@@ -186,6 +186,8 @@ func (s *journald) followJournal(logWatcher *logger.LogWatcher, config logger.Re

 		s.readers.mu.Lock()

 		delete(s.readers.readers, logWatcher)

 		s.readers.mu.Unlock()

+		C.sd_journal_close(j)

+		close(logWatcher.Msg)

 	}()

 	// Wait until we're told to stop.

 	select {

@@ -203,14 +205,24 @@ func (s *journald) readLogs(logWatcher *logger.LogWatcher, config logger.ReadCon

 	var pipes [2]C.int

 	cursor := ""

-	defer close(logWatcher.Msg)

 	// Get a handle to the journal.

 	rc := C.sd_journal_open(&j, C.int(0))

 	if rc != 0 {

 		logWatcher.Err <- fmt.Errorf("error opening journal")

+		close(logWatcher.Msg)

 		return

 	}

-	defer C.sd_journal_close(j)

+	// If we end up following the log, we can set the journal context

+	// pointer and the channel pointer to nil so that we won't close them

+	// here, potentially while the goroutine that uses them is still

+	// running.  Otherwise, close them when we return from this function.

+	following := false

+	defer func(pfollowing *bool) {

+		if !*pfollowing {

+			C.sd_journal_close(j)

+			close(logWatcher.Msg)

+		}

+	}(&following)

 	// Remove limits on the size of data items that we'll retrieve.

 	rc = C.sd_journal_set_data_threshold(j, C.size_t(0))

 	if rc != 0 {

@@ -286,6 +298,9 @@ func (s *journald) readLogs(logWatcher *logger.LogWatcher, config logger.ReadCon

 			logWatcher.Err <- fmt.Errorf("error opening journald close notification pipe")

 		} else {

 			s.followJournal(logWatcher, config, j, pipes, cursor)

+			// Let followJournal handle freeing the journal context

+			// object and closing the channel.

+			following = true

 		}

 	}

 	return