diff --git a/spec/operators/buffer-spec.ts b/spec/operators/buffer-spec.ts
index 56652ba3ce..f3d46cefa9 100644
--- a/spec/operators/buffer-spec.ts
+++ b/spec/operators/buffer-spec.ts
@@ -17,11 +17,26 @@ describe('Observable.prototype.buffer', () => {
     testScheduler.run(({ hot, expectObservable }) => {
       const a = hot('   -a-b-c-d-e-f-g-h-i-|');
       const b = hot('   -----B-----B-----B-|');
-      const expected = '-----x-----y-----z-|';
+      const expected = '-----x-----y-----z-(F|)';
       const expectedValues = {
         x: ['a', 'b', 'c'],
         y: ['d', 'e', 'f'],
         z: ['g', 'h', 'i'],
+        F: [],
+      };
+      expectObservable(a.pipe(buffer(b))).toBe(expected, expectedValues);
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should not emit a final buffer if the closingNotifier is already complete', () => {
+    testScheduler.run(({ hot, expectObservable }) => {
+      const a = hot('   -a-b-c-d-e-f-g-h-i-|');
+      const b = hot('   -----B-----B--|');
+      const expected = '-----x-----y-------(F|)';
+      const expectedValues = {
+        x: ['a', 'b', 'c'],
+        y: ['d', 'e', 'f'],
+        F: ['g', 'h', 'i'],
       };
       expectObservable(a.pipe(buffer(b))).toBe(expected, expectedValues);
     });
@@ -52,8 +67,8 @@ describe('Observable.prototype.buffer', () => {
     testScheduler.run(({ expectObservable }) => {
       const a = EMPTY;
       const b = EMPTY;
-      const expected = '|';
-      expectObservable(a.pipe(buffer(b))).toBe(expected);
+      const expected = '(F|)';
+      expectObservable(a.pipe(buffer(b))).toBe(expected, { F: [] });
     });
   });
 
@@ -61,8 +76,8 @@ describe('Observable.prototype.buffer', () => {
     testScheduler.run(({ hot, expectObservable }) => {
       const a = EMPTY;
       const b = hot('-----a-----');
-      const expected = '|';
-      expectObservable(a.pipe(buffer(b))).toBe(expected);
+      const expected = '(F|)';
+      expectObservable(a.pipe(buffer(b))).toBe(expected, { F: [] });
     });
   });
 
@@ -70,8 +85,10 @@ describe('Observable.prototype.buffer', () => {
     testScheduler.run(({ hot, expectObservable }) => {
       const a = hot('--1--2--^--3--4--5---6----7--8--9---0---|');
       const b = EMPTY;
-      const expected = '     --------------------------------|';
-      expectObservable(a.pipe(buffer(b))).toBe(expected);
+      const expected = '     --------------------------------(F|)';
+      expectObservable(a.pipe(buffer(b))).toBe(expected, {
+        F: ['3', '4', '5', '6', '7', '8', '9', '0'],
+      });
     });
   });
 
@@ -97,8 +114,8 @@ describe('Observable.prototype.buffer', () => {
     testScheduler.run(({ expectObservable }) => {
       const a = EMPTY;
       const b = NEVER;
-      const expected = '|';
-      expectObservable(a.pipe(buffer(b))).toBe(expected);
+      const expected = '(F|)';
+      expectObservable(a.pipe(buffer(b))).toBe(expected, { F: [] });
     });
   });
 
@@ -143,7 +160,7 @@ describe('Observable.prototype.buffer', () => {
     testScheduler.run(({ hot, expectObservable }) => {
       const a = hot('--1--2--^--3--4--5---6----7--8--9---0---|');
       const b = hot('--------^--a-------b---cd---------e---f---|');
-      const expected = '     ---a-------b---cd---------e---f-|';
+      const expected = '     ---a-------b---cd---------e---f-(F|)';
       const expectedValues = {
         a: ['3'],
         b: ['4', '5'],
@@ -151,23 +168,24 @@ describe('Observable.prototype.buffer', () => {
         d: [] as string[],
         e: ['7', '8', '9'],
         f: ['0'],
+        F: [],
       };
       expectObservable(a.pipe(buffer(b))).toBe(expected, expectedValues);
     });
   });
 
-  it(' work with selector completed', () => {
-    // Buffshoulder Boundaries onCompletedBoundaries (RxJS 4)
+  it('should work with selector completed', () => {
     testScheduler.run(({ hot, expectObservable, expectSubscriptions }) => {
       const a = hot('--1--2--^--3--4--5---6----7--8--9---0---|');
       const subs = '         ^-------------------------------!';
       const b = hot('--------^--a-------b---cd|               ');
-      const expected = '     ---a-------b---cd---------------|';
+      const expected = '     ---a-------b---cd---------------(F|)';
       const expectedValues = {
         a: ['3'],
         b: ['4', '5'],
         c: ['6'],
         d: [] as string[],
+        F: ['7', '8', '9', '0'],
       };
       expectObservable(a.pipe(buffer(b))).toBe(expected, expectedValues);
       expectSubscriptions(a.subscriptions).toBe(subs);
@@ -294,7 +312,7 @@ describe('Observable.prototype.buffer', () => {
     const results: any[] = [];
     const subject = new Subject<number>();
 
-    const source = subject.pipe(buffer(subject)).subscribe({
+    subject.pipe(buffer(subject)).subscribe({
       next: (value) => results.push(value),
       complete: () => results.push('complete'),
     });
@@ -304,7 +322,7 @@ describe('Observable.prototype.buffer', () => {
     subject.next(2);
     expect(results).to.deep.equal([[1], [2]]);
     subject.complete();
-    expect(results).to.deep.equal([[1], [2], 'complete']);
+    expect(results).to.deep.equal([[1], [2], [], 'complete']);
   });
 
   describe('equivalence with the window operator', () => {
diff --git a/src/internal/operators/buffer.ts b/src/internal/operators/buffer.ts
index a9deb9ae81..daf5b62766 100644
--- a/src/internal/operators/buffer.ts
+++ b/src/internal/operators/buffer.ts
@@ -44,10 +44,23 @@ import { OperatorSubscriber } from './OperatorSubscriber';
  */
 export function buffer<T>(closingNotifier: Observable<any>): OperatorFunction<T, T[]> {
   return operate((source, subscriber) => {
+    // The current buffered values. If this is null, it's because the
+    // closingNotifier has completed before the source.
     let currentBuffer: T[] = [];
 
     // Subscribe to our source.
-    source.subscribe(new OperatorSubscriber(subscriber, (value) => currentBuffer.push(value)));
+    source.subscribe(
+      new OperatorSubscriber(
+        subscriber,
+        (value) => currentBuffer.push(value),
+        // Pass all errors to the consumer.
+        undefined,
+        () => {
+          subscriber.next(currentBuffer);
+          subscriber.complete();
+        }
+      )
+    );
 
     // Subscribe to the closing notifier.
     closingNotifier.subscribe(
@@ -61,7 +74,6 @@ export function buffer<T>(closingNotifier: Observable<any>): OperatorFunction<T,
         },
         // Pass all errors to the consumer.
         undefined,
-        // Closing notifier should not complete the resulting observable.
         noop
       )
     );