diff --git a/Lib/aifc.py b/Lib/aifc.py
index 8e4f864495d..e0b76d6dd2f 100644
--- a/Lib/aifc.py
+++ b/Lib/aifc.py
@@ -282,10 +282,11 @@ class Aifc_read:
         self._convert = None
         self._markers = []
         self._soundpos = 0
-        self._file = Chunk(file)
-        if self._file.getname() != 'FORM':
+        self._file = file
+        chunk = Chunk(file)
+        if chunk.getname() != 'FORM':
             raise Error, 'file does not start with FORM id'
-        formdata = self._file.read(4)
+        formdata = chunk.read(4)
         if formdata == 'AIFF':
             self._aifc = 0
         elif formdata == 'AIFC':
@@ -347,7 +348,7 @@ class Aifc_read:
         if self._decomp:
             self._decomp.CloseDecompressor()
             self._decomp = None
-        self._file = None
+        self._file.close()
 
     def tell(self):
         return self._soundpos
@@ -732,8 +733,7 @@ class Aifc_write:
         if self._comp:
             self._comp.CloseCompressor()
             self._comp = None
-        self._file.flush()
-        self._file = None
+        self._file.close()
 
     #
     # Internal methods.
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_aifc.py b/Lib/test/test_aifc.py
index 7e5b2e96be0..2f4350d0ea8 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_aifc.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_aifc.py
@@ -45,6 +45,21 @@ class AIFCTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     #XXX Need more tests!
 
+    def test_close(self):
+        class Wrapfile(object):
+            def __init__(self, file):
+                self.file = open(file)
+                self.closed = False
+            def close(self):
+                self.file.close()
+                self.closed = True
+            def __getattr__(self, attr): return getattr(self.file, attr)
+        testfile = Wrapfile(self.sndfilepath)
+        f = self.f = aifc.open(testfile)
+        self.assertEqual(testfile.closed, False)
+        f.close()
+        self.assertEqual(testfile.closed, True)
+
 
 def test_main():
     run_unittest(AIFCTest)
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index f5c7a5e5a07..361950b95d0 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue 5955: aifc's close method did not close the file it wrapped,
+  now it does.  This also means getfp method now returns the real fp.
+
 - Issue #4875: On win32, ctypes.util.find_library does no longer
   return directories.