diff --git a/lib/saxes.js b/lib/saxes.js
index 33f930d1..e671b126 100644
--- a/lib/saxes.js
+++ b/lib/saxes.js
@@ -1713,22 +1713,24 @@ ${XMLNS_NAMESPACE}.`);
    * @private
    */
   closeTag() {
-    if (!this.tagName) {
+    const { tags, tagName } = this;
+
+    // Our state after this will be S_TEXT, no matter what, and we can clear
+    // tagName now.
+    this.state = S_TEXT;
+    this.tagName = "";
+
+    if (!tagName) {
       this.fail("weird empty close tag.");
       this.textNode += "</>";
-      this.state = S_TEXT;
       return;
     }
 
-    const { tags } = this;
-    // first make sure that the closing tag actually exists.
-    // <a><b></c></b></a> will close everything, otherwise.
-    let t = tags.length;
-    const { tagName } = this;
-    const closeTo = tagName;
-    while (t--) {
-      const close = tags[t];
-      if (close.name !== closeTo) {
+    let l = tags.length;
+    while (l-- > 0) {
+      const tag = this.tag = tags.pop();
+      this.emitNode("onclosetag", tag);
+      if (tag.name !== tagName) {
         this.fail("unexpected close tag.");
       }
       else {
@@ -1736,24 +1738,14 @@ ${XMLNS_NAMESPACE}.`);
       }
     }
 
-    if (t < 0) {
-      this.fail(`unmatched closing tag: ${tagName}.`);
-      this.textNode += `</${tagName}>`;
-      this.state = S_TEXT;
-      return;
-    }
-    let s = this.tags.length;
-    while (s-- > t) {
-      const tag = this.tag = tags.pop();
-      this.emitNode("onclosetag", tag);
-    }
-    if (t === 0) {
+    if (l === 0) {
       this.inRoot = false;
       this.closedRoot = true;
     }
-    this.tagName = this.attribValue = this.attribName = "";
-    this.attribList = [];
-    this.state = S_TEXT;
+    else if (l < 0) {
+      this.fail(`unmatched closing tag: ${tagName}.`);
+      this.textNode += `</${tagName}>`;
+    }
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/test/close-without-open.js b/test/close-without-open.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dd863883
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/close-without-open.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+"use strict";
+
+const { test } = require(".");
+
+test({
+  name: "close a tag that was not opened",
+  xml: "</root>",
+  expect: [
+    ["error", "undefined:1:7: unmatched closing tag: root."],
+    ["error", "undefined:1:7: document must contain a root element."],
+    ["text", "</root>"],
+  ],
+  opt: {
+    xmlns: true,
+  },
+});