diff --git a/cuda_bindings/tests/test_nvjitlink.py b/cuda_bindings/tests/test_nvjitlink.py
index 66de16c56d..e221dd72ef 100644
--- a/cuda_bindings/tests/test_nvjitlink.py
+++ b/cuda_bindings/tests/test_nvjitlink.py
@@ -1,10 +1,24 @@
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2024-2025 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-NVIDIA-SOFTWARE-LICENSE
 
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+
 import pytest
 
 from cuda.bindings import nvjitlink, nvrtc
 
+
+@contextmanager
+def nvjitlink_session(num_options, options):
+    """Create an nvJitLink handle and always destroy it (including on test failure)."""
+    handle = nvjitlink.create(num_options, options)
+    try:
+        yield handle
+    finally:
+        if handle != 0:
+            nvjitlink.destroy(handle)
+
+
 # Establish a handful of compatible architectures and PTX versions to test with
 ARCHITECTURES = ["sm_75", "sm_80", "sm_90", "sm_100"]
 PTX_VERSIONS = ["6.4", "7.0", "8.5", "8.8"]
@@ -95,87 +109,78 @@ def test_invalid_arch_error():
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("option", ARCHITECTURES)
 def test_create_and_destroy(option):
-    handle = nvjitlink.create(1, [f"-arch={option}"])
-    assert handle != 0
-    nvjitlink.destroy(handle)
+    with nvjitlink_session(1, [f"-arch={option}"]) as handle:
+        assert handle != 0
 
 
 def test_create_and_destroy_bytes_options():
-    handle = nvjitlink.create(1, [b"-arch=sm_80"])
-    assert handle != 0
-    nvjitlink.destroy(handle)
+    with nvjitlink_session(1, [b"-arch=sm_80"]) as handle:
+        assert handle != 0
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("option", ARCHITECTURES)
 def test_complete_empty(option):
-    handle = nvjitlink.create(1, [f"-arch={option}"])
-    nvjitlink.complete(handle)
-    nvjitlink.destroy(handle)
+    with nvjitlink_session(1, [f"-arch={option}"]) as handle:
+        nvjitlink.complete(handle)
 
 
 @arch_ptx_parametrized
 def test_add_data(arch, ptx_bytes):
-    handle = nvjitlink.create(1, [f"-arch={arch}"])
-    nvjitlink.add_data(handle, nvjitlink.InputType.ANY, ptx_bytes, len(ptx_bytes), "test_data")
-    nvjitlink.complete(handle)
-    nvjitlink.destroy(handle)
+    with nvjitlink_session(1, [f"-arch={arch}"]) as handle:
+        nvjitlink.add_data(handle, nvjitlink.InputType.ANY, ptx_bytes, len(ptx_bytes), "test_data")
+        nvjitlink.complete(handle)
 
 
 @arch_ptx_parametrized
 def test_add_file(arch, ptx_bytes, tmp_path):
-    handle = nvjitlink.create(1, [f"-arch={arch}"])
-    file_path = tmp_path / "test_file.cubin"
-    file_path.write_bytes(ptx_bytes)
-    nvjitlink.add_file(handle, nvjitlink.InputType.ANY, str(file_path))
-    nvjitlink.complete(handle)
-    nvjitlink.destroy(handle)
+    with nvjitlink_session(1, [f"-arch={arch}"]) as handle:
+        file_path = tmp_path / "test_file.cubin"
+        file_path.write_bytes(ptx_bytes)
+        nvjitlink.add_file(handle, nvjitlink.InputType.ANY, str(file_path))
+        nvjitlink.complete(handle)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("arch", ARCHITECTURES)
 def test_get_error_log(arch):
-    handle = nvjitlink.create(1, [f"-arch={arch}"])
-    nvjitlink.complete(handle)
-    log_size = nvjitlink.get_error_log_size(handle)
-    log = bytearray(log_size)
-    nvjitlink.get_error_log(handle, log)
-    assert len(log) == log_size
-    nvjitlink.destroy(handle)
+    with nvjitlink_session(1, [f"-arch={arch}"]) as handle:
+        nvjitlink.complete(handle)
+        log_size = nvjitlink.get_error_log_size(handle)
+        log = bytearray(log_size)
+        nvjitlink.get_error_log(handle, log)
+        assert len(log) == log_size
 
 
 @arch_ptx_parametrized
 def test_get_info_log(arch, ptx_bytes):
-    handle = nvjitlink.create(1, [f"-arch={arch}"])
-    nvjitlink.add_data(handle, nvjitlink.InputType.ANY, ptx_bytes, len(ptx_bytes), "test_data")
-    nvjitlink.complete(handle)
-    log_size = nvjitlink.get_info_log_size(handle)
-    log = bytearray(log_size)
-    nvjitlink.get_info_log(handle, log)
-    assert len(log) == log_size
-    nvjitlink.destroy(handle)
+    with nvjitlink_session(1, [f"-arch={arch}"]) as handle:
+        nvjitlink.add_data(handle, nvjitlink.InputType.ANY, ptx_bytes, len(ptx_bytes), "test_data")
+        nvjitlink.complete(handle)
+        log_size = nvjitlink.get_info_log_size(handle)
+        log = bytearray(log_size)
+        nvjitlink.get_info_log(handle, log)
+        assert len(log) == log_size
 
 
 @arch_ptx_parametrized
 def test_get_linked_cubin(arch, ptx_bytes):
-    handle = nvjitlink.create(1, [f"-arch={arch}"])
-    nvjitlink.add_data(handle, nvjitlink.InputType.ANY, ptx_bytes, len(ptx_bytes), "test_data")
-    nvjitlink.complete(handle)
-    cubin_size = nvjitlink.get_linked_cubin_size(handle)
-    cubin = bytearray(cubin_size)
-    nvjitlink.get_linked_cubin(handle, cubin)
-    assert len(cubin) == cubin_size
-    nvjitlink.destroy(handle)
+    with nvjitlink_session(1, [f"-arch={arch}"]) as handle:
+        nvjitlink.add_data(handle, nvjitlink.InputType.ANY, ptx_bytes, len(ptx_bytes), "test_data")
+        nvjitlink.complete(handle)
+        cubin_size = nvjitlink.get_linked_cubin_size(handle)
+        cubin = bytearray(cubin_size)
+        nvjitlink.get_linked_cubin(handle, cubin)
+        assert len(cubin) == cubin_size
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("arch", ARCHITECTURES)
 def test_get_linked_ptx(arch, get_dummy_ltoir):
-    handle = nvjitlink.create(3, [f"-arch={arch}", "-lto", "-ptx"])
-    nvjitlink.add_data(handle, nvjitlink.InputType.LTOIR, get_dummy_ltoir, len(get_dummy_ltoir), "test_data")
-    nvjitlink.complete(handle)
-    ptx_size = nvjitlink.get_linked_ptx_size(handle)
-    ptx = bytearray(ptx_size)
-    nvjitlink.get_linked_ptx(handle, ptx)
-    assert len(ptx) == ptx_size
-    nvjitlink.destroy(handle)
+    with nvjitlink_session(3, [f"-arch={arch}", "-lto", "-ptx"]) as handle:
+        nvjitlink.add_data(handle, nvjitlink.InputType.LTOIR, get_dummy_ltoir, len(get_dummy_ltoir), "test_data")
+        nvjitlink.complete(handle)
+        ptx_size = nvjitlink.get_linked_ptx_size(handle)
+        ptx = bytearray(ptx_size)
+        nvjitlink.get_linked_ptx(handle, ptx)
+        assert len(ptx) == ptx_size
 
 
 def test_package_version():