diff --git a/proxy/breaker_with_teeloopback_test.go b/proxy/breaker_with_teeloopback_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3b53b06b9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proxy/breaker_with_teeloopback_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+package proxy
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/zalando/skipper/circuit"
+	"github.com/zalando/skipper/filters/builtin"
+)
+
+func TestBreakerLeak(t *testing.T) {
+	backend := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.WriteHeader(599)
+		w.Write([]byte("backend"))
+	}))
+	defer backend.Close()
+
+	doc := fmt.Sprintf(`main: Path("/leak") -> consecutiveBreaker(1) -> teeLoopback("tag") -> "%s"; shadow: Path("/leak") && Tee("tag") -> <shunt>;`, backend.URL)
+	fr := builtin.MakeRegistry()
+	settings := []circuit.BreakerSettings{{
+		Type:     circuit.ConsecutiveFailures,
+		Failures: 1,
+	}}
+	params := Params{
+		Flags:                FlagsNone,
+		CloseIdleConnsPeriod: -1,
+		CircuitBreakers:      circuit.NewRegistry(settings...),
+	}
+
+	tp, err := newTestProxyWithFiltersAndParams(fr, doc, params, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error(err)
+		return
+	}
+	defer tp.close()
+
+	r1, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", "http://www.example.org/leak", bytes.NewBufferString("fpp\n"))
+	w1 := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	tp.proxy.ServeHTTP(w1, r1)
+	if w1.Code != 599 {
+		t.Fatalf("first request wrong status: %d", w1.Code)
+	}
+
+	buf := bytes.NewBufferString("fpp\n")
+	r1, _ = http.NewRequest("POST", "http://www.example.org/leak", buf)
+	w1 = httptest.NewRecorder()
+	tp.proxy.ServeHTTP(w1, r1)
+	if w1.Code != 503 {
+		t.Fatalf("second request wrong status: %d", w1.Code)
+	}
+	_, err = buf.ReadByte()
+	if err != io.EOF {
+		t.Errorf("request body was not read: %v", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/proxy/proxy.go b/proxy/proxy.go
index 7ace9a1a9e..6ecd199fae 100644
--- a/proxy/proxy.go
+++ b/proxy/proxy.go
@@ -1031,6 +1031,10 @@ func (p *Proxy) checkBreaker(c *context) (func(bool), bool) {
 	}
 
 	done, ok := b.Allow()
+	if !ok && c.request.Body != nil {
+		// consume the body to prevent goroutine leaks
+		io.Copy(ioutil.Discard, c.request.Body)
+	}
 	return done, ok
 }