diff --git a/beets/library.py b/beets/library.py
index dc9020d63..e9ac0b7e1 100644
--- a/beets/library.py
+++ b/beets/library.py
@@ -959,6 +959,8 @@ class Library(BaseLibrary):
             return it.next()
         except StopIteration:
             return None
+        finally:
+            it.close()
     
     def get_album(self, item_or_id):
         """Given an album ID or an item associated with an album,
@@ -976,8 +978,10 @@ class Library(BaseLibrary):
             'SELECT * FROM albums WHERE id=?',
             (album_id,)
         )
-        record = c.fetchone()
-        c.close()
+        try:
+            record = c.fetchone()
+        finally:
+            c.close()
         if record:
             return Album(self, dict(record))
 
diff --git a/beetsplug/bpd/__init__.py b/beetsplug/bpd/__init__.py
index 77db61a05..9d3d4baf8 100644
--- a/beetsplug/bpd/__init__.py
+++ b/beetsplug/bpd/__init__.py
@@ -889,8 +889,9 @@ class Server(BaseServer):
 
         statement = 'SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT artist), ' \
                            'COUNT(DISTINCT album) FROM items'
-        c = self.lib.conn.cursor()
-        result = c.execute(statement).fetchone()
+        c = self.lib.conn.execute(statement)
+        result = c.fetchone()
+        c.close()
         artists, albums = result[0], result[1]
 
         yield (u'artists: ' + unicode(artists),