diff --git a/weed/operation/upload_content.go b/weed/operation/upload_content.go
index c036bce3b..df86dd173 100644
--- a/weed/operation/upload_content.go
+++ b/weed/operation/upload_content.go
@@ -225,11 +225,7 @@ func upload_content(uploadUrl string, fillBufferFunction func(w io.Writer) error
 		glog.V(1).Infof("failing to upload to %v: %v", uploadUrl, post_err)
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failing to upload to %v: %v", uploadUrl, post_err)
 	}
-	defer resp.Body.Close()
-	resp_body, ra_err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
-	if ra_err != nil {
-		return nil, ra_err
-	}
+	defer util.CloseResponse(resp)
 
 	var ret UploadResult
 	etag := getEtag(resp)
@@ -238,6 +234,11 @@ func upload_content(uploadUrl string, fillBufferFunction func(w io.Writer) error
 		return &ret, nil
 	}
 
+	resp_body, ra_err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+	if ra_err != nil {
+		return nil, ra_err
+	}
+
 	unmarshal_err := json.Unmarshal(resp_body, &ret)
 	if unmarshal_err != nil {
 		glog.V(0).Infoln("failing to read upload response", uploadUrl, string(resp_body))
diff --git a/weed/util/http_util.go b/weed/util/http_util.go
index 5159fcd17..7cc64ea85 100644
--- a/weed/util/http_util.go
+++ b/weed/util/http_util.go
@@ -368,6 +368,7 @@ func ReadUrlAsReaderCloser(fileUrl string, rangeHeader string) (io.ReadCloser, e
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	defer CloseResponse(r)
 	if r.StatusCode >= 400 {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: %s", fileUrl, r.Status)
 	}