diff --git a/Lib/httplib.py b/Lib/httplib.py
--- a/Lib/httplib.py
+++ b/Lib/httplib.py
@@ -547,7 +547,11 @@
             if self.length is None:
                 s = self.fp.read()
             else:
-                s = self._safe_read(self.length)
+                try:
+                    s = self._safe_read(self.length)
+                except IncompleteRead:
+                    self.close()
+                    raise
                 self.length = 0
             self.close()        # we read everything
             return s
@@ -561,13 +565,14 @@
         # connection, and the user is reading more bytes than will be provided
         # (for example, reading in 1k chunks)
         s = self.fp.read(amt)
+        if not s:
+            # Ideally, we would raise IncompleteRead if the content-length
+            # wasn't satisfied, but it might break compatibility.
+            self.close()
         if self.length is not None:
             self.length -= len(s)
             if not self.length:
                 self.close()
-        else:
-            if not s:
-                self.close()
 
         return s
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_httplib.py b/Lib/test/test_httplib.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_httplib.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_httplib.py
@@ -190,6 +190,19 @@
         self.assertEqual(resp.read(1), '')
         self.assertTrue(resp.isclosed())
 
+    def test_partial_reads_incomplete_body(self):
+        # if the server shuts down the connection before the whole
+        # content-length is delivered, the socket is gracefully closed
+        body = "HTTP/1.1 200 Ok\r\nContent-Length: 10\r\n\r\nText"
+        sock = FakeSocket(body)
+        resp = httplib.HTTPResponse(sock)
+        resp.begin()
+        self.assertEqual(resp.read(2), 'Te')
+        self.assertFalse(resp.isclosed())
+        self.assertEqual(resp.read(2), 'xt')
+        self.assertEqual(resp.read(1), '')
+        self.assertTrue(resp.isclosed())
+
     def test_host_port(self):
         # Check invalid host_port
 
@@ -320,7 +333,7 @@
         resp = httplib.HTTPResponse(sock, method="GET")
         resp.begin()
         self.assertEqual(resp.read(), 'Hello\r\n')
-        resp.close()
+        self.assertTrue(resp.isclosed())
 
     def test_incomplete_read(self):
         sock = FakeSocket('HTTP/1.1 200 OK\r\nContent-Length: 10\r\n\r\nHello\r\n')
@@ -334,10 +347,9 @@
                              "IncompleteRead(7 bytes read, 3 more expected)")
             self.assertEqual(str(i),
                              "IncompleteRead(7 bytes read, 3 more expected)")
+            self.assertTrue(resp.isclosed())
         else:
             self.fail('IncompleteRead expected')
-        finally:
-            resp.close()
 
     def test_epipe(self):
         sock = EPipeSocket(