diff --git a/key.go b/key.go
index 317b67c37..a7f4d7c4e 100644
--- a/key.go
+++ b/key.go
@@ -529,13 +529,23 @@ func (d *decryptReader) Read(dst []byte) (int, error) {
 	return n, nil
 }
 
+func (d *decryptReader) Close() error {
+	if d.buf == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	FreeChunkBuf("decryptReader", d.buf)
+	d.buf = nil
+	return nil
+}
+
 // decryptFrom verifies and decrypts the ciphertext read from rd with ks and
 // makes it available on the returned Reader. Ciphertext must be in the form IV
 // || Ciphertext || HMAC. In order to correctly verify the ciphertext, rd is
 // drained, locally buffered and made available on the returned Reader
 // afterwards. If an HMAC verification failure is observed, it is returned
 // immediately.
-func (k *Key) decryptFrom(ks *keys, rd io.Reader) (io.Reader, error) {
+func (k *Key) decryptFrom(ks *keys, rd io.Reader) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
 	ciphertext := GetChunkBuf("decryptReader")
 	ciphertext = ciphertext[0:cap(ciphertext)]
 	n, err := io.ReadFull(rd, ciphertext)
@@ -600,7 +610,7 @@ func (k *Key) decryptFrom(ks *keys, rd io.Reader) (io.Reader, error) {
 // drained, locally buffered and made available on the returned Reader
 // afterwards. If an HMAC verification failure is observed, it is returned
 // immediately.
-func (k *Key) DecryptFrom(rd io.Reader) (io.Reader, error) {
+func (k *Key) DecryptFrom(rd io.Reader) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
 	return k.decryptFrom(k.master, rd)
 }
 
@@ -610,7 +620,7 @@ func (k *Key) DecryptFrom(rd io.Reader) (io.Reader, error) {
 // rd is drained, locally buffered and made available on the returned Reader
 // afterwards. If an HMAC verification failure is observed, it is returned
 // immediately.
-func (k *Key) DecryptUserFrom(rd io.Reader) (io.Reader, error) {
+func (k *Key) DecryptUserFrom(rd io.Reader) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
 	return k.decryptFrom(k.user, rd)
 }
 
diff --git a/key_test.go b/key_test.go
index d78bc4f74..182aa2fe4 100644
--- a/key_test.go
+++ b/key_test.go
@@ -201,9 +201,10 @@ func BenchmarkEncryptDecryptReader(b *testing.B) {
 	b.ResetTimer()
 	b.SetBytes(int64(size))
 
+	buf := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
 	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
 		rd.Seek(0, 0)
-		buf := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
+		buf.Reset()
 		wr := k.EncryptTo(buf)
 		_, err := io.Copy(wr, rd)
 		ok(b, err)