diff --git a/api/mraa/aio.hpp b/api/mraa/aio.hpp
index f880b64..2db385f 100644
--- a/api/mraa/aio.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/aio.hpp
@@ -75,8 +75,19 @@ class Aio
      * Aio destructor
      */
     ~Aio()
+    {
+        if (m_aio != NULL) {
+            mraa_aio_close(m_aio);
+        }
+    }
+    /**
+     * Closes AIO explicitly, prior to implicit closing on object destruction
+     */
+    void
+    close()
     {
         mraa_aio_close(m_aio);
+        m_aio = NULL;
     }
     /**
      * Read a value from the AIO pin. By default mraa will shift
diff --git a/api/mraa/gpio.hpp b/api/mraa/gpio.hpp
index 07ca03e..fad439e 100644
--- a/api/mraa/gpio.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/gpio.hpp
@@ -143,8 +143,19 @@ class Gpio
      * the owner
      */
     ~Gpio()
+    {
+        if (m_gpio != NULL) {
+            mraa_gpio_close(m_gpio);
+        }
+    }
+    /**
+     * Closes Gpio explicitly, prior to implicit closing on object destruction
+     */
+    void
+    close()
     {
         mraa_gpio_close(m_gpio);
+        m_gpio = NULL;
     }
     /**
      * Set the edge mode for ISR
diff --git a/api/mraa/i2c.hpp b/api/mraa/i2c.hpp
index cc26b15..cf52b77 100644
--- a/api/mraa/i2c.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/i2c.hpp
@@ -83,8 +83,20 @@ class I2c
      * slaves.
      */
     ~I2c()
+    {
+        if (m_i2c != NULL) {
+            mraa_i2c_stop(m_i2c);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Closes I2c explicitly, prior to implicit closing on object destruction
+     */
+    void
+    close()
     {
         mraa_i2c_stop(m_i2c);
+        m_i2c = NULL;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/api/mraa/iio.hpp b/api/mraa/iio.hpp
index f9d8ff4..c1f2c67 100644
--- a/api/mraa/iio.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/iio.hpp
@@ -131,9 +131,20 @@ class Iio
      */
     ~Iio()
     {
-        mraa_iio_close(m_iio);
+        if (m_iio != NULL) {
+            mraa_iio_close(m_iio);
+        }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Closes Iio explicitly, prior to implicit closing on object destruction
+     */
+    void
+    close()
+    {
+        mraa_iio_close(m_iio);
+        m_iio = NULL;
+    }
 
     /**
      * Get device name
diff --git a/api/mraa/led.hpp b/api/mraa/led.hpp
index 8adc789..903823f 100644
--- a/api/mraa/led.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/led.hpp
@@ -89,8 +89,20 @@ class Led
      * LED object destructor
      */
     ~Led()
+    {
+        if (m_led != NULL) {
+            mraa_led_close(m_led);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /*
+     * Closes LED explicitly, prior to implicit closing on object destruction
+     */
+    void
+    close()
     {
         mraa_led_close(m_led);
+        m_led = NULL;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/api/mraa/pwm.hpp b/api/mraa/pwm.hpp
index 4bdfa71..66da1f3 100644
--- a/api/mraa/pwm.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/pwm.hpp
@@ -86,8 +86,19 @@ class Pwm
      * Pwm destructor
      */
     ~Pwm()
+    {
+        if (m_pwm != NULL) {
+            mraa_pwm_close(m_pwm);
+        }
+    }
+    /*
+     * Closes Pwm explicitly, prior to implicit closing on object destruction
+     */
+    void
+    close()
     {
         mraa_pwm_close(m_pwm);
+        m_pwm = NULL;
     }
     /**
      * Set the output duty-cycle percentage, as a float
diff --git a/api/mraa/spi.hpp b/api/mraa/spi.hpp
index 26ead24..aa9d69d 100644
--- a/api/mraa/spi.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/spi.hpp
@@ -105,8 +105,20 @@ class Spi
      * Closes spi bus
      */
     ~Spi()
+    {
+        if (m_spi != NULL) {
+            mraa_spi_stop(m_spi);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Closes Spi explicitly, prior to implicit closing on object destruction
+     */
+    void
+    close()
     {
         mraa_spi_stop(m_spi);
+        m_spi = NULL;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/api/mraa/uart.hpp b/api/mraa/uart.hpp
index e9624db..056b690 100644
--- a/api/mraa/uart.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/uart.hpp
@@ -95,8 +95,20 @@ class Uart
      * Uart destructor
      */
     ~Uart()
+    {
+        if (m_uart != NULL) {
+            mraa_uart_stop(m_uart);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /*
+     * Closes Uart explicitly, prior to implicit closing on object destruction
+     */
+    void
+    close()
     {
         mraa_uart_stop(m_uart);
+        m_uart = NULL;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/api/mraa/uart_ow.hpp b/api/mraa/uart_ow.hpp
index db44e9d..e64a14a 100644
--- a/api/mraa/uart_ow.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/uart_ow.hpp
@@ -95,8 +95,20 @@ class UartOW
      * Uart destructor
      */
     ~UartOW()
+    {
+        if (m_uart != NULL) {
+            mraa_uart_ow_stop(m_uart);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /*
+     * Closes UartOW explicitly, prior to implicit closing on object destruction
+     */
+    void
+    close()
     {
         mraa_uart_ow_stop(m_uart);
+        m_uart = NULL;
     }
 
     /**