diff --git a/src/pkg/database/sql/fakedb_test.go b/src/pkg/database/sql/fakedb_test.go
index 24c255f6e08..07e7fd242a2 100644
--- a/src/pkg/database/sql/fakedb_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/database/sql/fakedb_test.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"testing"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -240,8 +241,19 @@ func setHookpostCloseConn(fn func(*fakeConn, error)) {
 	hookPostCloseConn.fn = fn
 }
 
+var testStrictClose *testing.T
+
+// setStrictFakeConnClose sets the t to Errorf on when fakeConn.Close
+// fails to close. If nil, the check is disabled.
+func setStrictFakeConnClose(t *testing.T) {
+	testStrictClose = t
+}
+
 func (c *fakeConn) Close() (err error) {
 	defer func() {
+		if err != nil && testStrictClose != nil {
+			testStrictClose.Errorf("failed to close a test fakeConn: %v", err)
+		}
 		hookPostCloseConn.Lock()
 		fn := hookPostCloseConn.fn
 		hookPostCloseConn.Unlock()
@@ -443,6 +455,12 @@ func (s *fakeStmt) ColumnConverter(idx int) driver.ValueConverter {
 }
 
 func (s *fakeStmt) Close() error {
+	if s.c == nil {
+		panic("nil conn in fakeStmt.Close")
+	}
+	if s.c.db == nil {
+		panic("in fakeSmt.Close, conn's db is nil (already closed)")
+	}
 	if !s.closed {
 		s.c.incrStat(&s.c.stmtsClosed)
 		s.closed = true
diff --git a/src/pkg/database/sql/sql.go b/src/pkg/database/sql/sql.go
index bd450c7ec9c..72289407c93 100644
--- a/src/pkg/database/sql/sql.go
+++ b/src/pkg/database/sql/sql.go
@@ -1311,10 +1311,10 @@ func (rs *Rows) Close() error {
 	}
 	rs.closed = true
 	err := rs.rowsi.Close()
-	rs.releaseConn(err)
 	if rs.closeStmt != nil {
 		rs.closeStmt.Close()
 	}
+	rs.releaseConn(err)
 	return err
 }
 
diff --git a/src/pkg/database/sql/sql_test.go b/src/pkg/database/sql/sql_test.go
index 6b91783784e..37fdd2795ec 100644
--- a/src/pkg/database/sql/sql_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/database/sql/sql_test.go
@@ -854,6 +854,26 @@ func TestCloseConnBeforeStmts(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// golang.org/issue/5283: don't release the Rows' connection in Close
+// before calling Stmt.Close.
+func TestRowsCloseOrder(t *testing.T) {
+	db := newTestDB(t, "people")
+	defer closeDB(t, db)
+
+	db.SetMaxIdleConns(0)
+	setStrictFakeConnClose(t)
+	defer setStrictFakeConnClose(nil)
+
+	rows, err := db.Query("SELECT|people|age,name|")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	err = rows.Close()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
+
 func manyConcurrentQueries(t testOrBench) {
 	maxProcs, numReqs := 16, 500
 	if testing.Short() {