diff --git a/extensions/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkiverse/cxf/vertx/http/client/VertxHttpClientHTTPConduit.java b/extensions/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkiverse/cxf/vertx/http/client/VertxHttpClientHTTPConduit.java
index c16077ee6..7e20d0cda 100644
--- a/extensions/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkiverse/cxf/vertx/http/client/VertxHttpClientHTTPConduit.java
+++ b/extensions/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkiverse/cxf/vertx/http/client/VertxHttpClientHTTPConduit.java
@@ -1557,7 +1557,7 @@ public int read() throws IOException {
 
         @Override
         public int read(byte b[], final int off, int len) throws IOException {
-            // Log.infof("Ready to read up to %d bytes", len);
+            // log.tracef("Ready to read up to %d bytes", len);
             Buffer rb = takeBuffer(true);
             if (rb == null) {
                 // log.trace("Nothing more to read");
@@ -1633,7 +1633,7 @@ private void freeReadBufferIfNeeded() {
         public void close() {
             // log.trace("Closing reader");
             // log.tracef("Closing reader: got %d bytes in %d reads", bytesRead, readCounter);
-            readBuffer = null;
+            freeReadBufferIfNeeded();
             // assert queueEmpty() : "Queue still has " + queue.size() + " items";
         }
 
diff --git a/extensions/core/runtime/src/test/java/io/quarkiverse/cxf/vertx/http/client/InputStreamWriteStreamTest.java b/extensions/core/runtime/src/test/java/io/quarkiverse/cxf/vertx/http/client/InputStreamWriteStreamTest.java
index 4d36aae82..7d0c7d941 100644
--- a/extensions/core/runtime/src/test/java/io/quarkiverse/cxf/vertx/http/client/InputStreamWriteStreamTest.java
+++ b/extensions/core/runtime/src/test/java/io/quarkiverse/cxf/vertx/http/client/InputStreamWriteStreamTest.java
@@ -246,6 +246,26 @@ void twoBuffers() throws IOException {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void readAfterClose() throws IOException {
+        ContextInternal ctx = (ContextInternal) Vertx.vertx().getOrCreateContext();
+        InputStreamWriteStream ws = new InputStreamWriteStream(ctx, 2);
+        final String INPUT1 = "abcd";
+        final String INPUT2 = "efgh";
+        final String INPUT3 = "ijkl";
+        ws.write(Buffer.buffer(INPUT1));
+        ws.write(Buffer.buffer(INPUT2));
+        ws.write(Buffer.buffer(INPUT3));
+        ws.end();
+        byte[] arr = new byte[12];
+        Assertions.assertThat(ws.read(arr)).isEqualTo(12);
+        Assertions.assertThat(arr).isEqualTo((INPUT1 + INPUT2 + INPUT3).getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
+        Assertions.assertThat(ws.read(arr)).isEqualTo(-1);
+        ws.close();
+        Assertions.assertThat(ws.read(arr)).isEqualTo(-1);
+        ws.close();
+    }
+
     @Test
     void threeBuffers() throws IOException {