diff --git a/lmdb.h b/lmdb.h
index 701f4b46..7463e4e8 100644
--- a/lmdb.h
+++ b/lmdb.h
@@ -1414,6 +1414,13 @@ int  mdb_del(MDB_txn *txn, MDB_dbi dbi, MDB_val *key, MDB_val *data);
 	 * A cursor cannot be used when its database handle is closed.  Nor
 	 * when its transaction has ended, except with #mdb_cursor_renew().
 	 * It can be discarded with #mdb_cursor_close().
+	 *
+	 * MDBX-mode:
+	 * A cursor must be closed explicitly always, before
+	 * or after its transaction ends. It can be reused with
+	 * #mdb_cursor_renew() before finally closing it.
+	 *
+	 * LMDB-compatible mode:
 	 * A cursor in a write-transaction can be closed before its transaction
 	 * ends, and will otherwise be closed when its transaction ends.
 	 * A cursor in a read-only transaction must be closed explicitly, before
@@ -1421,6 +1428,7 @@ int  mdb_del(MDB_txn *txn, MDB_dbi dbi, MDB_val *key, MDB_val *data);
 	 * #mdb_cursor_renew() before finally closing it.
 	 * @note Earlier documentation said that cursors in every transaction
 	 * were closed when the transaction committed or aborted.
+	 *
 	 * @param[in] txn A transaction handle returned by #mdb_txn_begin()
 	 * @param[in] dbi A database handle returned by #mdb_dbi_open()
 	 * @param[out] cursor Address where the new #MDB_cursor handle will be stored
diff --git a/mdb.c b/mdb.c
index f9a3737a..6db4d996 100644
--- a/mdb.c
+++ b/mdb.c
@@ -933,7 +933,8 @@ struct MDB_xcursor;
 	 *	(A node with #F_DUPDATA but no #F_SUBDATA contains a subpage).
 	 */
 struct MDB_cursor {
-#define MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE (0xFE05D5B1^MDBX_MODE_SALT)
+#define MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_LIVE (0xFE05D5B1^MDBX_MODE_SALT)
+#define MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_CLOSED (0x90E297A7^MDBX_MODE_SALT)
 	unsigned	mc_signature;
 	/** Next cursor on this DB in this txn */
 	MDB_cursor	*mc_next;
@@ -2695,6 +2696,8 @@ mdb_cursors_close(MDB_txn *txn, unsigned merge)
 
 	for (i = txn->mt_numdbs; --i >= 0; ) {
 		for (mc = cursors[i]; mc; mc = next) {
+			mdb_ensure(NULL, mc->mc_signature == MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_LIVE
+				|| mc->mc_signature == MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_CLOSED);
 			next = mc->mc_next;
 			if ((bk = mc->mc_backup) != NULL) {
 				if (merge) {
@@ -2714,9 +2717,11 @@ mdb_cursors_close(MDB_txn *txn, unsigned merge)
 				}
 				mc = bk;
 			}
+#if ! MDBX_MODE_ENABLED
 			/* Only malloced cursors are permanently tracked. */
 			mc->mc_signature = 0;
 			free(mc);
+#endif
 		}
 		cursors[i] = NULL;
 	}
@@ -6465,7 +6470,7 @@ mdb_cursor_get(MDB_cursor *mc, MDB_val *key, MDB_val *data,
 	if (unlikely(mc == NULL))
 		return EINVAL;
 
-	if (unlikely(mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE))
+	if (unlikely(mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_LIVE))
 		return MDB_VERSION_MISMATCH;
 
 	if (unlikely(mc->mc_txn->mt_flags & MDB_TXN_BLOCKED))
@@ -6699,7 +6704,7 @@ mdb_cursor_put(MDB_cursor *mc, MDB_val *key, MDB_val *data,
 	if (unlikely(mc == NULL || key == NULL))
 		return EINVAL;
 
-	if (unlikely(mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE))
+	if (unlikely(mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_LIVE))
 		return MDB_VERSION_MISMATCH;
 
 	env = mc->mc_txn->mt_env;
@@ -7234,7 +7239,7 @@ mdb_cursor_del(MDB_cursor *mc, unsigned flags)
 	if (unlikely(!mc))
 		return EINVAL;
 
-	if (unlikely(mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE))
+	if (unlikely(mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_LIVE))
 		return MDB_VERSION_MISMATCH;
 
 	if (unlikely(mc->mc_txn->mt_flags & (MDB_TXN_RDONLY|MDB_TXN_BLOCKED)))
@@ -7777,7 +7782,7 @@ mdb_xcursor_init2(MDB_cursor *mc, MDB_xcursor *src_mx, int new_dupdata)
 static void
 mdb_cursor_init(MDB_cursor *mc, MDB_txn *txn, MDB_dbi dbi, MDB_xcursor *mx)
 {
-	mc->mc_signature = MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE;
+	mc->mc_signature = MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_LIVE;
 	mc->mc_next = NULL;
 	mc->mc_backup = NULL;
 	mc->mc_dbi = dbi;
@@ -7792,7 +7797,7 @@ mdb_cursor_init(MDB_cursor *mc, MDB_txn *txn, MDB_dbi dbi, MDB_xcursor *mx)
 	mc->mc_ki[0] = 0;
 	if (txn->mt_dbs[dbi].md_flags & MDB_DUPSORT) {
 		mdb_tassert(txn, mx != NULL);
-		mx->mx_cursor.mc_signature = MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE;
+		mx->mx_cursor.mc_signature = MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_LIVE;
 		mc->mc_xcursor = mx;
 		mdb_xcursor_init0(mc);
 	} else {
@@ -7850,14 +7855,23 @@ mdb_cursor_renew(MDB_txn *txn, MDB_cursor *mc)
 		return EINVAL;
 
 	if (unlikely(txn->mt_signature != MDBX_MT_SIGNATURE
-			|| mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE))
+			|| mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_LIVE))
 		return MDB_VERSION_MISMATCH;
 
 	if (unlikely(!TXN_DBI_EXIST(txn, mc->mc_dbi, DB_VALID)))
 		return EINVAL;
 
-	if (unlikely((mc->mc_flags & C_UNTRACK) || txn->mt_cursors))
+        if (unlikely((mc->mc_flags & C_UNTRACK) || txn->mt_cursors)) {
+#if MDBX_MODE_ENABLED
+		MDB_cursor **prev = &mc->mc_txn->mt_cursors[mc->mc_dbi];
+		while (*prev && *prev != mc) prev = &(*prev)->mc_next;
+		if (*prev == mc)
+			*prev = mc->mc_next;
+		mc->mc_signature = 0;
+#else
 		return EINVAL;
+#endif
+	}
 
 	if (unlikely(txn->mt_flags & MDB_TXN_BLOCKED))
 		return MDB_BAD_TXN;
@@ -7873,7 +7887,7 @@ mdb_cursor_count(MDB_cursor *mc, size_t *countp)
 	if (unlikely(mc == NULL || countp == NULL))
 		return EINVAL;
 
-	if (unlikely(mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE))
+	if (unlikely(mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_LIVE))
 		return MDB_VERSION_MISMATCH;
 
 	if (unlikely(mc->mc_txn->mt_flags & MDB_TXN_BLOCKED))
@@ -7932,12 +7946,11 @@ void
 mdb_cursor_close(MDB_cursor *mc)
 {
 	if (mc) {
-		mdb_ensure(NULL, mc->mc_signature == MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE);
+		mdb_ensure(NULL, mc->mc_signature == MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_LIVE);
 		if (!mc->mc_backup) {
 			/* Remove from txn, if tracked.
 			 * A read-only txn (!C_UNTRACK) may have been freed already,
-			 * so do not peek inside it.  Only write txns track cursors.
-			 */
+			 * so do not peek inside it.  Only write txns track cursors. */
 			if ((mc->mc_flags & C_UNTRACK) && mc->mc_txn->mt_cursors) {
 				MDB_cursor **prev = &mc->mc_txn->mt_cursors[mc->mc_dbi];
 				while (*prev && *prev != mc) prev = &(*prev)->mc_next;
@@ -7946,6 +7959,8 @@ mdb_cursor_close(MDB_cursor *mc)
 			}
 			mc->mc_signature = 0;
 			free(mc);
+		} else {
+			mc->mc_signature = MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_CLOSED;
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -7953,7 +7968,7 @@ mdb_cursor_close(MDB_cursor *mc)
 MDB_txn *
 mdb_cursor_txn(MDB_cursor *mc)
 {
-	if (unlikely(!mc || mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE))
+	if (unlikely(!mc || mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_LIVE))
 		return NULL;
 	return mc->mc_txn;
 }
@@ -7961,7 +7976,7 @@ mdb_cursor_txn(MDB_cursor *mc)
 MDB_dbi
 mdb_cursor_dbi(MDB_cursor *mc)
 {
-	if (unlikely(!mc || mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE))
+	if (unlikely(!mc || mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_LIVE))
 		return INT_MIN;
 	return mc->mc_dbi;
 }
diff --git a/mdbx.c b/mdbx.c
index 6e3cb210..c7393c7b 100644
--- a/mdbx.c
+++ b/mdbx.c
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ int mdbx_cursor_eof(MDB_cursor *mc)
 	if (unlikely(mc == NULL))
 		return EINVAL;
 
-	if (unlikely(mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE))
+	if (unlikely(mc->mc_signature != MDBX_MC_SIGNATURE_LIVE))
 		return MDB_VERSION_MISMATCH;
 
 	if ((mc->mc_flags & C_INITIALIZED) == 0)