diff --git a/packages/cli-module-build/src/lib/runner/runBackend.ts b/packages/cli-module-build/src/lib/runner/runBackend.ts
index 272eddd360..464ff10cec 100644
--- a/packages/cli-module-build/src/lib/runner/runBackend.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-module-build/src/lib/runner/runBackend.ts
@@ -232,6 +232,9 @@ async function readDatabaseClient(
   });
 
   const config = await ConfigSources.toConfig(source);
-  config.close();
-  return config.getOptionalString('backend.database.client');
+  try {
+    return config.getOptionalString('backend.database.client');
+  } finally {
+    config.close();
+  }
 }
diff --git a/packages/cli-module-build/src/lib/runner/startEmbeddedDb.ts b/packages/cli-module-build/src/lib/runner/startEmbeddedDb.ts
index d667a43ae8..c94a5a7f46 100644
--- a/packages/cli-module-build/src/lib/runner/startEmbeddedDb.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-module-build/src/lib/runner/startEmbeddedDb.ts
@@ -92,11 +92,14 @@ export async function startEmbeddedDb() {
     onLog() {},
   });
 
-  // Create the cluster config files
-  await pg.initialise();
-
-  // Start the server
-  await pg.start();
+  try {
+    await pg.initialise();
+    await pg.start();
+  } catch (error) {
+    await pg.stop().catch(() => {});
+    await fs.remove(tmpDir).catch(() => {});
+    throw error;
+  }
 
   return {
     connection: {