diff --git a/src/main/org/codehaus/groovy/runtime/DefaultGroovyMethods.java b/src/main/org/codehaus/groovy/runtime/DefaultGroovyMethods.java
index 839c7e8..b61f3be 100644
--- a/src/main/org/codehaus/groovy/runtime/DefaultGroovyMethods.java
+++ b/src/main/org/codehaus/groovy/runtime/DefaultGroovyMethods.java
@@ -9971,8 +9971,49 @@
      * @since 2.4.0
      */
     public static <T> Iterator<T> dropRight(Iterator<T> self, int num) {
-        List<T> result = dropRight(toList(self), num);
-        return result.listIterator();
+        if (num <= 0) {
+            return self;
+        }
+        return new DropRightIterator<T>(self, num);
+    }
+
+    private static final class DropRightIterator<E> implements Iterator<E> {
+        private final Iterator<E> delegate;
+        private final LinkedList<E> discards;
+        private boolean exhausted;
+        private int num;
+
+        private DropRightIterator(Iterator<E> delegate, int num) {
+            this.delegate = delegate;
+            this.num = num;
+            discards = new LinkedList<E>();
+            advance();
+        }
+
+        public boolean hasNext() {
+            return !exhausted;
+        }
+
+        public E next() {
+            if (exhausted) throw new NoSuchElementException();
+            E result = discards.removeFirst();
+            advance();
+            return result;
+        }
+
+        public void remove() {
+            if (exhausted) throw new NoSuchElementException();
+            delegate.remove();
+        }
+
+        private void advance() {
+            while (discards.size() <= num && !exhausted) {
+                exhausted = !delegate.hasNext();
+                if (!exhausted) {
+                    discards.add(delegate.next());
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/GroovyMethodsTest.groovy b/src/test/groovy/GroovyMethodsTest.groovy
index cf55750..267f4d1 100644
--- a/src/test/groovy/GroovyMethodsTest.groovy
+++ b/src/test/groovy/GroovyMethodsTest.groovy
@@ -1276,6 +1276,15 @@
         assert items.drop( 4 ).collect { it } == [ 5 ]
         a = 1
         assert items.drop( 5 ).collect { it } == []
+
+        a = 1
+        assert items.dropRight( 0 ).collect { it } == [ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ]
+        a = 1
+        assert items.dropRight( 2 ).collect { it } == [ 1, 2, 3 ]
+        a = 1
+        assert items.dropRight( 4 ).collect { it } == [ 1 ]
+        a = 1
+        assert items.dropRight( 5 ).collect { it } == []
     }
 
     void testIterableDrop() {