diff --git a/src/pkg/database/sql/fakedb_test.go b/src/pkg/database/sql/fakedb_test.go
index a8adfdd9424..775f67d19ed 100644
--- a/src/pkg/database/sql/fakedb_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/database/sql/fakedb_test.go
@@ -686,7 +686,13 @@ func (rc *rowsCursor) Columns() []string {
 	return rc.cols
 }
 
+var rowsCursorNextHook func(dest []driver.Value) error
+
 func (rc *rowsCursor) Next(dest []driver.Value) error {
+	if rowsCursorNextHook != nil {
+		return rowsCursorNextHook(dest)
+	}
+
 	if rc.closed {
 		return errors.New("fakedb: cursor is closed")
 	}
diff --git a/src/pkg/database/sql/sql.go b/src/pkg/database/sql/sql.go
index f883ddbe900..fae109f2523 100644
--- a/src/pkg/database/sql/sql.go
+++ b/src/pkg/database/sql/sql.go
@@ -1495,10 +1495,12 @@ type Rows struct {
 	closeStmt driver.Stmt // if non-nil, statement to Close on close
 }
 
-// Next prepares the next result row for reading with the Scan method.
-// It returns true on success, false if there is no next result row.
-// Every call to Scan, even the first one, must be preceded by a call
-// to Next.
+// Next prepares the next result row for reading with the Scan method.  It
+// returns true on success, or false if there is no next result row or an error
+// happened while preparing it.  Err should be consulted to distinguish between
+// the two cases.
+//
+// Every call to Scan, even the first one, must be preceded by a call to Next.
 func (rs *Rows) Next() bool {
 	if rs.closed {
 		return false
@@ -1625,12 +1627,19 @@ func (r *Row) Scan(dest ...interface{}) error {
 	}
 
 	if !r.rows.Next() {
+		if err := r.rows.Err(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 		return ErrNoRows
 	}
 	err := r.rows.Scan(dest...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	// Make sure the query can be processed to completion with no errors.
+	if err := r.rows.Close(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/src/pkg/database/sql/sql_test.go b/src/pkg/database/sql/sql_test.go
index 093c0d64cac..a3720c4e760 100644
--- a/src/pkg/database/sql/sql_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/database/sql/sql_test.go
@@ -660,6 +660,35 @@ func TestQueryRowClosingStmt(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// Test issue 6651
+func TestIssue6651(t *testing.T) {
+	db := newTestDB(t, "people")
+	defer closeDB(t, db)
+
+	var v string
+
+	want := "error in rows.Next"
+	rowsCursorNextHook = func(dest []driver.Value) error {
+		return fmt.Errorf(want)
+	}
+	defer func() { rowsCursorNextHook = nil }()
+	err := db.QueryRow("SELECT|people|name|").Scan(&v)
+	if err == nil || err.Error() != want {
+		t.Errorf("error = %q; want %q", err, want)
+	}
+	rowsCursorNextHook = nil
+
+	want = "error in rows.Close"
+	rowsCloseHook = func(rows *Rows, err *error) {
+		*err = fmt.Errorf(want)
+	}
+	defer func() { rowsCloseHook = nil }()
+	err = db.QueryRow("SELECT|people|name|").Scan(&v)
+	if err == nil || err.Error() != want {
+		t.Errorf("error = %q; want %q", err, want)
+	}
+}
+
 type nullTestRow struct {
 	nullParam    interface{}
 	notNullParam interface{}