diff --git a/artiq/compiler/targets/__init__.py b/artiq/compiler/targets/__init__.py
index 141a7433f..e0715674b 100644
--- a/artiq/compiler/targets/__init__.py
+++ b/artiq/compiler/targets/__init__.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ llvm.initialize_all_asmprinters()
 class Target:
     """
     A description of the target environment where the binaries
-    generaed by the ARTIQ compiler will be deployed.
+    generated by the ARTIQ compiler will be deployed.
 
     :var triple: (string)
         LLVM target triple, e.g. ``"or1k"``
@@ -36,21 +36,20 @@ class Target:
             f.flush()
             return f
 
-        output_file = make_tempfile()
-        cmdline = [self.triple + "-ld", "-shared", "--eh-frame-hdr", "-init", init_fn] + \
-                  [make_tempfile(obj).name for obj in objects] + \
-                  ["-o", output_file.name]
-        linker = subprocess.Popen(cmdline, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
-        stdout, stderr = linker.communicate()
-        if linker.returncode != 0:
-            raise Exception("Linker invocation failed: " + stderr.decode('utf-8'))
+        try:
+            output_file = make_tempfile()
+            cmdline = [self.triple + "-ld", "-shared", "--eh-frame-hdr", "-init", init_fn] + \
+                      [make_tempfile(obj).name for obj in objects] + \
+                      ["-o", output_file.name]
+            linker = subprocess.Popen(cmdline, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
+            stdout, stderr = linker.communicate()
+            if linker.returncode != 0:
+                raise Exception("Linker invocation failed: " + stderr.decode('utf-8'))
 
-        output = output_file.read()
-
-        for f in files:
-            f.close()
-
-        return output
+            return output_file.read()
+        finally:
+            for f in files:
+                f.close()
 
     def compile(self, module):
         """Compile the module to a relocatable object for this target."""