diff --git a/src/usher-sampled/driver/main.cpp b/src/usher-sampled/driver/main.cpp
index 2556adaf..fa9c2153 100644
--- a/src/usher-sampled/driver/main.cpp
+++ b/src/usher-sampled/driver/main.cpp
@@ -310,6 +310,7 @@ static int leader_thread(
             break;
         }
     }
+    fclose(placement_stats_file);
     fprintf(stderr, "Main finised place\n");
     auto dfs=tree.depth_first_expansion();
     clean_up_leaf(dfs);
diff --git a/src/usher-sampled/driver/socket.cpp b/src/usher-sampled/driver/socket.cpp
index 2ea4b4e7..43b5fed7 100644
--- a/src/usher-sampled/driver/socket.cpp
+++ b/src/usher-sampled/driver/socket.cpp
@@ -426,6 +426,7 @@ static void child_proc(int fd, TreeCollectionPtr &trees_ptr) {
                             low_confidence_samples, samples_clade,
                             sample_start_idx, true, f);
     fputs("placing sample end\n", stderr);
+    fclose(placement_stats_file);
     auto dfs = tree.depth_first_expansion();
     clean_up_leaf(dfs);
     final_output(tree, options.out_options, 0, samples_clade, sample_start_idx,