diff --git a/src/pkg/net/http/readrequest_test.go b/src/pkg/net/http/readrequest_test.go
index ffdd6a892da..e930d99af62 100644
--- a/src/pkg/net/http/readrequest_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/net/http/readrequest_test.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"net/url"
 	"reflect"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -295,14 +296,39 @@ var reqTests = []reqTest{
 		noTrailer,
 		noError,
 	},
+
+	// Connection: close. golang.org/issue/8261
+	{
+		"GET / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: issue8261.com\r\nConnection: close\r\n\r\n",
+		&Request{
+			Method: "GET",
+			URL: &url.URL{
+				Path: "/",
+			},
+			Header: Header{
+				// This wasn't removed from Go 1.0 to
+				// Go 1.3, so locking it in that we
+				// keep this:
+				"Connection": []string{"close"},
+			},
+			Host:       "issue8261.com",
+			Proto:      "HTTP/1.1",
+			ProtoMajor: 1,
+			ProtoMinor: 1,
+			Close:      true,
+			RequestURI: "/",
+		},
+
+		noBody,
+		noTrailer,
+		noError,
+	},
 }
 
 func TestReadRequest(t *testing.T) {
 	for i := range reqTests {
 		tt := &reqTests[i]
-		var braw bytes.Buffer
-		braw.WriteString(tt.Raw)
-		req, err := ReadRequest(bufio.NewReader(&braw))
+		req, err := ReadRequest(bufio.NewReader(strings.NewReader(tt.Raw)))
 		if err != nil {
 			if err.Error() != tt.Error {
 				t.Errorf("#%d: error %q, want error %q", i, err.Error(), tt.Error)
@@ -311,21 +337,22 @@ func TestReadRequest(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		rbody := req.Body
 		req.Body = nil
-		diff(t, fmt.Sprintf("#%d Request", i), req, tt.Req)
+		testName := fmt.Sprintf("Test %d (%q)", i, tt.Raw)
+		diff(t, testName, req, tt.Req)
 		var bout bytes.Buffer
 		if rbody != nil {
 			_, err := io.Copy(&bout, rbody)
 			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("#%d. copying body: %v", i, err)
+				t.Fatalf("%s: copying body: %v", testName, err)
 			}
 			rbody.Close()
 		}
 		body := bout.String()
 		if body != tt.Body {
-			t.Errorf("#%d: Body = %q want %q", i, body, tt.Body)
+			t.Errorf("%s: Body = %q want %q", testName, body, tt.Body)
 		}
 		if !reflect.DeepEqual(tt.Trailer, req.Trailer) {
-			t.Errorf("#%d. Trailers differ.\n got: %v\nwant: %v", i, req.Trailer, tt.Trailer)
+			t.Errorf("%s: Trailers differ.\n got: %v\nwant: %v", testName, req.Trailer, tt.Trailer)
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/pkg/net/http/request.go b/src/pkg/net/http/request.go
index 131cb6d67ee..63729431887 100644
--- a/src/pkg/net/http/request.go
+++ b/src/pkg/net/http/request.go
@@ -635,6 +635,7 @@ func ReadRequest(b *bufio.Reader) (req *Request, err error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	req.Close = shouldClose(req.ProtoMajor, req.ProtoMinor, req.Header, false)
 	return req, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/src/pkg/net/http/transfer.go b/src/pkg/net/http/transfer.go
index 51b1dcb30bb..520500330bc 100644
--- a/src/pkg/net/http/transfer.go
+++ b/src/pkg/net/http/transfer.go
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ func readTransfer(msg interface{}, r *bufio.Reader) (err error) {
 		t.StatusCode = rr.StatusCode
 		t.ProtoMajor = rr.ProtoMajor
 		t.ProtoMinor = rr.ProtoMinor
-		t.Close = shouldClose(t.ProtoMajor, t.ProtoMinor, t.Header)
+		t.Close = shouldClose(t.ProtoMajor, t.ProtoMinor, t.Header, true)
 		isResponse = true
 		if rr.Request != nil {
 			t.RequestMethod = rr.Request.Method
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ func fixLength(isResponse bool, status int, requestMethod string, header Header,
 // Determine whether to hang up after sending a request and body, or
 // receiving a response and body
 // 'header' is the request headers
-func shouldClose(major, minor int, header Header) bool {
+func shouldClose(major, minor int, header Header, removeCloseHeader bool) bool {
 	if major < 1 {
 		return true
 	} else if major == 1 && minor == 0 {
@@ -514,7 +514,9 @@ func shouldClose(major, minor int, header Header) bool {
 		// TODO: Should split on commas, toss surrounding white space,
 		// and check each field.
 		if strings.ToLower(header.get("Connection")) == "close" {
-			header.Del("Connection")
+			if removeCloseHeader {
+				header.Del("Connection")
+			}
 			return true
 		}
 	}