diff --git a/org.springframework.jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/init/DataSourceInitializer.java b/org.springframework.jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/init/DataSourceInitializer.java
index f90d32a155..e927847826 100644
--- a/org.springframework.jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/init/DataSourceInitializer.java
+++ b/org.springframework.jdbc/src/main/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/init/DataSourceInitializer.java
@@ -15,9 +15,13 @@
  */
 package org.springframework.jdbc.datasource.init;
 
+import java.sql.Connection;
+import java.sql.SQLException;
+
 import javax.sql.DataSource;
 
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.InitializingBean;
+import org.springframework.dao.DataAccessResourceFailureException;
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
 
 /**
@@ -66,7 +70,23 @@ public class DataSourceInitializer implements InitializingBean {
 		if (enabled) {
 			Assert.state(dataSource != null, "DataSource must be provided");
 			Assert.state(databasePopulator != null, "DatabasePopulator must be provided");
-			databasePopulator.populate(dataSource.getConnection());
+			try {
+				Connection connection = this.dataSource.getConnection();
+				try {
+					this.databasePopulator.populate(connection);
+				}
+				finally {
+					try {
+						connection.close();
+					}
+					catch (SQLException ex) {
+						// ignore
+					}
+				}
+			}
+			catch (SQLException ex) {
+				throw new DataAccessResourceFailureException("Failed to populate database", ex);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/org.springframework.jdbc/src/test/java/org/springframework/jdbc/config/JdbcNamespaceIntegrationTest.java b/org.springframework.jdbc/src/test/java/org/springframework/jdbc/config/JdbcNamespaceIntegrationTest.java
index d3a9e02618..22d189a9ad 100644
--- a/org.springframework.jdbc/src/test/java/org/springframework/jdbc/config/JdbcNamespaceIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/org.springframework.jdbc/src/test/java/org/springframework/jdbc/config/JdbcNamespaceIntegrationTest.java
@@ -23,6 +23,18 @@ public class JdbcNamespaceIntegrationTest {
 		}
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testCreateEmbeddedDatabaseAgain() throws Exception {
+		// If Derby isn't cleaned up properly this will fail...
+		ClassPathXmlApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(
+				"org/springframework/jdbc/config/jdbc-config.xml");
+		try {
+			assertCorrectSetup(context.getBean("derbyDataSource", DataSource.class));
+		} finally {
+			context.close();
+		}
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testCreateWithResourcePattern() throws Exception {
 		ClassPathXmlApplicationContext context = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext(
diff --git a/org.springframework.jdbc/src/test/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/init/DatabasePopulatorTests.java b/org.springframework.jdbc/src/test/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/init/DatabasePopulatorTests.java
index 8cb2bd5bab..d79ed20dc2 100644
--- a/org.springframework.jdbc/src/test/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/init/DatabasePopulatorTests.java
+++ b/org.springframework.jdbc/src/test/java/org/springframework/jdbc/datasource/init/DatabasePopulatorTests.java
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ package org.springframework.jdbc.datasource.init;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 
+import java.sql.Connection;
+import java.sql.SQLException;
+
 import javax.sql.DataSource;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -21,7 +24,12 @@ public class DatabasePopulatorTests {
 		databasePopulator.addScript(resourceLoader.getResource("db-schema-failed-drop-comments.sql"));
 		databasePopulator.addScript(resourceLoader.getResource("db-test-data.sql"));
 		databasePopulator.setIgnoreFailedDrops(true);
-		databasePopulator.populate(db.getConnection());
+		Connection connection = db.getConnection();
+		try {
+			databasePopulator.populate(connection);
+		} finally {
+			connection.close();
+		}
 		assertDatabaseCreated(db);
 		db.shutdown();
 	}