diff --git a/IPython/core/magics/script.py b/IPython/core/magics/script.py
index c0ad8d3..a041d58 100644
--- a/IPython/core/magics/script.py
+++ b/IPython/core/magics/script.py
@@ -31,14 +31,14 @@ def script_args(f):
             '--out', type=str,
             help="""The variable in which to store stdout from the script.
             If the script is backgrounded, this will be the stdout *pipe*,
-            instead of the stderr text itself.
+            instead of the stderr text itself and will not be auto closed.
             """
         ),
         magic_arguments.argument(
             '--err', type=str,
             help="""The variable in which to store stderr from the script.
             If the script is backgrounded, this will be the stderr *pipe*,
-            instead of the stderr text itself.
+            instead of the stderr text itself and will not be autoclosed.
             """
         ),
         magic_arguments.argument(
@@ -187,11 +187,16 @@ class ScriptMagics(Magics):
         if args.bg:
             self.bg_processes.append(p)
             self._gc_bg_processes()
+            to_close = []
             if args.out:
                 self.shell.user_ns[args.out] = p.stdout
+            else:
+                to_close.append(p.stdout)
             if args.err:
                 self.shell.user_ns[args.err] = p.stderr
-            self.job_manager.new(self._run_script, p, cell, daemon=True)
+            else:
+                to_close.append(p.stderr)
+            self.job_manager.new(self._run_script, p, cell, to_close, daemon=True)
             if args.proc:
                 self.shell.user_ns[args.proc] = p
             return
@@ -231,10 +236,12 @@ class ScriptMagics(Magics):
             sys.stderr.write(err)
             sys.stderr.flush()
     
-    def _run_script(self, p, cell):
+    def _run_script(self, p, cell, to_close):
         """callback for running the script in the background"""
         p.stdin.write(cell)
         p.stdin.close()
+        for s in to_close:
+            s.close()
         p.wait()
 
     @line_magic("killbgscripts")
diff --git a/IPython/core/tests/test_magic.py b/IPython/core/tests/test_magic.py
index 373f66d..b338168 100644
--- a/IPython/core/tests/test_magic.py
+++ b/IPython/core/tests/test_magic.py
@@ -562,17 +562,6 @@ def test_timeit_shlex():
     _ip.magic('timeit -r1 -n1 f("a " + "b ")')
 
 
-def test_timeit_arguments():
-    "Test valid timeit arguments, should not cause SyntaxError (GH #1269)"
-    if sys.version_info < (3,7):
-        _ip.magic("timeit ('#')")
-    else:
-        # 3.7 optimize no-op statement like above out, and complain there is
-        # nothing in the for loop.
-        _ip.magic("timeit a=('#')")
-
-
-
 def test_timeit_special_syntax():
     "Test %%timeit with IPython special syntax"
     @register_line_magic
@@ -839,13 +828,16 @@ def test_script_out_err():
 def test_script_bg_out():
     ip = get_ipython()
     ip.run_cell_magic("script", "--bg --out output sh", "echo 'hi'")
+
     nt.assert_equal(ip.user_ns['output'].read(), b'hi\n')
+    ip.user_ns['output'].close()
 
 @dec.skip_win32
 def test_script_bg_err():
     ip = get_ipython()
     ip.run_cell_magic("script", "--bg --err error sh", "echo 'hello' >&2")
     nt.assert_equal(ip.user_ns['error'].read(), b'hello\n')
+    ip.user_ns['error'].close()
 
 @dec.skip_win32
 def test_script_bg_out_err():
@@ -853,6 +845,8 @@ def test_script_bg_out_err():
     ip.run_cell_magic("script", "--bg --out output --err error sh", "echo 'hi'\necho 'hello' >&2")
     nt.assert_equal(ip.user_ns['output'].read(), b'hi\n')
     nt.assert_equal(ip.user_ns['error'].read(), b'hello\n')
+    ip.user_ns['output'].close()
+    ip.user_ns['error'].close()
 
 def test_script_defaults():
     ip = get_ipython()
@@ -1072,4 +1066,15 @@ def test_logging_magic_not_quiet():
                 lm.logstart(os.path.join(td, "not_quiet.log"))
         finally:
             _ip.logger.logstop()
-    
+
+## 
+# this is slow, put at the end for local testing.
+## 
+def test_timeit_arguments():
+    "Test valid timeit arguments, should not cause SyntaxError (GH #1269)"
+    if sys.version_info < (3,7):
+        _ip.magic("timeit ('#')")
+    else:
+        # 3.7 optimize no-op statement like above out, and complain there is
+        # nothing in the for loop.
+        _ip.magic("timeit a=('#')")