diff --git a/py/_io/capture.py b/py/_io/capture.py
index 56dfe603a..b510d399d 100644
--- a/py/_io/capture.py
+++ b/py/_io/capture.py
@@ -42,11 +42,16 @@ class FDCapture:
             tmpfile = dupfile(f, encoding="UTF-8") 
             f.close()
         self.tmpfile = tmpfile 
+        self._savefd = os.dup(self.targetfd)
         if now:
             self.start()
 
     def start(self):
-        self._savefd = os.dup(self.targetfd)
+        try:
+            os.fstat(self._savefd)
+        except OSError:
+            raise ValueError("saved filedescriptor not valid, "
+                "did you call start() twice?")
         os.dup2(self.tmpfile.fileno(), self.targetfd) 
 
     def setasfile(self, name, module=sys): 
@@ -66,12 +71,9 @@ class FDCapture:
     def done(self): 
         """ unpatch and clean up, returns the self.tmpfile (file object)
         """
-        try:
-            os.dup2(self._savefd, self.targetfd) 
-            os.close(self._savefd) 
-            self.tmpfile.seek(0)
-        except (AttributeError, ValueError, OSError):
-            pass
+        os.dup2(self._savefd, self.targetfd) 
+        os.close(self._savefd) 
+        self.tmpfile.seek(0)
         self.unsetfiles() 
         return self.tmpfile 
 
@@ -107,7 +109,7 @@ def dupfile(f, mode=None, buffering=0, raising=False, encoding=None):
         if encoding is not None:
             mode = mode.replace("b", "")
             buffering = True
-        return os.fdopen(newfd, mode, buffering, encoding, closefd=False)
+        return os.fdopen(newfd, mode, buffering, encoding, closefd=True)
     else:
         f = os.fdopen(newfd, mode, buffering) 
         if encoding is not None:
@@ -177,15 +179,26 @@ class StdCaptureFD(Capture):
     """
     def __init__(self, out=True, err=True, mixed=False, 
         in_=True, patchsys=True, now=True):
+        self._options = locals()
+        self._save()
+        self.patchsys = patchsys
+        if now:
+            self.startall()
+
+    def _save(self):
+        in_ = self._options['in_']
+        out = self._options['out']
+        err = self._options['err']
+        mixed = self._options['mixed']
         self.in_ = in_
         if in_:
             self._oldin = (sys.stdin, os.dup(0))
         if out:
             tmpfile = None
             if hasattr(out, 'write'):
-                tmpfile = None
+                tmpfile = out
             self.out = py.io.FDCapture(1, tmpfile=tmpfile, now=False)
-            self.out_tmpfile = tmpfile
+            self._options['out'] = self.out.tmpfile
         if err:
             if out and mixed:
                 tmpfile = self.out.tmpfile 
@@ -194,10 +207,7 @@ class StdCaptureFD(Capture):
             else:
                 tmpfile = None
             self.err = py.io.FDCapture(2, tmpfile=tmpfile, now=False) 
-            self.err_tmpfile = tmpfile
-        self.patchsys = patchsys
-        if now:
-            self.startall()
+            self._options['err'] = self.err.tmpfile
 
     def startall(self):
         if self.in_:
@@ -219,27 +229,21 @@ class StdCaptureFD(Capture):
 
     def resume(self):
         """ resume capturing with original temp files. """
-        #if hasattr(self, 'out'):
-        #    self.out.restart()
-        #if hasattr(self, 'err'):
-        #    self.err.restart()
         self.startall()
 
     def done(self):
         """ return (outfile, errfile) and stop capturing. """
         outfile = errfile = None
-        if hasattr(self, 'out'): 
+        if hasattr(self, 'out') and not self.out.tmpfile.closed:
             outfile = self.out.done() 
-        if hasattr(self, 'err'): 
+        if hasattr(self, 'err') and not self.err.tmpfile.closed:
             errfile = self.err.done() 
         if hasattr(self, '_oldin'):
             oldsys, oldfd = self._oldin 
-            try:
-                os.dup2(oldfd, 0)
-                os.close(oldfd)
-            except OSError:
-                pass
+            os.dup2(oldfd, 0)
+            os.close(oldfd)
             sys.stdin = oldsys 
+        self._save()
         return outfile, errfile 
 
     def readouterr(self):
diff --git a/testing/io_/test_capture.py b/testing/io_/test_capture.py
index de2552b76..8cc6a8e91 100644
--- a/testing/io_/test_capture.py
+++ b/testing/io_/test_capture.py
@@ -76,22 +76,21 @@ def pytest_funcarg__tmpfile(request):
 
 @needsdup
 def test_dupfile(tmpfile):
-    somefile = tmpfile
     flist = []
     for i in range(5): 
-        nf = py.io.dupfile(somefile, encoding="utf-8")
-        assert nf != somefile
-        assert nf.fileno() != somefile.fileno()
+        nf = py.io.dupfile(tmpfile, encoding="utf-8")
+        assert nf != tmpfile
+        assert nf.fileno() != tmpfile.fileno()
         assert nf not in flist 
         print_(i, end="", file=nf)
         flist.append(nf) 
     for i in range(5): 
         f = flist[i]
         f.close()
-    somefile.seek(0)
-    s = somefile.read()
+    tmpfile.seek(0)
+    s = tmpfile.read()
     assert "01234" in repr(s)
-    somefile.close()
+    tmpfile.close()
 
 class TestFDCapture: 
     pytestmark = needsdup 
@@ -111,7 +110,7 @@ class TestFDCapture:
         s = f.read()
         assert s == "hello"
 
-    def test_stdout(self, tmpfile):
+    def test_simple(self, tmpfile):
         fd = tmpfile.fileno()
         cap = py.io.FDCapture(fd)
         data = tobytes("hello")
@@ -119,6 +118,30 @@ class TestFDCapture:
         f = cap.done()
         s = f.read()
         assert s == "hello"
+        f.close()
+
+    def test_simple_many(self, tmpfile):
+        for i in range(10):
+            self.test_simple(tmpfile)
+
+    def test_simple_many_check_open_files(self, tmpfile):
+        pid = os.getpid()
+        try:
+            out = py.process.cmdexec("lsof -p %d" % pid)
+        except py.process.cmdexec.Error:
+            py.test.skip("could not run 'lsof'")
+        self.test_simple_many(tmpfile)
+        out2 = py.process.cmdexec("lsof -p %d" % pid)
+        len1 = len([x for x in out.split("\n") if "REG" in x])
+        len2 = len([x for x in out2.split("\n") if "REG" in x])
+        assert len2 < len1 + 3, out2
+
+    def test_simple_fail_second_start(self, tmpfile):
+        fd = tmpfile.fileno()
+        cap = py.io.FDCapture(fd)
+        f = cap.done()
+        py.test.raises(ValueError, cap.start)
+        f.close()
 
     def test_stderr(self): 
         cap = py.io.FDCapture(2)
@@ -329,6 +352,14 @@ class TestStdCaptureFDNotNow(TestStdCaptureFD):
         cap.startall()
         return cap
 
+@needsdup
+def test_stdcapture_fd_tmpfile(tmpfile):
+    capfd = py.io.StdCaptureFD(out=tmpfile)
+    os.write(1, "hello".encode("ascii"))
+    os.write(2, "world".encode("ascii"))
+    outf, errf = capfd.done()
+    assert outf == tmpfile
+
 def test_capture_not_started_but_reset(): 
     capsys = py.io.StdCapture(now=False)
     capsys.done()
@@ -368,3 +399,45 @@ def test_callcapture_nofd():
     assert res == 42 
     assert out.startswith("3") 
     assert err.startswith("4") 
+
+@needsdup
+@py.test.mark.multi(use=[True, False])
+def test_fdcapture_tmpfile_remains_the_same(tmpfile, use):
+    if not use:
+        tmpfile = True
+    cap = py.io.StdCaptureFD(out=False, err=tmpfile, now=False)
+    cap.startall()
+    capfile = cap.err.tmpfile
+    cap.suspend()
+    cap.resume()
+    capfile2 = cap.err.tmpfile
+    assert capfile2 == capfile
+
+@py.test.mark.multi(method=['StdCapture', 'StdCaptureFD'])
+def test_capturing_and_logging_fundamentals(testdir, method):
+    if method == "StdCaptureFD" and not hasattr(os, 'dup'):
+        py.test.skip("need os.dup")
+    # here we check a fundamental feature 
+    p = testdir.makepyfile("""
+        import sys, os
+        import py, logging
+        cap = py.io.%s(out=False, in_=False)
+
+        logging.warn("hello1")
+        outerr = cap.suspend()
+        print ("suspend, captured %%s" %%(outerr,))
+        logging.warn("hello2")
+
+        cap.resume()
+        logging.warn("hello3")
+
+        outerr = cap.suspend()
+        print ("suspend2, captured %%s" %% (outerr,))
+    """ % (method,))
+    result = testdir.runpython(p)
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
+        "suspend, captured*hello1*",
+        "suspend2, captured*hello2*WARNING:root:hello3*",
+    ])
+    assert "atexit" not in result.stderr.str()
+    
diff --git a/testing/plugin/test_pytest_capture.py b/testing/plugin/test_pytest_capture.py
index bb8e8f440..9c436aaef 100644
--- a/testing/plugin/test_pytest_capture.py
+++ b/testing/plugin/test_pytest_capture.py
@@ -251,36 +251,6 @@ class TestLoggingInteraction:
         """)
         result = testdir.runpytest(p)
         result.stderr.str().find("atexit") == -1
-
-    def test_capturing_and_logging_fundamentals(self, testdir):
-        # here we check a fundamental feature 
-        p = testdir.makepyfile("""
-            import sys, os
-            import py, logging
-            if hasattr(os, 'dup'):
-                cap = py.io.StdCaptureFD(out=False, in_=False)
-            else:
-                cap = py.io.StdCapture(out=False, in_=False)
-            logging.warn("hello1")
-            outerr = cap.suspend()
-
-            print ("suspeneded and captured %s" % (outerr,))
-
-            logging.warn("hello2")
-
-            cap.resume()
-            logging.warn("hello3")
-
-            outerr = cap.suspend()
-            print ("suspend2 and captured %s" % (outerr,))
-        """)
-        result = testdir.runpython(p)
-        result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
-            "suspeneded and captured*hello1*",
-            "suspend2 and captured*hello2*WARNING:root:hello3*",
-        ])
-        assert "atexit" not in result.stderr.str()
-        
            
     def test_logging_and_immediate_setupteardown(self, testdir):
         p = testdir.makepyfile("""
@@ -402,7 +372,7 @@ def test_fdfuncarg_skips_on_no_osdup(testdir):
         def test_hello(capfd):
             pass
     """)
-    result = testdir.runpytest()
+    result = testdir.runpytest("--capture=no")
     result.stdout.fnmatch_lines([
         "*1 skipped*"
     ])