diff --git a/src/dbnode/persist/fs/read_write_test.go b/src/dbnode/persist/fs/read_write_test.go
index 5c5e1889cc..edc10276be 100644
--- a/src/dbnode/persist/fs/read_write_test.go
+++ b/src/dbnode/persist/fs/read_write_test.go
@@ -494,12 +494,6 @@ func TestWriterOnlyWritesNonNilBytes(t *testing.T) {
 	filePathPrefix := filepath.Join(dir, "")
 	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
 
-	checkedBytes := func(b []byte) checked.Bytes {
-		r := checked.NewBytes(b, nil)
-		r.IncRef()
-		return r
-	}
-
 	w := newTestWriter(t, filePathPrefix)
 	writerOpts := DataWriterOpenOptions{
 		BlockSize: testBlockSize,
@@ -526,3 +520,9 @@ func TestWriterOnlyWritesNonNilBytes(t *testing.T) {
 		{"foo", nil, []byte{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}},
 	})
 }
+
+func checkedBytes(b []byte) checked.Bytes {
+	r := checked.NewBytes(b, nil)
+	r.IncRef()
+	return r
+}
diff --git a/src/dbnode/persist/fs/write.go b/src/dbnode/persist/fs/write.go
index e3f3f1882e..cb05a82c3b 100644
--- a/src/dbnode/persist/fs/write.go
+++ b/src/dbnode/persist/fs/write.go
@@ -152,15 +152,7 @@ func (w *writer) Open(opts DataWriterOpenOptions) error {
 		blockStart  = opts.Identifier.BlockStart
 		volumeIndex = opts.Identifier.VolumeIndex
 	)
-
-	w.blockSize = opts.BlockSize
-	w.start = blockStart
-	w.volumeIndex = volumeIndex
-	w.snapshotTime = opts.Snapshot.SnapshotTime
-	w.snapshotID = opts.Snapshot.SnapshotID
-	w.currIdx = 0
-	w.currOffset = 0
-	w.err = nil
+	w.reset(opts)
 
 	var (
 		shardDir            string
@@ -229,6 +221,22 @@ func (w *writer) Open(opts DataWriterOpenOptions) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (w *writer) reset(opts DataWriterOpenOptions) {
+	w.blockSize = opts.BlockSize
+	w.start = opts.Identifier.BlockStart
+	w.volumeIndex = opts.Identifier.VolumeIndex
+	w.snapshotTime = opts.Snapshot.SnapshotTime
+	w.snapshotID = opts.Snapshot.SnapshotID
+	w.currIdx = 0
+	w.currOffset = 0
+	w.err = nil
+	// This happens after writing the previous set of files index files, however, do it
+	// again to ensure they get cleared even if there was a premature error writing out the
+	// previous set of files which would have prevented them from being cleared.
+	w.indexEntries.releaseRefs()
+	w.indexEntries = w.indexEntries[:0]
+}
+
 func (w *writer) writeData(data []byte) error {
 	if len(data) == 0 {
 		return nil
diff --git a/src/dbnode/persist/fs/write_test.go b/src/dbnode/persist/fs/write_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2c8d718f1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/dbnode/persist/fs/write_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2019 Uber Technologies, Inc.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+// of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+// in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+// to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+// copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+// furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+// all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+// IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+// AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+// OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+// THE SOFTWARE.
+
+package fs
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/m3db/m3/src/dbnode/persist"
+	"github.com/m3db/m3/src/x/ident"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// TestWriteReuseAfterError was added as a regression test after it was
+// discovered that reusing a fileset writer after a called to Close() had
+// returned an error could make the fileset writer end up in a near infinite
+// loop when it was reused to write out a completely indepedent set of files.
+//
+// This test verifies that the fix works as expected and prevents regressions
+// of the issue.
+func TestWriteReuseAfterError(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := createTempDir(t)
+	filePathPrefix := filepath.Join(dir, "")
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+
+	seriesID := ident.StringID("series1")
+	w := newTestWriter(t, filePathPrefix)
+	writerOpts := DataWriterOpenOptions{
+		Identifier: FileSetFileIdentifier{
+			Namespace:   testNs1ID,
+			Shard:       0,
+			BlockStart:  time.Now().Truncate(time.Hour),
+			VolumeIndex: 0,
+		},
+		BlockSize:   time.Hour,
+		FileSetType: persist.FileSetFlushType,
+	}
+	data := checkedBytes([]byte{1, 2, 3})
+
+	require.NoError(t, w.Open(writerOpts))
+	require.NoError(t, w.Write(seriesID, ident.Tags{}, data, 0))
+	require.NoError(t, w.Write(seriesID, ident.Tags{}, data, 0))
+	require.Error(t, w.Close())
+
+	require.NoError(t, w.Open(writerOpts))
+	require.NoError(t, w.Close())
+}