diff --git a/src/org/jgroups/JChannel.java b/src/org/jgroups/JChannel.java
index 98f0dab5f9..13f0b2ddc7 100644
--- a/src/org/jgroups/JChannel.java
+++ b/src/org/jgroups/JChannel.java
@@ -107,7 +107,8 @@ public JChannel(String props) throws Exception {
 
     /**
      * Creates a channel with a configuration based on an input stream.
-     * @param input An input stream, pointing to a streamed configuration
+     * @param input An input stream, pointing to a streamed configuration. It is the caller's resposibility to close
+     *              the input stream after the constructor returns
      */
     public JChannel(InputStream input) throws Exception {
         this(ConfiguratorFactory.getStackConfigurator(input));
diff --git a/src/org/jgroups/conf/ConfiguratorFactory.java b/src/org/jgroups/conf/ConfiguratorFactory.java
index ab92615af0..140abe4934 100644
--- a/src/org/jgroups/conf/ConfiguratorFactory.java
+++ b/src/org/jgroups/conf/ConfiguratorFactory.java
@@ -164,15 +164,15 @@ public static InputStream getConfigStream(Object properties) throws IOException
      */
     static XmlConfigurator getXmlConfigurator(String properties) throws IOException {
         XmlConfigurator returnValue=null;
-        InputStream configStream=getConfigStream(properties);
-        if(configStream == null && properties.endsWith("xml"))
-            throw new FileNotFoundException(String.format(Util.getMessage("FileNotFound"), properties));
+        try(InputStream configStream=getConfigStream(properties)) {
+            if(configStream == null && properties.endsWith("xml"))
+                throw new FileNotFoundException(String.format(Util.getMessage("FileNotFound"), properties));
 
-        if (configStream != null) {
-            checkJAXPAvailability();
-            returnValue=XmlConfigurator.getInstance(configStream);
+            if(configStream != null) {
+                checkJAXPAvailability();
+                returnValue=XmlConfigurator.getInstance(configStream);
+            }
         }
-
         return returnValue;
     }