diff --git a/changelog/1314.feature.rst b/changelog/1314.feature.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..440fce39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/1314.feature.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Workers that finish all their tests are now torn down immediately, freeing
+their subprocess memory instead of keeping them alive until the session ends.
diff --git a/src/xdist/dsession.py b/src/xdist/dsession.py
index 47e1de7d..45a78f4a 100644
--- a/src/xdist/dsession.py
+++ b/src/xdist/dsession.py
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ def worker_workerfinished(self, node: WorkerController) -> None:
                 crashitem = self.sched.remove_node(node)
                 assert not crashitem, (crashitem, node)
         self._active_nodes.remove(node)
+        node.ensure_teardown()
 
     def worker_internal_error(
         self, node: WorkerController, formatted_error: str
@@ -228,6 +229,7 @@ def worker_internal_error(
         here ourselves using the formatted message.
         """
         self._active_nodes.remove(node)
+        node.ensure_teardown()
         try:
             assert False, formatted_error
         except AssertionError:
diff --git a/src/xdist/workermanage.py b/src/xdist/workermanage.py
index 201c8e71..afdb43f2 100644
--- a/src/xdist/workermanage.py
+++ b/src/xdist/workermanage.py
@@ -114,7 +114,10 @@ def setup_node(
         return node
 
     def teardown_nodes(self) -> None:
-        self.group.terminate(self.EXIT_TIMEOUT)
+        try:
+            self.group.terminate(self.EXIT_TIMEOUT)
+        except OSError:
+            pass
 
     def _gettxspecs(self) -> list[execnet.XSpec]:
         return [execnet.XSpec(x) for x in parse_tx_spec_config(self.config)]
@@ -357,11 +360,20 @@ def ensure_teardown(self) -> None:
             if not self.channel.isclosed():
                 self.log("closing", self.channel)
                 self.channel.close()
-            # del self.channel
         if hasattr(self, "gateway"):
             self.log("exiting", self.gateway)
-            self.gateway.exit()
-            # del self.gateway
+            try:
+                self.gateway.exit()
+            except OSError:
+                pass
+            try:
+                self.gateway.join(timeout=1)
+            except Exception:
+                pass
+            try:
+                self.gateway._io.wait()
+            except Exception:
+                pass
 
     def send_runtest_some(self, indices: Sequence[int]) -> None:
         self.sendcommand("runtests", indices=indices)
diff --git a/testing/acceptance_test.py b/testing/acceptance_test.py
index 1b44985d..f47cba46 100644
--- a/testing/acceptance_test.py
+++ b/testing/acceptance_test.py
@@ -344,6 +344,44 @@ def pytest_testnodedown(node, error):
         assert "s2call" in s
         assert "Interrupted" in s
 
+    def test_idle_worker_freed_early(self, pytester: pytest.Pytester) -> None:
+        """Workers that finish all their tests should have their gateway
+        process terminated early, before the session ends (#1314)."""
+        pytester.makepyfile(
+            test_fast="""
+            import os
+            import pathlib
+
+            def test_fast(request):
+                pid_file = request.config.rootpath / "fast_worker_pid.txt"
+                pid_file.write_text(str(os.getpid()))
+        """,
+            test_slow="""
+            import os
+            import time
+            import pathlib
+
+            def test_slow(request):
+                pid_file = request.config.rootpath / "fast_worker_pid.txt"
+                # Wait for the fast worker to write its PID and be torn down.
+                for _ in range(40):
+                    time.sleep(0.1)
+                    if pid_file.exists():
+                        pid = int(pid_file.read_text())
+                        # Check if the process is gone (killed by ensure_teardown).
+                        try:
+                            os.kill(pid, 0)
+                        except OSError:
+                            # Process is dead - early teardown worked.
+                            return
+                raise AssertionError(
+                    "Fast worker process was not terminated during slow test"
+                )
+        """,
+        )
+        result = pytester.runpytest("-n2", "--dist=load")
+        result.assert_outcomes(passed=2)
+
     def test_keyboard_interrupt_dist(self, pytester: pytest.Pytester) -> None:
         # xxx could be refined to check for return code
         pytester.makepyfile(
diff --git a/testing/test_dsession.py b/testing/test_dsession.py
index 680b7ae0..2e258480 100644
--- a/testing/test_dsession.py
+++ b/testing/test_dsession.py
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ def send_steal(self, indices: Sequence[int]) -> None:
     def shutdown(self) -> None:
         self._shutdown = True
 
+    def ensure_teardown(self) -> None:
+        pass
+
     @property
     def shutting_down(self) -> bool:
         return self._shutdown