diff --git a/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/js/comm.js b/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/js/comm.js
index 4cb24a6fa..04307cf40 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/js/comm.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/services/kernels/js/comm.js
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ define([
         return comm.comm_id;
     };
     
-    CommManager.prototype.unregister_comm = function (comm_id) {
+    CommManager.prototype.unregister_comm = function (comm) {
         // Remove a comm from the mapping
-        delete this.comms[comm_id];
+        delete this.comms[comm.comm_id];
     };
     
     // comm message handlers
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ define([
         if (comm === undefined) {
             return;
         }
-        delete this.comms[content.comm_id];
+        this.unregister_comm(comm);
         try {
             comm.handle_close(msg);
         } catch (e) {
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget.py
index 345a4c7ec..745e7d60f 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget.py
@@ -141,7 +141,6 @@ class Widget(LoggingConfigurable):
             # Create a comm.
             self._comm = Comm(target_name=self._model_name)
             self._comm.on_msg(self._handle_msg)
-            self._comm.on_close(self._close)
             Widget.widgets[self.model_id] = self
 
             # first update
@@ -158,21 +157,18 @@ class Widget(LoggingConfigurable):
     #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Methods
     #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    def _close(self):
-        """Private close - cleanup objects, registry entries"""
-        del Widget.widgets[self.model_id]
-        self._comm = None
 
     def close(self):
         """Close method.
 
-        Closes the widget which closes the underlying comm.
+        Closes the underlying comm.
         When the comm is closed, all of the widget views are automatically
         removed from the front-end."""
+        del Widget.widgets[self.model_id]
         if self._comm is not None:
             self._comm.close()
-            self._close()
-
+        self._comm = None
+    
     def send_state(self, key=None):
         """Sends the widget state, or a piece of it, to the front-end.