diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/firecracker/microvm.py b/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/firecracker/microvm.py
index 7a8fe787e..d357fb6e0 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/firecracker/microvm.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/firecracker/microvm.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from pwd import getpwnam
 from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile
-from typing import Any
+from typing import Any, BinaryIO
 
 import msgpack
 from aleph_message.models import ItemHash
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ class MicroVM:
     mounted_rootfs: Path | None = None
     _unix_socket: Server | None = None
     enable_log: bool
+    journal_stdout: BinaryIO | int | None = None
+    journal_stderr: BinaryIO | int | None = None
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return f"<MicroVM {self.vm_id}>"
@@ -219,19 +221,19 @@ async def start_firecracker(self, config_path: Path) -> asyncio.subprocess.Proce
             str(config_path),
         )
         if self.enable_log:
-            journal_stdout = journal.stream(self._journal_stdout_name)
-            journal_stderr = journal.stream(self._journal_stderr_name)
+            self.journal_stdout = journal.stream(self._journal_stdout_name)
+            self.journal_stderr = journal.stream(self._journal_stderr_name)
         else:
-            journal_stdout = asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL
-            journal_stderr = asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL
+            self.journal_stdout = asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL
+            self.journal_stderr = asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL
 
         logger.debug(" ".join(options))
 
         self.proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
             *options,
             stdin=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
-            stdout=journal_stdout,
-            stderr=journal_stderr,
+            stdout=self.journal_stdout,
+            stderr=self.journal_stderr,
         )
         return self.proc
 
@@ -252,11 +254,11 @@ async def start_jailed_firecracker(self, config_path: Path) -> asyncio.subproces
 
         self.config_file_path = config_path
         if self.enable_log:
-            journal_stdout = journal.stream(self._journal_stdout_name)
-            journal_stderr = journal.stream(self._journal_stderr_name)
+            self.journal_stdout = journal.stream(self._journal_stdout_name)
+            self.journal_stderr = journal.stream(self._journal_stderr_name)
         else:
-            journal_stdout = asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL
-            journal_stderr = asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL
+            self.journal_stdout = asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL
+            self.journal_stderr = asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL
 
         options = (
             str(self.jailer_bin_path),
@@ -280,8 +282,8 @@ async def start_jailed_firecracker(self, config_path: Path) -> asyncio.subproces
         self.proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
             *options,
             stdin=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
-            stdout=journal_stdout,
-            stderr=journal_stderr,
+            stdout=self.journal_stdout,
+            stderr=self.journal_stderr,
         )
         return self.proc
 
@@ -480,6 +482,19 @@ async def teardown(self):
         if self.stderr_task:
             self.stderr_task.cancel()
 
+        if (
+            self.journal_stdout
+            and self.journal_stdout != asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL
+            and hasattr(self.journal_stdout, "close")
+        ):
+            self.journal_stdout.close()
+        if (
+            self.journal_stderr
+            and self.journal_stderr != asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL
+            and hasattr(self.journal_stderr, "close")
+        ):
+            self.journal_stderr.close()
+
         # Clean mounted block devices
         if self.mounted_rootfs:
             logger.debug("Waiting for one second for the VM to shutdown")
diff --git a/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/qemu/qemuvm.py b/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/qemu/qemuvm.py
index 1d707c2a5..5949fbdc4 100644
--- a/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/qemu/qemuvm.py
+++ b/src/aleph/vm/hypervisors/qemu/qemuvm.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 from asyncio.subprocess import Process
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import TextIO
+from typing import BinaryIO, TextIO
 
 import qmp
 from systemd import journal
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ class QemuVM:
     interface_name: str
     qemu_process: Process | None = None
     host_volumes: list[HostVolume]
+    journal_stdout: TextIO | None
+    journal_stderr: TextIO | None
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
         if self.qemu_process:
@@ -72,8 +74,8 @@ async def start(
         #  qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -m 2048 -net nic,model=virtio
         # -net tap,ifname=tap0,script=no,downscript=no -drive file=alpine.qcow2,media=disk,if=virtio -nographic
 
-        journal_stdout: TextIO = journal.stream(self._journal_stdout_name)
-        journal_stderr: TextIO = journal.stream(self._journal_stderr_name)
+        self.journal_stdout: BinaryIO = journal.stream(self._journal_stdout_name)
+        self.journal_stderr: BinaryIO = journal.stream(self._journal_stderr_name)
         # hardware_resources.published ports -> not implemented at the moment
         # hardware_resources.seconds -> only for microvm
         args = [
@@ -120,8 +122,8 @@ async def start(
         self.qemu_process = proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
             *args,
             stdin=asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL,
-            stdout=journal_stdout,
-            stderr=journal_stderr,
+            stdout=self.journal_stdout,
+            stderr=self.journal_stderr,
         )
 
         print(
@@ -149,3 +151,8 @@ def send_shutdown_message(self):
     async def stop(self):
         """Stop the VM."""
         self.send_shutdown_message()
+
+        if self.journal_stdout and self.journal_stdout != asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL:
+            self.journal_stdout.close()
+        if self.journal_stderr and self.journal_stderr != asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL:
+            self.journal_stderr.close()