diff --git a/src/channel.c b/src/channel.c
index 8044c4d..4a2b20c 100644
--- a/src/channel.c
+++ b/src/channel.c
@@ -307,6 +307,31 @@
 }
 
 /*
+ * Return TRUE if "channel" has a callback.
+ */
+    static int
+channel_has_callback(channel_T *channel)
+{
+    return channel->ch_callback != NULL
+#ifdef CHANNEL_PIPES
+	    || channel->ch_part[PART_OUT].ch_callback != NULL
+	    || channel->ch_part[PART_ERR].ch_callback != NULL
+#endif
+	    || channel->ch_close_cb != NULL;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Close a channel and free all its resources if there is no further action
+ * possible, there is no callback to be invoked.
+ */
+    void
+channel_may_free(channel_T *channel)
+{
+    if (!channel_has_callback(channel))
+	channel_free(channel);
+}
+
+/*
  * Close a channel and free all its resources.
  */
     void
@@ -1463,7 +1488,7 @@
 
 /*
  * Close channel "channel".
- * This does not trigger the close callback.
+ * Trigger the close callback if "invoke_close_cb" is TRUE.
  */
     void
 channel_close(channel_T *channel, int invoke_close_cb)
@@ -2149,6 +2174,14 @@
 
     while (channel != NULL)
     {
+	if (channel->ch_refcount == 0 && !channel_has_callback(channel))
+	{
+	    /* channel is no longer useful, free it */
+	    channel_free(channel);
+	    channel = first_channel;
+	    part = PART_SOCK;
+	    continue;
+	}
 	if (channel->ch_part[part].ch_fd != INVALID_FD)
 	{
 	    /* Increase the refcount, in case the handler causes the channel
diff --git a/src/eval.c b/src/eval.c
index db9c6b7..0db6cfa 100644
--- a/src/eval.c
+++ b/src/eval.c
@@ -7745,8 +7745,8 @@
 
 #if defined(FEAT_CHANNEL) || defined(PROTO)
 /*
- * Decrement the reference count on "channel" and free it when it goes down to
- * zero.
+ * Decrement the reference count on "channel" and maybe free it when it goes
+ * down to zero.  Don't free it if there is a pending action.
  * Returns TRUE when the channel was freed.
  */
     int
@@ -7754,7 +7754,7 @@
 {
     if (channel != NULL && --channel->ch_refcount <= 0)
     {
-	channel_free(channel);
+	channel_may_free(channel);
 	return TRUE;
     }
     return FALSE;
diff --git a/src/proto/channel.pro b/src/proto/channel.pro
index 96b51b9..8dc4ad4 100644
--- a/src/proto/channel.pro
+++ b/src/proto/channel.pro
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 void ch_log(channel_T *ch, char *msg);
 void ch_logs(channel_T *ch, char *msg, char *name);
 channel_T *add_channel(void);
+void channel_may_free(channel_T *channel);
 void channel_free(channel_T *channel);
 void channel_gui_register(channel_T *channel);
 void channel_gui_register_all(void);
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index de20c3e..4220001 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -749,6 +749,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    1421,
+/**/
     1420,
 /**/
     1419,