diff -r cb612c5f30cb Lib/aifc.py
--- a/Lib/aifc.py	Thu Nov 15 18:22:23 2012 +0000
+++ b/Lib/aifc.py	Fri Nov 16 15:22:51 2012 +0200
@@ -692,7 +692,9 @@
             self._patchheader()
 
     def close(self):
-        if self._file:
+        if self._file is None:
+            return
+        try:
             self._ensure_header_written(0)
             if self._datawritten & 1:
                 # quick pad to even size
@@ -700,13 +702,15 @@
                 self._datawritten = self._datawritten + 1
             self._writemarkers()
             if self._nframeswritten != self._nframes or \
-                  self._datalength != self._datawritten or \
-                  self._marklength:
+                self._datalength != self._datawritten or \
+                self._marklength:
                 self._patchheader()
+        finally:
             # Prevent ref cycles
             self._convert = None
-            self._file.close()
+            f = self._file
             self._file = None
+            f.close()
 
     #
     # Internal methods.
diff -r cb612c5f30cb Lib/test/test_aifc.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_aifc.py	Thu Nov 15 18:22:23 2012 +0000
+++ b/Lib/test/test_aifc.py	Fri Nov 16 15:22:51 2012 +0200
@@ -112,6 +112,13 @@
         self.assertEqual(testfile.closed, False)
         f.close()
         self.assertEqual(testfile.closed, True)
+        testfile = open(TESTFN, 'wb')
+        fout = aifc.open(testfile, 'wb')
+        self.assertFalse(testfile.closed)
+        with self.assertRaises(aifc.Error):
+            fout.close()
+        self.assertTrue(testfile.closed)
+        fout.close() # do nothing
 
     def test_write_header_comptype_sampwidth(self):
         for comptype in (b'ULAW', b'ulaw', b'ALAW', b'alaw', b'G722'):
@@ -286,11 +293,13 @@
     def test_write_header_raises(self):
         fout = aifc.open(io.BytesIO(), 'wb')
         self.assertRaises(aifc.Error, fout.close)
+        fout = aifc.open(io.BytesIO(), 'wb')
         fout.setnchannels(1)
         self.assertRaises(aifc.Error, fout.close)
+        fout = aifc.open(io.BytesIO(), 'wb')
+        fout.setnchannels(1)
         fout.setsampwidth(1)
         self.assertRaises(aifc.Error, fout.close)
-        fout.initfp(None)
 
     def test_write_header_comptype_raises(self):
         for comptype in (b'ULAW', b'ulaw', b'ALAW', b'alaw', b'G722'):