diff --git a/coregrind/m_gdbserver/remote-utils.c b/coregrind/m_gdbserver/remote-utils.c
index 7797ff439..36b891aad 100644
--- a/coregrind/m_gdbserver/remote-utils.c
+++ b/coregrind/m_gdbserver/remote-utils.c
@@ -279,10 +279,6 @@ void remote_open (char *name)
          fatal("error writing %d bytes to shared mem %s\n",
                (int) sizeof(VgdbShared), shared_mem);
       }
-      shared_mem_fd = VG_(safe_fd)(shared_mem_fd);
-      if (shared_mem_fd == -1) {
-         fatal("safe_fd for vgdb shared_mem %s failed\n", shared_mem);
-      }
       {
          SysRes res = VG_(am_shared_mmap_file_float_valgrind)
             (sizeof(VgdbShared), VKI_PROT_READ|VKI_PROT_WRITE, 
@@ -295,6 +291,7 @@ void remote_open (char *name)
          addr_shared = sr_Res (res);
       }
       shared = (VgdbShared*) addr_shared;
+      VG_(close) (shared_mem_fd);
    }
    
    /* we open the read side FIFO in non blocking mode
diff --git a/gdbserver_tests/Makefile.am b/gdbserver_tests/Makefile.am
index 6d9951905..5094f5a1b 100644
--- a/gdbserver_tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/gdbserver_tests/Makefile.am
@@ -72,10 +72,14 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	nlcontrolc.stderr.exp \
 	nlcontrolc.stdinB.gdb \
 	nlcontrolc.stdoutB.exp \
-	nlcontrolc.vgtest
+	nlcontrolc.vgtest \
+	nlfork_chain.stderr.exp \
+	nlfork_chain.stdout.exp \
+	nlfork_chain.vgtest
 
 check_PROGRAMS = \
 	clean_after_fork \
+	fork_chain \
 	sleepers \
 	t \
 	watchpoints
diff --git a/gdbserver_tests/fork_chain.c b/gdbserver_tests/fork_chain.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ae40f6e88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gdbserver_tests/fork_chain.c
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
+void fork_chain(int level)
+{
+   int pid;
+
+   printf ("forking level %d\n", level);
+   fflush (stdout);
+   pid = fork();
+   if (pid == -1) {
+      perror("fork");
+      exit(1);
+   }
+
+   if (pid == 0) {
+      if (level > 0) {
+         fork_chain (level - 1);
+      }
+   } else {
+      int ret;
+      int status;
+      while((ret = waitpid(pid, &status, 0)) != pid) {
+         if (errno != EINTR) {
+            perror("waitpid");
+            exit(1);
+         }
+      }
+   }
+}
+int main()
+{
+   fork_chain (20);
+   return 0;
+}
diff --git a/gdbserver_tests/nlfork_chain.stderr.exp b/gdbserver_tests/nlfork_chain.stderr.exp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a0eeaba71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gdbserver_tests/nlfork_chain.stderr.exp
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+Nulgrind, the minimal Valgrind tool
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/gdbserver_tests/nlfork_chain.stdout.exp b/gdbserver_tests/nlfork_chain.stdout.exp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a263b7e62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gdbserver_tests/nlfork_chain.stdout.exp
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+forking level 20
+forking level 19
+forking level 18
+forking level 17
+forking level 16
+forking level 15
+forking level 14
+forking level 13
+forking level 12
+forking level 11
+forking level 10
+forking level 9
+forking level 8
+forking level 7
+forking level 6
+forking level 5
+forking level 4
+forking level 3
+forking level 2
+forking level 1
+forking level 0
diff --git a/gdbserver_tests/nlfork_chain.vgtest b/gdbserver_tests/nlfork_chain.vgtest
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fda4bc376
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gdbserver_tests/nlfork_chain.vgtest
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# test that gdbserver properly cleans up its resources in a chain
+# of forked processes.
+prog: fork_chain
+vgopts: --tool=none --vgdb=yes --trace-children=yes --vgdb-prefix=./vgdb-prefix-nlfork_chain