diff --git a/httpclient-okhttp/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/okhttp/OkHttpWebSocketImpl.java b/httpclient-okhttp/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/okhttp/OkHttpWebSocketImpl.java
index bb41cd8491b..b734e7fd20e 100644
--- a/httpclient-okhttp/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/okhttp/OkHttpWebSocketImpl.java
+++ b/httpclient-okhttp/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/okhttp/OkHttpWebSocketImpl.java
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ public void onFailure(okhttp3.WebSocket webSocket, Throwable t, Response respons
           if (response != null) {
             try {
               future.complete(new WebSocketResponse(null,
+                  // passing null as the type ensures that the response body is closed
                   new WebSocketHandshakeException(new OkHttpResponseImpl<>(response, null)).initCause(t)));
             } catch (IOException e) {
               // can't happen
diff --git a/kubernetes-client-api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/http/StandardHttpClient.java b/kubernetes-client-api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/http/StandardHttpClient.java
index f593e142bd9..0aef9500437 100644
--- a/kubernetes-client-api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/http/StandardHttpClient.java
+++ b/kubernetes-client-api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/http/StandardHttpClient.java
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ public CompletableFuture<HttpResponse<AsyncBody>> consumeBytes(HttpRequest reque
               .afterFailure(copy, response)
               .thenCompose(b -> {
                 if (Boolean.TRUE.equals(b)) {
+                  // before starting another request, make sure the old one is cancelled / closed
+                  response.body().cancel();
                   return consumeBytesDirect(copy.build(), consumer);
                 }
                 return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(response);
diff --git a/kubernetes-client-api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/http/AbstractInterceptorTest.java b/kubernetes-client-api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/http/AbstractInterceptorTest.java
index c4b7f2910df..9edbcdffe08 100644
--- a/kubernetes-client-api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/http/AbstractInterceptorTest.java
+++ b/kubernetes-client-api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/http/AbstractInterceptorTest.java
@@ -27,8 +27,10 @@
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 
 public abstract class AbstractInterceptorTest {
 
@@ -146,11 +148,13 @@ public void before(BasicBuilder builder, HttpHeaders headers) {
   public void afterHttpFailureReplacesResponseInSendAsync() throws Exception {
     // Given
     server.expect().withPath("/intercepted-url").andReturn(200, "This works").once();
+    AtomicReference<HttpResponse<?>> responseRef = new AtomicReference<>();
     final HttpClient.Builder builder = getHttpClientFactory().newBuilder()
         .addOrReplaceInterceptor("test", new Interceptor() {
           @Override
           public CompletableFuture<Boolean> afterFailure(BasicBuilder builder, HttpResponse<?> response) {
             builder.uri(URI.create(server.url("/intercepted-url")));
+            responseRef.set(response);
             return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(true);
           }
         });
@@ -163,6 +167,8 @@ public CompletableFuture<Boolean> afterFailure(BasicBuilder builder, HttpRespons
       assertThat(result)
           .returns("This works", HttpResponse::body)
           .returns(200, HttpResponse::code);
+
+      assertTrue(((AsyncBody) responseRef.get().body()).done().isDone());
     }
   }
 
@@ -171,11 +177,13 @@ public CompletableFuture<Boolean> afterFailure(BasicBuilder builder, HttpRespons
   public void afterHttpFailureReplacesResponseInConsumeBytes() throws Exception {
     // Given
     server.expect().withPath("/intercepted-url").andReturn(200, "This works").once();
+    AtomicReference<HttpResponse<?>> responseRef = new AtomicReference<>();
     final HttpClient.Builder builder = getHttpClientFactory().newBuilder()
         .addOrReplaceInterceptor("test", new Interceptor() {
           @Override
           public CompletableFuture<Boolean> afterFailure(BasicBuilder builder, HttpResponse<?> response) {
             builder.uri(URI.create(server.url("/intercepted-url")));
+            responseRef.set(response);
             return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(true);
           }
         });
@@ -193,6 +201,8 @@ public CompletableFuture<Boolean> afterFailure(BasicBuilder builder, HttpRespons
       asyncR.body().done().get(10L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
       // Then
       assertThat(result.get()).isEqualTo("This works");
+
+      assertTrue(((AsyncBody) responseRef.get().body()).done().isDone());
     }
   }