diff --git a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/context/aot/TestContextAotGenerator.java b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/context/aot/TestContextAotGenerator.java
index 953aa1094f..490416d4b9 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/context/aot/TestContextAotGenerator.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/main/java/org/springframework/test/context/aot/TestContextAotGenerator.java
@@ -314,8 +314,7 @@ public class TestContextAotGenerator {
 	ClassName processAheadOfTime(MergedContextConfiguration mergedConfig,
 			GenerationContext generationContext) throws TestContextAotException {
 
-		GenericApplicationContext gac = loadContextForAotProcessing(mergedConfig);
-		try {
+		try (GenericApplicationContext gac = loadContextForAotProcessing(mergedConfig)) {
 			return this.aotGenerator.processAheadOfTime(gac, generationContext);
 		}
 		catch (Throwable ex) {
@@ -333,7 +332,7 @@ public class TestContextAotGenerator {
 	 * context or if one of the prerequisites is not met
 	 * @see AotContextLoader#loadContextForAotProcessing(MergedContextConfiguration, RuntimeHints)
 	 */
-	private GenericApplicationContext loadContextForAotProcessing(
+	GenericApplicationContext loadContextForAotProcessing(
 			MergedContextConfiguration mergedConfig) throws TestContextAotException {
 
 		Class<?> testClass = mergedConfig.getTestClass();
diff --git a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/context/aot/TestContextAotGeneratorTests.java b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/context/aot/TestContextAotGeneratorTests.java
index 2e9dd795cf..de275583b8 100644
--- a/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/context/aot/TestContextAotGeneratorTests.java
+++ b/spring-test/src/test/java/org/springframework/test/context/aot/TestContextAotGeneratorTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2024 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2025 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -16,13 +16,23 @@
 
 package org.springframework.test.context.aot;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.stream.Stream;
+
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.ParameterizedTest;
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.ValueSource;
 
+import org.springframework.aot.generate.GeneratedFiles;
+import org.springframework.aot.generate.InMemoryGeneratedFiles;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
+import org.springframework.context.support.GenericApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.core.SpringProperties;
+import org.springframework.test.context.MergedContextConfiguration;
+import org.springframework.test.context.junit.jupiter.SpringJUnitConfig;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.springframework.test.context.aot.TestContextAotGenerator.FAIL_ON_ERROR_PROPERTY_NAME;
@@ -60,9 +70,55 @@ class TestContextAotGeneratorTests {
 		assertThat(createGenerator().failOnError).isFalse();
 	}
 
+	@Test  // gh-34841
+	void contextIsClosedAfterAotProcessing() {
+		DemoTestContextAotGenerator generator = createGenerator();
+		generator.processAheadOfTime(Stream.of(TestCase1.class, TestCase2.class));
 
-	private static TestContextAotGenerator createGenerator() {
-		return new TestContextAotGenerator(null);
+		assertThat(generator.contexts)
+				.allSatisfy(context -> assertThat(context.isClosed()).as("context is closed").isTrue());
+	}
+
+
+	private static DemoTestContextAotGenerator createGenerator() {
+		return new DemoTestContextAotGenerator(new InMemoryGeneratedFiles());
+	}
+
+
+	private static class DemoTestContextAotGenerator extends TestContextAotGenerator {
+
+		List<GenericApplicationContext> contexts = new ArrayList<>();
+
+		DemoTestContextAotGenerator(GeneratedFiles generatedFiles) {
+			super(generatedFiles);
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		GenericApplicationContext loadContextForAotProcessing(
+				MergedContextConfiguration mergedConfig) throws TestContextAotException {
+
+			GenericApplicationContext context = super.loadContextForAotProcessing(mergedConfig);
+			this.contexts.add(context);
+			return context;
+		}
+	}
+
+	@SpringJUnitConfig
+	private static class TestCase1 {
+
+		@Configuration(proxyBeanMethods = false)
+		static class Config {
+			// no beans
+		}
+	}
+
+	@SpringJUnitConfig
+	private static class TestCase2 {
+
+		@Configuration(proxyBeanMethods = false)
+		static class Config {
+			// no beans
+		}
 	}
 
 }