diff --git a/src/text/template/parse/lex.go b/src/text/template/parse/lex.go
index fe77b3afbe..762d085e68 100644
--- a/src/text/template/parse/lex.go
+++ b/src/text/template/parse/lex.go
@@ -167,12 +167,23 @@ func (l *lexer) errorf(format string, args ...interface{}) stateFn {
 }
 
 // nextItem returns the next item from the input.
+// Called by the parser, not in the lexing goroutine.
 func (l *lexer) nextItem() item {
 	item := <-l.items
 	l.lastPos = item.pos
 	return item
 }
 
+// drain drains the output so the lexing goroutine will exit.
+// Called by the parser, not in the lexing goroutine.
+func (l *lexer) drain() {
+	if l == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	for range l.items {
+	}
+}
+
 // lex creates a new scanner for the input string.
 func lex(name, input, left, right string) *lexer {
 	if left == "" {
@@ -197,6 +208,7 @@ func (l *lexer) run() {
 	for l.state = lexText; l.state != nil; {
 		l.state = l.state(l)
 	}
+	close(l.items)
 }
 
 // state functions
diff --git a/src/text/template/parse/lex_test.go b/src/text/template/parse/lex_test.go
index a1cda19e67..be551d8780 100644
--- a/src/text/template/parse/lex_test.go
+++ b/src/text/template/parse/lex_test.go
@@ -466,3 +466,31 @@ func TestPos(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// Test that an error shuts down the lexing goroutine.
+func TestShutdown(t *testing.T) {
+	// We need to duplicate template.Parse here to hold on to the lexer.
+	const text = "erroneous{{define}}{{else}}1234"
+	lexer := lex("foo", text, "{{", "}}")
+	_, err := New("root").parseLexer(lexer, text)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected error")
+	}
+	// The error should have drained the input. Therefore, the lexer should be shut down.
+	token, ok := <-lexer.items
+	if ok {
+		t.Fatalf("input was not drained; got %v", token)
+	}
+}
+
+// parseLexer is a local version of parse that lets us pass in the lexer instead of building it.
+// We expect an error, so the tree set and funcs list are explicitly nil.
+func (t *Tree) parseLexer(lex *lexer, text string) (tree *Tree, err error) {
+	defer t.recover(&err)
+	t.ParseName = t.Name
+	t.startParse(nil, lex)
+	t.parse(nil)
+	t.add(nil)
+	t.stopParse()
+	return t, nil
+}
diff --git a/src/text/template/parse/parse.go b/src/text/template/parse/parse.go
index f4daa37954..6eb303801b 100644
--- a/src/text/template/parse/parse.go
+++ b/src/text/template/parse/parse.go
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ func (t *Tree) recover(errp *error) {
 			panic(e)
 		}
 		if t != nil {
+			t.lex.drain()
 			t.stopParse()
 		}
 		*errp = e.(error)