diff --git a/Lib/test/test_fileio.py b/Lib/test/test_fileio.py
index 4b48d41..350ba5d 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_fileio.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_fileio.py
@@ -339,6 +339,7 @@
         f.truncate(15)
         self.assertEqual(f.tell(), 5)
         self.assertEqual(f.seek(0, os.SEEK_END), 15)
+        f.close()
 
     def testTruncateOnWindows(self):
         def bug801631():
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 827640a..cadafd0 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #10253: FileIO leaks a file descriptor when trying to open a file
+  for append that isn't seekable.  Patch by Brian Brazil.
+
 - Support context manager protocol for file-like objects returned by
   mailbox ``get_file()`` methods.
 
diff --git a/Modules/_io/fileio.c b/Modules/_io/fileio.c
index 16b98d6..279df34 100644
--- a/Modules/_io/fileio.c
+++ b/Modules/_io/fileio.c
@@ -396,8 +396,13 @@
            end of file (otherwise, it might be done only on the
            first write()). */
         PyObject *pos = portable_lseek(self->fd, NULL, 2);
-        if (pos == NULL)
+        if (pos == NULL) {
+            if (closefd) {
+                close(self->fd);
+                self->fd = -1;
+            }
             goto error;
+        }
         Py_DECREF(pos);
     }