diff --git a/lib/filelib.php b/lib/filelib.php
index 523c64333d7..f1e44f3262e 100644
--- a/lib/filelib.php
+++ b/lib/filelib.php
@@ -3006,14 +3006,36 @@ class curl {
      * Calls {@link multi()} with specific download headers
      *
      * <code>
-     * $c = new curl;
+     * $c = new curl();
+     * $file1 = fopen('a', 'wb');
+     * $file2 = fopen('b', 'wb');
      * $c->download(array(
-     *              array('url'=>'http://localhost/', 'file'=>fopen('a', 'wb')),
-     *              array('url'=>'http://localhost/20/', 'file'=>fopen('b', 'wb'))
+     *     array('url'=>'http://localhost/', 'file'=>$file1),
+     *     array('url'=>'http://localhost/20/', 'file'=>$file2)
+     * ));
+     * fclose($file1);
+     * fclose($file2);
+     * </code>
+     *
+     * or
+     *
+     * <code>
+     * $c = new curl();
+     * $c->download(array(
+     *              array('url'=>'http://localhost/', 'filepath'=>'/tmp/file1.tmp'),
+     *              array('url'=>'http://localhost/20/', 'filepath'=>'/tmp/file2.tmp')
      *              ));
      * </code>
      *
-     * @param array $requests An array of files to request
+     * @param array $requests An array of files to request {
+     *                  url => url to download the file [required]
+     *                  file => file handler, or
+     *                  filepath => file path
+     * }
+     * If 'file' and 'filepath' parameters are both specified in one request, the
+     * open file handle in the 'file' parameter will take precedence and 'filepath'
+     * will be ignored.
+     *
      * @param array $options An array of options to set
      * @return array An array of results
      */
@@ -3037,11 +3059,15 @@ class curl {
         $results = array();
         $main    = curl_multi_init();
         for ($i = 0; $i < $count; $i++) {
-            $url = $requests[$i];
-            foreach($url as $n=>$v){
-                $options[$n] = $url[$n];
+            if (!empty($requests[$i]['filepath']) and empty($requests[$i]['file'])) {
+                // open file
+                $requests[$i]['file'] = fopen($requests[$i]['filepath'], 'w');
+                $requests[$i]['auto-handle'] = true;
             }
-            $handles[$i] = curl_init($url['url']);
+            foreach($requests[$i] as $n=>$v){
+                $options[$n] = $v;
+            }
+            $handles[$i] = curl_init($requests[$i]['url']);
             $this->apply_opt($handles[$i], $options);
             curl_multi_add_handle($main, $handles[$i]);
         }
@@ -3058,6 +3084,13 @@ class curl {
             curl_multi_remove_handle($main, $handles[$i]);
         }
         curl_multi_close($main);
+
+        for ($i = 0; $i < $count; $i++) {
+            if (!empty($requests[$i]['filepath']) and !empty($requests[$i]['auto-handle'])) {
+                // close file handler if file is opened in this function
+                fclose($requests[$i]['file']);
+            }
+        }
         return $results;
     }
 
diff --git a/repository/alfresco/lib.php b/repository/alfresco/lib.php
index 705e6e96414..b5a871f3124 100644
--- a/repository/alfresco/lib.php
+++ b/repository/alfresco/lib.php
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ class repository_alfresco extends repository {
         $fp = fopen($path, 'w');
         $c = new curl;
         $c->download(array(array('url'=>$url, 'file'=>$fp)));
+        fclose($fp);
         return array('path'=>$path, 'url'=>$url);
     }
 
diff --git a/repository/flickr/lib.php b/repository/flickr/lib.php
index 688663899a3..7d3dcd67528 100644
--- a/repository/flickr/lib.php
+++ b/repository/flickr/lib.php
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ class repository_flickr extends repository {
         $c->download(array(
             array('url'=>$url, 'file'=>$fp)
         ));
+        fclose($fp);
         return array('path'=>$path, 'url'=>$url);
     }