diff --git a/src/avmesh.cpp b/src/avmesh.cpp
index 10873c5..762a47a 100644
--- a/src/avmesh.cpp
+++ b/src/avmesh.cpp
@@ -35,24 +35,28 @@ int avm_open(const char* filename, int* id)
 {
    if (filename==NULL) RETURN_ERROR("avm_open: filename is NULL");
    if (id==NULL)       RETURN_ERROR("avm_open: id is NULL");
-   avmesh_file *avf = new avmesh_file;
-   avf->rev0 = NULL;
-   avf->rev1 = NULL;
-   avf->rev2 = NULL;
-   avf->formatRevision = -1;
-   file_list[file_counter] = avf;
 
    // is this a AVMesh File?
    FILE* fp = NULL;
-   bool byte_swap = 0;
-   file_id_prefix_t file_prefix;
    fp = fopen(filename, "rb");
    if (fp==NULL) RETURN_ERROR("avm_open: fopen failed");
+
+   // read the file_prefix metadata
+   bool byte_swap = 0;
+   file_id_prefix_t file_prefix;
    if(!file_id_prefix::read(fp, &byte_swap, &file_prefix)) {
-      avm_close(file_counter);
+      fclose(fp);
       RETURN_ERROR("avm_open: failed reading file_id_prefix");
    }
 
+   // allocate an avmesh_file instance
+   avmesh_file *avf = new avmesh_file;
+   avf->rev0 = NULL;
+   avf->rev1 = NULL;
+   avf->rev2 = NULL;
+   avf->formatRevision = -1;
+   file_list[file_counter] = avf;
+
    if (file_prefix.formatRevision == 0) {
       avf->formatRevision = 0;
       avf->rev0 = new rev0_avmesh_file;
@@ -62,8 +66,7 @@ int avm_open(const char* filename, int* id)
       avf->rev0->filename = filename;
       avf->rev0->file_prefix.formatRevision = 0;
       if (rev0::avm_open(avf->rev0, id)) {
-         delete avf->rev0;
-         delete avf;
+         avm_close(file_counter);
          return 1;
       }
       *id = file_counter++;
@@ -77,9 +80,8 @@ int avm_open(const char* filename, int* id)
       avf->rev1->file_prefix = file_prefix;
       avf->rev1->filename = filename;
       avf->rev1->file_prefix.formatRevision = 1;
-      if (rev1::avm_open(avf->rev1, id)) {
-         delete avf->rev1;
-         delete avf;
+      if (rev1::avm_open(avf->rev1, id)) { 
+         avm_close(file_counter);
          return 1;
       }
       *id = file_counter++;
@@ -94,8 +96,7 @@ int avm_open(const char* filename, int* id)
       avf->rev2->filename = filename;
       avf->rev2->file_prefix.formatRevision = 2;
       if (rev2::avm_open(avf->rev2, id)) {
-         delete avf->rev2;
-         delete avf;
+         avm_close(file_counter);
          return 1;
       }
       *id = file_counter++;