diff --git a/storage/metric/frontier.go b/storage/metric/frontier.go
index ecc5c9321..dcaac0949 100644
--- a/storage/metric/frontier.go
+++ b/storage/metric/frontier.go
@@ -35,11 +35,11 @@ type diskFrontier struct {
 	lastSupertime    time.Time
 }
 
-func (f *diskFrontier) String() string {
+func (f diskFrontier) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("diskFrontier from %s at %s to %s at %s", f.firstFingerprint.ToRowKey(), f.firstSupertime, f.lastFingerprint.ToRowKey(), f.lastSupertime)
 }
 
-func (f *diskFrontier) ContainsFingerprint(fingerprint model.Fingerprint) bool {
+func (f diskFrontier) ContainsFingerprint(fingerprint model.Fingerprint) bool {
 	return !(fingerprint.Less(f.firstFingerprint) || f.lastFingerprint.Less(fingerprint))
 }
 
@@ -48,12 +48,15 @@ func newDiskFrontier(i leveldb.Iterator) (d *diskFrontier, err error) {
 	if !i.SeekToLast() || i.Key() == nil {
 		return
 	}
+
 	lastKey, err := extractSampleKey(i)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
-	i.SeekToFirst()
+	if !i.SeekToFirst() || i.Key() == nil {
+		return
+	}
 	firstKey, err := extractSampleKey(i)
 	if i.Key() == nil {
 		return
@@ -92,6 +95,13 @@ func newSeriesFrontier(f model.Fingerprint, d diskFrontier, i leveldb.Iterator)
 		upperSeek = lastSupertime
 	)
 
+	// If the diskFrontier for this iterator says that the candidate fingerprint
+	// is outside of its seeking domain, there is no way that a seriesFrontier
+	// could be materialized.  Simply bail.
+	if !d.ContainsFingerprint(f) {
+		return
+	}
+
 	// If we are either the first or the last key in the database, we need to use
 	// pessimistic boundary frontiers.
 	if f.Equal(d.firstFingerprint) {
diff --git a/storage/metric/interface.go b/storage/metric/interface.go
index 8188bac5e..27358c657 100644
--- a/storage/metric/interface.go
+++ b/storage/metric/interface.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import (
 type MetricPersistence interface {
 	// A storage system may rely on external resources and thusly should be
 	// closed when finished.
-	Close() error
+	Close()
 
 	// Commit all pending operations, if any, since some of the storage components
 	// queue work on channels and operate on it in bulk.
diff --git a/storage/metric/leveldb.go b/storage/metric/leveldb.go
index d1d59f98d..fef8e4e89 100644
--- a/storage/metric/leveldb.go
+++ b/storage/metric/leveldb.go
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import (
 	index "github.com/prometheus/prometheus/storage/raw/index/leveldb"
 	leveldb "github.com/prometheus/prometheus/storage/raw/leveldb"
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/utility"
-	"io"
 	"log"
 	"sort"
 	"sync"
@@ -58,68 +57,31 @@ var (
 )
 
 type leveldbOpener func()
+type leveldbCloser interface {
+	Close()
+}
 
-func (l *LevelDBMetricPersistence) Close() error {
-	var persistences = []struct {
-		name   string
-		closer io.Closer
-	}{
-		{
-			"Fingerprint to Label Name and Value Pairs",
-			l.fingerprintToMetrics,
-		},
-		{
-			"Fingerprint High Watermarks",
-			l.metricHighWatermarks,
-		},
-		{
-			"Fingerprint Samples",
-			l.metricSamples,
-		},
-		{
-			"Label Name to Fingerprints",
-			l.labelNameToFingerprints,
-		},
-		{
-			"Label Name and Value Pairs to Fingerprints",
-			l.labelSetToFingerprints,
-		},
-		{
-			"Metric Membership Index",
-			l.metricMembershipIndex,
-		},
+func (l *LevelDBMetricPersistence) Close() {
+	var persistences = []leveldbCloser{
+		l.fingerprintToMetrics,
+		l.metricHighWatermarks,
+		l.metricSamples,
+		l.labelNameToFingerprints,
+		l.labelSetToFingerprints,
+		l.metricMembershipIndex,
 	}
 
-	errorChannel := make(chan error, len(persistences))
+	closerGroup := sync.WaitGroup{}
 
-	for _, persistence := range persistences {
-		name := persistence.name
-		closer := persistence.closer
-
-		go func(name string, closer io.Closer) {
-			if closer != nil {
-				closingError := closer.Close()
-
-				if closingError != nil {
-					log.Printf("Could not close a LevelDBPersistence storage container; inconsistencies are possible: %q\n", closingError)
-				}
-
-				errorChannel <- closingError
-			} else {
-				errorChannel <- nil
-			}
-		}(name, closer)
+	for _, closer := range persistences {
+		closerGroup.Add(1)
+		go func(closer leveldbCloser) {
+			closer.Close()
+			closerGroup.Done()
+		}(closer)
 	}
 
-	for i := 0; i < cap(errorChannel); i++ {
-		closingError := <-errorChannel
-
-		if closingError != nil {
-			return closingError
-		}
-	}
-
-	return nil
+	closerGroup.Wait()
 }
 
 func NewLevelDBMetricPersistence(baseDirectory string) (persistence *LevelDBMetricPersistence, err error) {
diff --git a/storage/metric/memory.go b/storage/metric/memory.go
index 7d4c2fb1c..b62263de3 100644
--- a/storage/metric/memory.go
+++ b/storage/metric/memory.go
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ func (s memorySeriesStorage) GetRangeValues(fp model.Fingerprint, i model.Interv
 	return
 }
 
-func (s memorySeriesStorage) Close() (err error) {
+func (s memorySeriesStorage) Close() {
 	// This can probably be simplified:
 	//
 	// s.fingerPrintToSeries = map[model.Fingerprint]*stream{}
@@ -344,8 +344,6 @@ func (s memorySeriesStorage) Close() (err error) {
 	for labelName := range s.labelNameToFingerprints {
 		delete(s.labelNameToFingerprints, labelName)
 	}
-
-	return
 }
 
 func (s memorySeriesStorage) GetAllValuesForLabel(labelName model.LabelName) (values model.LabelValues, err error) {
diff --git a/storage/metric/rule_integration_test.go b/storage/metric/rule_integration_test.go
index 21138a89f..65dcec2ea 100644
--- a/storage/metric/rule_integration_test.go
+++ b/storage/metric/rule_integration_test.go
@@ -552,13 +552,8 @@ func GetValueAtTimeTests(persistenceMaker func() (MetricPersistence, test.Closer
 		func() {
 			p, closer := persistenceMaker()
 
-			defer func() {
-				defer closer.Close()
-				err := p.Close()
-				if err != nil {
-					t.Fatalf("Encountered anomaly closing persistence: %q\n", err)
-				}
-			}()
+			defer closer.Close()
+			defer p.Close()
 
 			m := model.Metric{
 				model.MetricNameLabel: "age_in_years",
@@ -994,13 +989,8 @@ func GetBoundaryValuesTests(persistenceMaker func() (MetricPersistence, test.Clo
 		func() {
 			p, closer := persistenceMaker()
 
-			defer func() {
-				defer closer.Close()
-				err := p.Close()
-				if err != nil {
-					t.Fatalf("Encountered anomaly closing persistence: %q\n", err)
-				}
-			}()
+			defer closer.Close()
+			defer p.Close()
 
 			m := model.Metric{
 				model.MetricNameLabel: "age_in_years",
@@ -1348,13 +1338,8 @@ func GetRangeValuesTests(persistenceMaker func() (MetricPersistence, test.Closer
 		func() {
 			p, closer := persistenceMaker()
 
-			defer func() {
-				defer closer.Close()
-				err := p.Close()
-				if err != nil {
-					t.Fatalf("Encountered anomaly closing persistence: %q\n", err)
-				}
-			}()
+			defer closer.Close()
+			defer p.Close()
 
 			m := model.Metric{
 				model.MetricNameLabel: "age_in_years",
diff --git a/storage/metric/stochastic_test.go b/storage/metric/stochastic_test.go
index 10e0c5450..6045da867 100644
--- a/storage/metric/stochastic_test.go
+++ b/storage/metric/stochastic_test.go
@@ -189,12 +189,7 @@ func StochasticTests(persistenceMaker func() (MetricPersistence, test.Closer), t
 	stochastic := func(x int) (success bool) {
 		p, closer := persistenceMaker()
 		defer closer.Close()
-		defer func() {
-			err := p.Close()
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Error(err)
-			}
-		}()
+		defer p.Close()
 
 		seed := rand.NewSource(int64(x))
 		random := rand.New(seed)
diff --git a/storage/metric/test_helper.go b/storage/metric/test_helper.go
index c4c08a668..2a1cd74fc 100644
--- a/storage/metric/test_helper.go
+++ b/storage/metric/test_helper.go
@@ -56,12 +56,7 @@ func buildLevelDBTestPersistence(name string, f func(p MetricPersistence, t test
 			t.Errorf("Could not create LevelDB Metric Persistence: %q\n", err)
 		}
 
-		defer func() {
-			err := p.Close()
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Errorf("Anomaly while closing database: %q\n", err)
-			}
-		}()
+		defer p.Close()
 
 		f(p, t)
 	}
@@ -72,12 +67,7 @@ func buildMemoryTestPersistence(f func(p MetricPersistence, t test.Tester)) func
 
 		p := NewMemorySeriesStorage()
 
-		defer func() {
-			err := p.Close()
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Errorf("Anomaly while closing database: %q\n", err)
-			}
-		}()
+		defer p.Close()
 
 		f(p, t)
 	}
diff --git a/storage/metric/tiered.go b/storage/metric/tiered.go
index 81d0fee67..2ba080e68 100644
--- a/storage/metric/tiered.go
+++ b/storage/metric/tiered.go
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func (t *tieredStorage) MakeView(builder ViewRequestBuilder, deadline time.Durat
 	return
 }
 
-func (t *tieredStorage) rebuildDiskFrontier() (err error) {
+func (t *tieredStorage) rebuildDiskFrontier(i leveldb.Iterator) (err error) {
 	begin := time.Now()
 	defer func() {
 		duration := time.Since(begin)
@@ -153,9 +153,6 @@ func (t *tieredStorage) rebuildDiskFrontier() (err error) {
 		recordOutcome(duration, err, map[string]string{operation: appendSample, result: success}, map[string]string{operation: rebuildDiskFrontier, result: failure})
 	}()
 
-	i := t.diskStorage.metricSamples.NewIterator(true)
-	defer i.Close()
-
 	t.diskFrontier, err = newDiskFrontier(i)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
@@ -298,8 +295,6 @@ func (f *memoryToDiskFlusher) ForStream(stream stream) (decoder storage.RecordDe
 		flusher: f,
 	}
 
-	//	fmt.Printf("fingerprint -> %s\n", model.NewFingerprintFromMetric(stream.metric).ToRowKey())
-
 	return visitor, visitor, visitor
 }
 
@@ -309,11 +304,7 @@ func (f *memoryToDiskFlusher) Flush() {
 	for i := 0; i < length; i++ {
 		samples = append(samples, <-f.toDiskQueue)
 	}
-	start := time.Now()
 	f.disk.AppendSamples(samples)
-	if false {
-		fmt.Printf("Took %s to append...\n", time.Since(start))
-	}
 }
 
 func (f memoryToDiskFlusher) Close() {
@@ -360,11 +351,14 @@ func (t *tieredStorage) renderView(viewJob viewJob) {
 	var (
 		scans = viewJob.builder.ScanJobs()
 		view  = newView()
+		// Get a single iterator that will be used for all data extraction below.
+		iterator = t.diskStorage.metricSamples.NewIterator(true)
 	)
+	defer iterator.Close()
 
 	// Rebuilding of the frontier should happen on a conditional basis if a
 	// (fingerprint, timestamp) tuple is outside of the current frontier.
-	err = t.rebuildDiskFrontier()
+	err = t.rebuildDiskFrontier(iterator)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
@@ -374,10 +368,6 @@ func (t *tieredStorage) renderView(viewJob viewJob) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// Get a single iterator that will be used for all data extraction below.
-	iterator := t.diskStorage.metricSamples.NewIterator(true)
-	defer iterator.Close()
-
 	for _, scanJob := range scans {
 		seriesFrontier, err := newSeriesFrontier(scanJob.fingerprint, *t.diskFrontier, iterator)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/storage/raw/index/interface.go b/storage/raw/index/interface.go
index 237aab85f..11967fa00 100644
--- a/storage/raw/index/interface.go
+++ b/storage/raw/index/interface.go
@@ -21,5 +21,5 @@ type MembershipIndex interface {
 	Has(key coding.Encoder) (bool, error)
 	Put(key coding.Encoder) error
 	Drop(key coding.Encoder) error
-	Close() error
+	Close()
 }
diff --git a/storage/raw/index/leveldb/leveldb.go b/storage/raw/index/leveldb/leveldb.go
index a877a6d87..27303276e 100644
--- a/storage/raw/index/leveldb/leveldb.go
+++ b/storage/raw/index/leveldb/leveldb.go
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ type LevelDBMembershipIndex struct {
 	persistence *leveldb.LevelDBPersistence
 }
 
-func (l *LevelDBMembershipIndex) Close() error {
-	return l.persistence.Close()
+func (l *LevelDBMembershipIndex) Close() {
+	l.persistence.Close()
 }
 
 func (l *LevelDBMembershipIndex) Has(key coding.Encoder) (bool, error) {
diff --git a/storage/raw/interface.go b/storage/raw/interface.go
index 51f99b008..42cb049bb 100644
--- a/storage/raw/interface.go
+++ b/storage/raw/interface.go
@@ -16,14 +16,14 @@ package raw
 import (
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/coding"
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/storage"
-	"io"
 )
 
 // Persistence models a key-value store for bytes that supports various
 // additional operations.
 type Persistence interface {
-	io.Closer
-
+	// Close reaps all of the underlying system resources associated with this
+	// persistence.
+	Close()
 	// Has informs the user whether a given key exists in the database.
 	Has(key coding.Encoder) (bool, error)
 	// Get retrieves the key from the database if it exists or returns nil if
@@ -50,8 +50,9 @@ type Persistence interface {
 // en masse.  The interface implies no protocol around the atomicity of
 // effectuation.
 type Batch interface {
-	io.Closer
-
+	// Close reaps all of the underlying system resources associated with this
+	// batch mutation.
+	Close()
 	// Put follows the same protocol as Persistence.Put.
 	Put(key, value coding.Encoder)
 	// Drop follows the same protocol as Persistence.Drop.
diff --git a/storage/raw/leveldb/batch.go b/storage/raw/leveldb/batch.go
index 4af34d9f5..aec4ac547 100644
--- a/storage/raw/leveldb/batch.go
+++ b/storage/raw/leveldb/batch.go
@@ -50,8 +50,6 @@ func (b batch) Put(key, value coding.Encoder) {
 	b.batch.Put(keyEncoded, valueEncoded)
 }
 
-func (b batch) Close() (err error) {
+func (b batch) Close() {
 	b.batch.Close()
-
-	return
 }
diff --git a/storage/raw/leveldb/iterator.go b/storage/raw/leveldb/iterator.go
index 4f47198b4..b352eda16 100644
--- a/storage/raw/leveldb/iterator.go
+++ b/storage/raw/leveldb/iterator.go
@@ -38,4 +38,5 @@ type Iterator interface {
 	SeekToFirst() (ok bool)
 	SeekToLast() (ok bool)
 	Value() []byte
+	Close()
 }
diff --git a/storage/raw/leveldb/leveldb.go b/storage/raw/leveldb/leveldb.go
index 712d0a99f..901913196 100644
--- a/storage/raw/leveldb/leveldb.go
+++ b/storage/raw/leveldb/leveldb.go
@@ -15,10 +15,12 @@ package leveldb
 
 import (
 	"flag"
+	"fmt"
 	"github.com/jmhodges/levigo"
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/coding"
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/storage"
 	"github.com/prometheus/prometheus/storage/raw"
+	"time"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -57,9 +59,34 @@ type levigoIterator struct {
 	storage *levigo.DB
 	// closed indicates whether the iterator has been closed before.
 	closed bool
+	// valid indicates whether the iterator may be used.  If a LevelDB iterator
+	// ever becomes invalid, it must be disposed of and cannot be reused.
+	valid bool
+	// creationTime provides the time at which the iterator was made.
+	creationTime time.Time
 }
 
-func (i *levigoIterator) Close() (err error) {
+func (i levigoIterator) String() string {
+	var (
+		valid       = "valid"
+		open        = "open"
+		snapshotted = "snapshotted"
+	)
+
+	if i.closed {
+		open = "closed"
+	}
+	if !i.valid {
+		valid = "invalid"
+	}
+	if i.snapshot == nil {
+		snapshotted = "unsnapshotted"
+	}
+
+	return fmt.Sprintf("levigoIterator created at %s that is %s and %s and %s", i.creationTime, open, valid, snapshotted)
+}
+
+func (i *levigoIterator) Close() {
 	if i.closed {
 		return
 	}
@@ -81,38 +108,49 @@ func (i *levigoIterator) Close() (err error) {
 	i.storage = nil
 
 	i.closed = true
+	i.valid = false
 
 	return
 }
 
-func (i levigoIterator) Seek(key []byte) (ok bool) {
+func (i *levigoIterator) Seek(key []byte) bool {
 	i.iterator.Seek(key)
 
-	return i.iterator.Valid()
+	i.valid = i.iterator.Valid()
+
+	return i.valid
 }
 
-func (i levigoIterator) SeekToFirst() (ok bool) {
+func (i *levigoIterator) SeekToFirst() bool {
 	i.iterator.SeekToFirst()
 
-	return i.iterator.Valid()
+	i.valid = i.iterator.Valid()
+
+	return i.valid
 }
 
-func (i levigoIterator) SeekToLast() (ok bool) {
+func (i *levigoIterator) SeekToLast() bool {
 	i.iterator.SeekToLast()
 
-	return i.iterator.Valid()
+	i.valid = i.iterator.Valid()
+
+	return i.valid
 }
 
-func (i levigoIterator) Next() (ok bool) {
+func (i *levigoIterator) Next() bool {
 	i.iterator.Next()
 
-	return i.iterator.Valid()
+	i.valid = i.iterator.Valid()
+
+	return i.valid
 }
 
-func (i levigoIterator) Previous() (ok bool) {
+func (i *levigoIterator) Previous() bool {
 	i.iterator.Prev()
 
-	return i.iterator.Valid()
+	i.valid = i.iterator.Valid()
+
+	return i.valid
 }
 
 func (i levigoIterator) Key() (key []byte) {
@@ -166,7 +204,7 @@ func NewLevelDBPersistence(storageRoot string, cacheCapacity, bitsPerBloomFilter
 	return
 }
 
-func (l *LevelDBPersistence) Close() (err error) {
+func (l *LevelDBPersistence) Close() {
 	// These are deferred to take advantage of forced closing in case of stack
 	// unwinding due to anomalies.
 	defer func() {
@@ -283,7 +321,7 @@ func (l *LevelDBPersistence) Commit(b raw.Batch) (err error) {
 // will be leaked.
 //
 // The iterator is optionally snapshotable.
-func (l *LevelDBPersistence) NewIterator(snapshotted bool) levigoIterator {
+func (l *LevelDBPersistence) NewIterator(snapshotted bool) Iterator {
 	var (
 		snapshot    *levigo.Snapshot
 		readOptions *levigo.ReadOptions
@@ -299,11 +337,12 @@ func (l *LevelDBPersistence) NewIterator(snapshotted bool) levigoIterator {
 		iterator = l.storage.NewIterator(l.readOptions)
 	}
 
-	return levigoIterator{
-		iterator:    iterator,
-		readOptions: readOptions,
-		snapshot:    snapshot,
-		storage:     l.storage,
+	return &levigoIterator{
+		creationTime: time.Now(),
+		iterator:     iterator,
+		readOptions:  readOptions,
+		snapshot:     snapshot,
+		storage:      l.storage,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/storage/raw/leveldb/test/fixtures.go b/storage/raw/leveldb/test/fixtures.go
index 2cb8d35d9..f93aecb08 100644
--- a/storage/raw/leveldb/test/fixtures.go
+++ b/storage/raw/leveldb/test/fixtures.go
@@ -68,12 +68,8 @@ func (p preparer) Prepare(n string, f FixtureFactory) (t test.TemporaryDirectory
 		defer t.Close()
 		p.tester.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	defer func() {
-		err = persistence.Close()
-		if err != nil {
-			p.tester.Fatal(err)
-		}
-	}()
+
+	defer persistence.Close()
 
 	for f.HasNext() {
 		key, value := f.Next()