.h
@@ -112,6 +112,12 @@ namespace Libc {
 			 */
 			File_descriptor *any_cloexec_libc_fd();
 
+			/**
+			 * Return file-descriptor ID of any open file, or -1 if no file is
+			 * open
+			 */
+			int any_open_fd();
+
 			void generate_info(Genode::Xml_generator &);
 	};
 
diff --git a/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/exit.cc b/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/exit.cc
index 926de9c5a..bf178584f 100644
--- a/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/exit.cc
+++ b/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/exit.cc
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
 #include <base/env.h>
 #include <base/sleep.h>
 
+/* libc-internal includes */
+#include <internal/types.h>
+
 extern void genode_exit(int status) __attribute__((noreturn));
 
 extern "C" void _exit(int status)
@@ -31,6 +34,8 @@ extern "C" {
 
 	void exit(int status)
 	{
+		using namespace Libc;
+
 		if (__cleanup)
 			(*__cleanup)();
 
diff --git a/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/fd_alloc.cc b/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/fd_alloc.cc
index 57e0c4c0f..27dd9e473 100644
--- a/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/fd_alloc.cc
+++ b/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/fd_alloc.cc
@@ -125,6 +125,18 @@ File_descriptor *File_descriptor_allocator::any_cloexec_libc_fd()
 }
 
 
+int File_descriptor_allocator::any_open_fd()
+{
+	Lock::Guard guard(_lock);
+
+	int result = -1;
+	_id_space.apply_any<File_descriptor>([&] (File_descriptor &fd) {
+	 	result = fd.libc_fd; });
+
+	return result;
+}
+
+
 void File_descriptor_allocator::generate_info(Xml_generator &xml)
 {
 	Lock::Guard guard(_lock);
diff --git a/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/file_operations.cc b/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/file_operations.cc
index 4b467baa7..bb4d274ad 100644
--- a/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/file_operations.cc
+++ b/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/file_operations.cc
@@ -234,9 +234,14 @@ extern "C" int chdir(const char *path)
 __SYS_(int, close, (int libc_fd),
 {
 	File_descriptor *fd = file_descriptor_allocator()->find_by_libc_fd(libc_fd);
-	return (!fd || !fd->plugin)
-		? Errno(EBADF)
-		: fd->plugin->close(fd);
+
+	if (!fd)
+		return Errno(EBADF);
+
+	if (!fd->plugin || fd->plugin->close(fd) != 0)
+		file_descriptor_allocator()->free(fd);
+
+	return 0;
 })
 
 
diff --git a/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/kernel.cc b/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/kernel.cc
index f04160a5f..222a91b08 100644
--- a/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/kernel.cc
+++ b/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/kernel.cc
@@ -359,10 +359,23 @@ void Libc::execute_in_application_context(Application_code &app_code)
 }
 
 
+static void close_file_descriptors_on_exit()
+{
+	for (;;) {
+		int const fd = Libc::file_descriptor_allocator()->any_open_fd();
+		if (fd == -1)
+			break;
+		close(fd);
+	}
+}
+
+
 Libc::Kernel::Kernel(Genode::Env &env, Genode::Allocator &heap)
 :
 	_env(env), _heap(heap)
 {
+	atexit(close_file_descriptors_on_exit);
+
 	init_pthread_support(env, *this, *this);
 
 	_env.ep().register_io_progress_handler(*this);
diff --git a/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/plugin.cc b/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/plugin.cc
index b4932944b..75693078d 100644
--- a/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/plugin.cc
+++ b/repos/libports/src/lib/libc/plugin.cc
@@ -155,7 +155,6 @@ bool Plugin::supports_mmap()
 #define DUMMY(ret_type, ret_val, name, args) \
 ret_type Plugin::name args \
 { \
-	error(__func__, ": " #name " not implemented"); \
 	return ret_val; \
 }