diff --git a/lib/std/Io.zig b/lib/std/Io.zig
index cd846e5dae..a5584da61e 100644
--- a/lib/std/Io.zig
+++ b/lib/std/Io.zig
@@ -1184,8 +1184,6 @@ pub fn Select(comptime U: type) type {
     return struct {
         io: Io,
         group: Group,
-        /// The queue is never closed because there may be live resources
-        /// inserted into it which would otherwise leak.
         queue: Queue(U),
 
         const S = @This();
@@ -1235,7 +1233,7 @@ pub fn Select(comptime U: type) type {
                     const raw_result = @call(.auto, function, context.args);
                     const elem = @unionInit(U, @tagName(field), raw_result);
                     context.select.queue.putOneUncancelable(context.select.io, elem) catch |err| switch (err) {
-                        error.Closed => unreachable,
+                        error.Closed => {},
                     };
                     if (@typeInfo(@TypeOf(raw_result)) == .error_union)
                         _ = raw_result catch |err| if (err == error.Canceled) return error.Canceled;
@@ -1274,7 +1272,7 @@ pub fn Select(comptime U: type) type {
                     const raw_result = @call(.auto, function, context.args);
                     const elem = @unionInit(U, @tagName(field), raw_result);
                     context.select.queue.putOneUncancelable(context.select.io, elem) catch |err| switch (err) {
-                        error.Closed => unreachable,
+                        error.Closed => {},
                     };
                     if (@typeInfo(@TypeOf(raw_result)) == .error_union)
                         _ = raw_result catch |err| if (err == error.Canceled) return error.Canceled;
@@ -1286,6 +1284,8 @@ pub fn Select(comptime U: type) type {
 
         /// Blocks until another task of the select finishes.
         ///
+        /// It is legal to call `async` and `concurrent` after this.
+        ///
         /// Threadsafe.
         pub fn await(s: *S) Cancelable!U {
             return s.queue.getOne(s.io) catch |err| switch (err) {
@@ -1299,6 +1299,8 @@ pub fn Select(comptime U: type) type {
         ///
         /// Asserts that `buffer.len >= min`.
         ///
+        /// It is legal to call `async` and `concurrent` after this.
+        ///
         /// Threadsafe.
         pub fn awaitMany(s: *S, buffer: []U, min: usize) Cancelable!usize {
             return s.queue.get(s.io, buffer, min) catch |err| switch (err) {
@@ -1307,16 +1309,53 @@ pub fn Select(comptime U: type) type {
             };
         }
 
-        /// Equivalent to `await` but requests cancelation on all remaining
-        /// tasks owned by the select.
+        /// Requests cancelation on all remaining tasks owned by the select,
+        /// then blocks until they all finish. If the select was initialized
+        /// with insufficient buffer space for all remaining tasks to finish, a
+        /// deadlock occurs.
         ///
-        /// For a description of cancelation and cancelation points, see `Future.cancel`.
+        /// If any of the select tasks allocate resources, those tasks may have
+        /// completed, meaning that this function must be called in a loop
+        /// until `null` is returned in order to deallocate those resources. If
+        /// there is no possibility of resource leaks, `cancelDiscard` is
+        /// preferable.
         ///
-        /// It is illegal to call `await` after this.
+        /// It is illegal to call `await` or `awaitMany` after this.
         ///
-        /// Idempotent. Threadsafe.
-        pub fn cancel(s: *S) void {
-            s.group.cancel(s.io);
+        /// It is safe to call this multiple times, even after `null` is
+        /// returned.
+        ///
+        /// Threadsafe.
+        pub fn cancel(s: *S) ?U {
+            const io = s.io;
+            if (s.group.token.load(.acquire)) |token| {
+                io.vtable.groupCancel(io.userdata, &s.group, token);
+                assert(s.group.token.raw == null);
+                s.queue.close(io);
+            }
+            return s.queue.getOneUncancelable(io) catch |err| switch (err) {
+                error.Closed => return null,
+            };
+        }
+
+        /// Requests cancelation on all remaining tasks owned by the select,
+        /// then blocks until they all finish.
+        ///
+        /// All return values from outstanding tasks are discarded. This
+        /// function is therefore inappropriate to call when a task can return
+        /// an allocated resource. For that use case, see `cancel`.
+        ///
+        /// It is illegal to call `await` or `awaitMany` after this.
+        ///
+        /// It is safe to call this multiple times.
+        ///
+        /// Threadsafe.
+        pub fn cancelDiscard(s: *S) void {
+            const io = s.io;
+            const token = s.group.token.load(.acquire) orelse return;
+            s.queue.close(io);
+            io.vtable.groupCancel(io.userdata, &s.group, token);
+            assert(s.group.token.raw == null);
         }
     };
 }
@@ -1693,6 +1732,12 @@ pub const TypeErasedQueue = struct {
         };
     }
 
+    /// After this is called, the queue enters a "closed" state. A closed
+    /// queue always returns `error.Closed` for put attempts even when
+    /// there is space in the buffer. However, existing elements of the
+    /// queue are retrieved before `error.Closed` is returned.
+    ///
+    /// Threadsafe.
     pub fn close(q: *TypeErasedQueue, io: Io) void {
         q.mutex.lockUncancelable(io);
         defer q.mutex.unlock(io);
@@ -1967,6 +2012,12 @@ pub fn Queue(Elem: type) type {
             return .{ .type_erased = .init(@ptrCast(buffer)) };
         }
 
+        /// After this is called, the queue enters a "closed" state. A closed
+        /// queue always returns `error.Closed` for put attempts even when
+        /// there is space in the buffer. However, existing elements of the
+        /// queue are retrieved before `error.Closed` is returned.
+        ///
+        /// Threadsafe.
         pub fn close(q: *@This(), io: Io) void {
             q.type_erased.close(io);
         }
diff --git a/lib/std/Io/test.zig b/lib/std/Io/test.zig
index 5da87cca28..587c23eb85 100644
--- a/lib/std/Io/test.zig
+++ b/lib/std/Io/test.zig
@@ -835,7 +835,7 @@ test "Select" {
     };
     var buffer: [4]U = undefined;
     var select: Io.Select(U) = .init(io, &buffer);
-    defer select.cancel();
+    defer _ = select.cancel();
 
     select.async(.foo, S.foo, .{});
     select.concurrent(.bar, S.bar, .{io}) catch |err| switch (err) {
@@ -864,3 +864,27 @@ test "Select" {
 
     try testing.expectEqual(42, result);
 }
+
+test "Select with empty buffer, no deadlock" {
+    const S = struct {
+        fn sleeper(io: Io, duration: Io.Duration) Io.Cancelable!void {
+            try io.sleep(duration, .awake);
+        }
+    };
+
+    const io = testing.io;
+
+    const U = union(enum) {
+        sleeper: Io.Cancelable!void,
+    };
+    var select: Io.Select(U) = .init(io, &.{});
+    defer select.cancelDiscard();
+
+    select.concurrent(.sleeper, S.sleeper, .{ io, .fromNanoseconds(1) }) catch |err| switch (err) {
+        error.ConcurrencyUnavailable => return error.SkipZigTest,
+    };
+    select.concurrent(.sleeper, S.sleeper, .{ io, .fromSeconds(600) }) catch |err| switch (err) {
+        error.ConcurrencyUnavailable => return error.SkipZigTest,
+    };
+    assert((try select.await()) == .sleeper);
+}