diff --git a/src/main/java/net/hydromatic/linq4j/EnumerableDefaults.java b/src/main/java/net/hydromatic/linq4j/EnumerableDefaults.java
index 3df8d8b..29afdfd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/hydromatic/linq4j/EnumerableDefaults.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/hydromatic/linq4j/EnumerableDefaults.java
@@ -476,7 +476,15 @@
    * by Enumerable.)
    */
   public static <TSource> TSource first(Enumerable<TSource> enumerable) {
-    return enumerable.iterator().next();
+    final Enumerator<TSource> os = enumerable.enumerator();
+    try {
+      if (os.moveNext()) {
+        return os.current();
+      }
+      throw new NoSuchElementException();
+    } finally {
+      os.close();
+    }
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/test/java/net/hydromatic/linq4j/test/Linq4jTest.java b/src/test/java/net/hydromatic/linq4j/test/Linq4jTest.java
index 5a2aa84..7192ea9 100644
--- a/src/test/java/net/hydromatic/linq4j/test/Linq4jTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/net/hydromatic/linq4j/test/Linq4jTest.java
@@ -403,6 +403,54 @@
     Department d = depts[0];
     assertEquals(d, depts[0]);
     assertEquals(d, Linq4j.asEnumerable(depts).first());
+
+    try {
+      String s = Linq4j.<String>emptyEnumerable().first();
+      fail("expected exception, got " + s);
+    } catch (NoSuchElementException ex) {
+      // ok
+    }
+
+    // close occurs if first throws
+    final int[] closeCount = {0};
+    try {
+      String s = myEnumerable(closeCount, 0).first();
+      fail("expected exception, got " + s);
+    } catch (NoSuchElementException ex) {
+      // ok
+    }
+    assertThat(closeCount[0], equalTo(1));
+
+    // close occurs if first does not throw
+    closeCount[0] = 0;
+    final String s = myEnumerable(closeCount, 1).first();
+    assertThat(s, equalTo("x"));
+    assertThat(closeCount[0], equalTo(1));
+  }
+
+  private Enumerable<String> myEnumerable(final int[] closes, final int size) {
+    return new AbstractEnumerable<String>() {
+      public Enumerator<String> enumerator() {
+        return new Enumerator<String>() {
+          int i = 0;
+
+          public String current() {
+            return "x";
+          }
+
+          public boolean moveNext() {
+            return i++ < size;
+          }
+
+          public void reset() {
+          }
+
+          public void close() {
+            ++closes[0];
+          }
+        };
+      }
+    };
   }
 
   @Test public void testFirstPredicate1() {