diff --git a/azurelinuxagent/common/utils/restutil.py b/azurelinuxagent/common/utils/restutil.py
index fc9aac93b9..5ceb4c949d 100644
--- a/azurelinuxagent/common/utils/restutil.py
+++ b/azurelinuxagent/common/utils/restutil.py
@@ -170,6 +170,8 @@ def _http_request(method, host, rel_uri, port=None, data=None, secure=False,
                   headers=None, proxy_host=None, proxy_port=None):
 
     headers = {} if headers is None else headers
+    headers['Connection'] = 'close'
+
     use_proxy = proxy_host is not None and proxy_port is not None
 
     if port is None:
diff --git a/tests/utils/test_rest_util.py b/tests/utils/test_rest_util.py
index a864884a84..adeb814185 100644
--- a/tests/utils/test_rest_util.py
+++ b/tests/utils/test_rest_util.py
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ def test_http_request_direct(self, HTTPConnection, HTTPSConnection):
         ])
         HTTPSConnection.assert_not_called()
         mock_conn.request.assert_has_calls([
-            call(method="GET", url="/bar", body=None, headers={'User-Agent': HTTP_USER_AGENT})
+            call(method="GET", url="/bar", body=None, headers={'User-Agent': HTTP_USER_AGENT, 'Connection': 'close'})
         ])
         self.assertEqual(1, mock_conn.getresponse.call_count)
         self.assertNotEquals(None, resp)
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ def test_http_request_direct_secure(self, HTTPConnection, HTTPSConnection):
             call("foo", 443, timeout=10)
         ])
         mock_conn.request.assert_has_calls([
-            call(method="GET", url="/bar", body=None, headers={'User-Agent': HTTP_USER_AGENT})
+            call(method="GET", url="/bar", body=None, headers={'User-Agent': HTTP_USER_AGENT, 'Connection': 'close'})
         ])
         self.assertEqual(1, mock_conn.getresponse.call_count)
         self.assertNotEquals(None, resp)
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ def test_http_request_proxy(self, HTTPConnection, HTTPSConnection):
         ])
         HTTPSConnection.assert_not_called()
         mock_conn.request.assert_has_calls([
-            call(method="GET", url="http://foo:80/bar", body=None, headers={'User-Agent': HTTP_USER_AGENT})
+            call(method="GET", url="http://foo:80/bar", body=None, headers={'User-Agent': HTTP_USER_AGENT, 'Connection': 'close'})
         ])
         self.assertEqual(1, mock_conn.getresponse.call_count)
         self.assertNotEquals(None, resp)
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ def test_http_request_proxy_secure(self, HTTPConnection, HTTPSConnection):
             call("foo.bar", 23333, timeout=10)
         ])
         mock_conn.request.assert_has_calls([
-            call(method="GET", url="https://foo:443/bar", body=None, headers={'User-Agent': HTTP_USER_AGENT})
+            call(method="GET", url="https://foo:443/bar", body=None, headers={'User-Agent': HTTP_USER_AGENT, 'Connection': 'close'})
         ])
         self.assertEqual(1, mock_conn.getresponse.call_count)
         self.assertNotEquals(None, resp)