diff --git a/fs/mqueue/mq_close.c b/fs/mqueue/mq_close.c
index 7647ccda7c..5f929057e8 100644
--- a/fs/mqueue/mq_close.c
+++ b/fs/mqueue/mq_close.c
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ int nxmq_close_group(mqd_t mqdes, FAR struct task_group_s *group)
 {
   FAR struct mqueue_inode_s *msgq;
   FAR struct inode *inode;
+  int ret = OK;
 
   DEBUGASSERT(mqdes != NULL && group != NULL);
 
@@ -93,20 +94,23 @@ int nxmq_close_group(mqd_t mqdes, FAR struct task_group_s *group)
 
        /* Close/free the message descriptor */
 
-       nxmq_desclose_group(mqdes, group);
+       ret = nxmq_desclose_group(mqdes, group);
+       if (ret >= 0)
+         {
+           /* Get the inode from the message queue structure */
 
-       /* Get the inode from the message queue structure */
+           inode = msgq->inode;
+           DEBUGASSERT(inode->u.i_mqueue == msgq);
 
-       inode = msgq->inode;
-       DEBUGASSERT(inode->u.i_mqueue == msgq);
+           /* Decrement the reference count on the inode, possibly freeing it */
 
-       /* Decrement the reference count on the inode, possibly freeing it */
+           mq_inode_release(inode);
+         }
 
-       mq_inode_release(inode);
        sched_unlock();
      }
 
-  return OK;
+  return ret;
 }
 
 /****************************************************************************
diff --git a/include/nuttx/mqueue.h b/include/nuttx/mqueue.h
index f7a838335e..b0bb713ac7 100644
--- a/include/nuttx/mqueue.h
+++ b/include/nuttx/mqueue.h
@@ -390,14 +390,15 @@ int nxmq_close_group(mqd_t mqdes, FAR struct task_group_s *group);
  *   group - Group that has the open descriptor.
  *
  * Returned Value:
- *   None.
+ *   Zero (OK) is returned on success; a negated errno value is returned on
+ *   and failure.
  *
  * Assumptions:
  * - Called only from mq_close() with the scheduler locked.
  *
  ****************************************************************************/
 
-void nxmq_desclose_group(mqd_t mqdes, FAR struct task_group_s *group);
+int nxmq_desclose_group(mqd_t mqdes, FAR struct task_group_s *group);
 
 #undef EXTERN
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/sched/mqueue/mq_desclose.c b/sched/mqueue/mq_desclose.c
index 09d10283fc..deab2ee708 100644
--- a/sched/mqueue/mq_desclose.c
+++ b/sched/mqueue/mq_desclose.c
@@ -83,20 +83,50 @@
  *   group - Group that has the open descriptor.
  *
  * Returned Value:
- *   None.
+ *   Zero (OK) is returned on success; a negated errno value is returned on
+ *   and failure.
  *
  * Assumptions:
  * - Called only from mq_close() with the scheduler locked.
  *
  ****************************************************************************/
 
-void nxmq_desclose_group(mqd_t mqdes, FAR struct task_group_s *group)
+int nxmq_desclose_group(mqd_t mqdes, FAR struct task_group_s *group)
 {
   FAR struct mqueue_inode_s *msgq;
+#ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES
+  mqd_t mq_ptr;
+#endif
 
   DEBUGASSERT(mqdes != NULL && group != NULL);
 
-  /* Remove the message descriptor from the current task's list of message
+#ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES
+  /* Check that msgq is valid for closing.  It must be owned by the current
+   * group.  NOTE the call to sq_rem() below would corrupt the descriptor
+   * list if mqdes did not lie in the list.
+   */
+
+  mq_ptr = (mqd_t)sq_peek(&group->tg_msgdesq);
+  while (mq_ptr)
+    {
+      if (mq_ptr == mqdes)
+        {
+           break;
+        }
+
+      mq_ptr = (mqd_t)sq_next(mq_ptr);
+    }
+
+  DEBUGASSERT(mq_ptr != NULL);
+  if (mq_ptr == NULL)
+    {
+      /* 'mqdes' does not lie in the group's list of message descriptors. */
+
+      return -EPERM;
+    }
+#endif
+
+  /* Remove the message descriptor from the current group's list of message
    * descriptors.
    */
 
@@ -121,4 +151,5 @@ void nxmq_desclose_group(mqd_t mqdes, FAR struct task_group_s *group)
   /* Deallocate the message descriptor */
 
   mq_desfree(mqdes);
+  return OK;
 }