diff --git a/cinder/tests/unit/volume/drivers/test_rbd.py b/cinder/tests/unit/volume/drivers/test_rbd.py
index f60bc30ef77..b6d3861ebba 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/unit/volume/drivers/test_rbd.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/unit/volume/drivers/test_rbd.py
@@ -1070,10 +1070,13 @@ class RBDTestCase(test.TestCase):
                 (self.mock_rbd.Image.return_value.protect_snap
                     .assert_called_once_with('.'.join(
                         (self.volume_b.name, 'clone_snap'))))
+                # We expect clone() to be called exactly once.
                 self.assertEqual(
                     1, self.mock_rbd.RBD.return_value.clone.call_count)
+                # Without flattening, only the source volume is opened,
+                # so only one call to close() should occur.
                 self.assertEqual(
-                    2, self.mock_rbd.Image.return_value.close.call_count)
+                    1, self.mock_rbd.Image.return_value.close.call_count)
                 self.assertTrue(mock_get_clone_depth.called)
                 mock_resize.assert_not_called()
                 mock_enable_repl.assert_not_called()
@@ -1109,7 +1112,7 @@ class RBDTestCase(test.TestCase):
         image.protect_snap.assert_called_once_with(name + '.clone_snap')
         self.assertEqual(1, self.mock_rbd.RBD.return_value.clone.call_count)
         self.assertEqual(
-            2, self.mock_rbd.Image.return_value.close.call_count)
+            1, self.mock_rbd.Image.return_value.close.call_count)
         mock_get_clone_depth.assert_called_once_with(
             self.mock_client().__enter__(), self.volume_a.name)
         mock_resize.assert_not_called()
@@ -1139,7 +1142,7 @@ class RBDTestCase(test.TestCase):
                 self.assertEqual(
                     1, self.mock_rbd.RBD.return_value.clone.call_count)
                 self.assertEqual(
-                    2, self.mock_rbd.Image.return_value.close.call_count)
+                    1, self.mock_rbd.Image.return_value.close.call_count)
                 self.assertTrue(mock_get_clone_depth.called)
                 self.assertEqual(
                     1, mock_resize.call_count)
@@ -1196,7 +1199,7 @@ class RBDTestCase(test.TestCase):
 
                 # We expect the driver to close both volumes, so 2 is expected
                 self.assertEqual(
-                    3, self.mock_rbd.Image.return_value.close.call_count)
+                    2, self.mock_rbd.Image.return_value.close.call_count)
                 self.assertTrue(mock_get_clone_depth.called)
                 mock_enable_repl.assert_not_called()
 
diff --git a/cinder/volume/drivers/rbd.py b/cinder/volume/drivers/rbd.py
index 4174ca1ac8e..3c5d09dbe39 100644
--- a/cinder/volume/drivers/rbd.py
+++ b/cinder/volume/drivers/rbd.py
@@ -698,6 +698,7 @@ class RBDDriver(driver.CloneableImageVD, driver.MigrateVD,
             except Exception as e:
                 src_volume.unprotect_snap(clone_snap)
                 src_volume.remove_snap(clone_snap)
+                src_volume.close()
                 msg = (_("Failed to clone '%(src_vol)s@%(src_snap)s' to "
                          "'%(dest)s', error: %(error)s") %
                        {'src_vol': src_name,
@@ -706,8 +707,6 @@ class RBDDriver(driver.CloneableImageVD, driver.MigrateVD,
                         'error': e})
                 LOG.exception(msg)
                 raise exception.VolumeBackendAPIException(data=msg)
-            finally:
-                src_volume.close()
 
             depth = self._get_clone_depth(client, src_name)
             # If dest volume is a clone and rbd_max_clone_depth reached,