diff --git a/rally/plugins/openstack/wrappers/glance.py b/rally/plugins/openstack/wrappers/glance.py
index c1f27bb0..d497cbc1 100644
--- a/rally/plugins/openstack/wrappers/glance.py
+++ b/rally/plugins/openstack/wrappers/glance.py
@@ -163,16 +163,19 @@ class GlanceV2Wrapper(GlanceWrapper):
         timeout = time.time() - start
 
         image_data = None
+        response = None
         try:
             if os.path.isfile(image_location):
                 image_data = open(image_location)
             else:
-                response = requests.get(image_location)
+                response = requests.get(image_location, stream=True)
                 image_data = response.raw
             self.client.images.upload(image.id, image_data)
         finally:
             if image_data is not None:
                 image_data.close()
+            if response is not None:
+                response.close()
 
         return utils.wait_for_status(
             image, ["active"],
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/openstack/wrappers/test_glance.py b/tests/unit/plugins/openstack/wrappers/test_glance.py
index 10951577..fe4acf0e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/openstack/wrappers/test_glance.py
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/openstack/wrappers/test_glance.py
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ class GlanceV2WrapperTestCase(test.ScenarioTestCase, GlanceWrapperTestBase):
             mock_open.assert_called_once_with(location)
         else:
             data = mock_requests_get.return_value.raw
-            mock_requests_get.assert_called_once_with(location)
+            mock_requests_get.assert_called_once_with(location, stream=True)
         data.close.assert_called_once_with()
         self.client().images.upload.assert_called_once_with(created_image.id,
                                                             data)