diff --git a/lib/stream.js b/lib/stream.js
index 632c87d2e26..ca7fc28c024 100644
--- a/lib/stream.js
+++ b/lib/stream.js
@@ -28,13 +28,9 @@ function Stream() {
 util.inherits(Stream, events.EventEmitter);
 exports.Stream = Stream;
 
-var pipes = [];
-
 Stream.prototype.pipe = function(dest, options) {
   var source = this;
 
-  pipes.push(dest);
-
   function ondata(chunk) {
     if (dest.writable) {
       if (false === dest.write(chunk)) source.pause();
@@ -49,31 +45,48 @@ Stream.prototype.pipe = function(dest, options) {
 
   dest.on('drain', ondrain);
 
-  /*
-   * If the 'end' option is not supplied, dest.end() will be called when
-   * source gets the 'end' event.
-   */
-
+  // If the 'end' option is not supplied, dest.end() will be called when
+  // source gets the 'end' or 'close' events.  Only dest.end() once, and
+  // only when all sources have ended.
   if (!options || options.end !== false) {
-    function onend() {
-      var index = pipes.indexOf(dest);
-      pipes.splice(index, 1);
-
-      if (pipes.indexOf(dest) > -1) {
-        return;
-      }
-
-      dest.end();
-    }
+    dest._pipeCount = dest._pipeCount || 0;
+    dest._pipeCount++;
 
     source.on('end', onend);
     source.on('close', onend);
   }
 
-  /*
-   * Questionable:
-   */
+  var didOnEnd = false;
+  function onend() {
+    if (didOnEnd) return;
+    didOnEnd = true;
 
+    dest._pipeCount--;
+
+    // remove the listeners
+    cleanup();
+
+    if (dest._pipeCount > 0) {
+      // waiting for other incoming streams to end.
+      return;
+    }
+
+    dest.end();
+  }
+
+  // don't leave dangling pipes when there are errors.
+  function onerror(er) {
+    cleanup();
+    if (this.listeners('error').length === 1) {
+      throw er; // Unhandled stream error in pipe.
+    }
+  }
+
+  source.on('error', onerror);
+  dest.on('error', onerror);
+
+  // guarantee that source streams can be paused and resumed, even
+  // if the only effect is to proxy the event back up the pipe chain.
   if (!source.pause) {
     source.pause = function() {
       source.emit('pause');
@@ -86,27 +99,32 @@ Stream.prototype.pipe = function(dest, options) {
     };
   }
 
-  var onpause = function() {
+  function onpause() {
     source.pause();
   }
 
   dest.on('pause', onpause);
 
-  var onresume = function() {
+  function onresume() {
     if (source.readable) source.resume();
-  };
+  }
 
   dest.on('resume', onresume);
 
-  var cleanup = function () {
+  // remove all the event listeners that were added.
+  function cleanup() {
     source.removeListener('data', ondata);
     dest.removeListener('drain', ondrain);
+
     source.removeListener('end', onend);
     source.removeListener('close', onend);
 
     dest.removeListener('pause', onpause);
     dest.removeListener('resume', onresume);
 
+    source.removeListener('error', onerror);
+    dest.removeListener('error', onerror);
+
     source.removeListener('end', cleanup);
     source.removeListener('close', cleanup);