diff --git a/categories/categories.go b/categories/categories.go
index 5f8d7f6..98cf500 100644
--- a/categories/categories.go
+++ b/categories/categories.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ func LoadCategories(db *sql.DB) {
         fmt.Println("DB Error loading Categories:", err)
         return
     }
+    defer rows.Close()
 	
 	for rows.Next() {
 		category := &Category{Children: []*Category{}}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 84c8a2d..359d98d 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -63,13 +63,12 @@ func dbConnect() {
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Println("DB ERROR: ", err)
 	}
+	db.SetMaxIdleConns(MAX_DB_CONNS)
 	err = db.Ping()
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Println("DB Error on Ping(): ", err)
 		os.Exit(-1)
 	}
-	
-	db.SetMaxIdleConns(MAX_DB_CONNS)
 }
 
 func initTemplates() {
diff --git a/news/news.go b/news/news.go
index 2457a6e..fef84fa 100644
--- a/news/news.go
+++ b/news/news.go
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ func Unexported(db *sql.DB) (map[int]*NewsContainer, int, error) {
 		fmt.Println("DB errpr reading unexported news: ", err)
 		return nil, 0, err
 	}
+	defer rows.Close()
 	newsTree := map[int]*NewsContainer{}
 	newsFlat := map[int]*NewsContainer{}
 	count := 0
diff --git a/user/user.go b/user/user.go
index b499619..58b0dc0 100644
--- a/user/user.go
+++ b/user/user.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ func UsernameExists(db *sql.DB, username string) (bool, error) {
 		fmt.Println("User DB Error: ", err)
 		return false, err
 	}
+	defer rows.Close()
 	var count int
 	rows.Next()
 	rows.Scan(&count)
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ func NewUserFromAuth(db *sql.DB, username, password string) *User {
 		fmt.Println("Username or auth fail: ", err)
 		return nil
 	}
+	defer rows.Close()
 	user := User{db: db}
 	if rows.Next() {
 		err := rows.Scan(&user.Username)
@@ -49,6 +51,7 @@ func NewUserFromUsername(db *sql.DB, username string) *User {
 		fmt.Println("User DB Error: ", err)
 		return nil
 	}
+	defer rows.Close()
 	user := User{db: db}
 	if rows.Next() {
 		err = rows.Scan(&user.Username)