diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/persistance/DatabaseBackend.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/persistance/DatabaseBackend.java
index 38f4fdf13..6879a068c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/persistance/DatabaseBackend.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/persistance/DatabaseBackend.java
@@ -150,7 +150,9 @@ public class DatabaseBackend extends SQLiteOpenHelper {
 				+ Conversation.TABLENAME + " where " + Conversation.STATUS
 				+ "=" + Conversation.STATUS_AVAILABLE, null);
 		cursor.moveToFirst();
-		return cursor.getInt(0);
+		int count = cursor.getInt(0);
+		cursor.close();
+		return count;
 	}
 
 	public CopyOnWriteArrayList<Conversation> getConversations(int status) {
@@ -163,6 +165,7 @@ public class DatabaseBackend extends SQLiteOpenHelper {
 		while (cursor.moveToNext()) {
 			list.add(Conversation.fromCursor(cursor));
 		}
+		cursor.close();
 		return list;
 	}
 
@@ -196,6 +199,7 @@ public class DatabaseBackend extends SQLiteOpenHelper {
 				list.add(message);
 			} while (cursor.moveToPrevious());
 		}
+		cursor.close();
 		return list;
 	}
 
@@ -208,7 +212,9 @@ public class DatabaseBackend extends SQLiteOpenHelper {
 		if (cursor.getCount() == 0)
 			return null;
 		cursor.moveToFirst();
-		return Conversation.fromCursor(cursor);
+		Conversation conversation = Conversation.fromCursor(cursor);
+		cursor.close();
+		return conversation;
 	}
 
 	public void updateConversation(Conversation conversation) {
@@ -320,7 +326,9 @@ public class DatabaseBackend extends SQLiteOpenHelper {
 			return null;
 		}
 		cursor.moveToFirst();
-		return Conversation.fromCursor(cursor);
+		Conversation conversation = Conversation.fromCursor(cursor);
+		cursor.close();
+		return conversation;
 	}
 
 	public Message findMessageByUuid(String messageUuid) {
@@ -332,7 +340,9 @@ public class DatabaseBackend extends SQLiteOpenHelper {
 			return null;
 		}
 		cursor.moveToFirst();
-		return Message.fromCursor(cursor);
+		Message message = Message.fromCursor(cursor);
+		cursor.close();
+		return message;
 	}
 
 	public Account findAccountByUuid(String accountUuid) {
@@ -344,7 +354,9 @@ public class DatabaseBackend extends SQLiteOpenHelper {
 			return null;
 		}
 		cursor.moveToFirst();
-		return Account.fromCursor(cursor);
+		Account account = Account.fromCursor(cursor);
+		cursor.close();
+		return account;
 	}
 
 	public List<Message> getImageMessages(Conversation conversation) {
@@ -362,6 +374,7 @@ public class DatabaseBackend extends SQLiteOpenHelper {
 				list.add(message);
 			} while (cursor.moveToPrevious());
 		}
+		cursor.close();
 		return list;
 	}
 }