diff --git a/src/link/Coff.zig b/src/link/Coff.zig
index 32d4d382356865033a042f8583fbe3ed49d9701b..3ee34682e939a06e07e0781d3a616e65d6521cf0 100644
--- a/src/link/Coff.zig
+++ b/src/link/Coff.zig
@@ -134,16 +134,14 @@ pub fn openPath(allocator: Allocator, sub_path: []const u8, options: link.Option
         return createEmpty(allocator, options);
     }
 
+    const self = try createEmpty(allocator, options);
+    errdefer self.base.destroy();
+
     const file = try options.emit.?.directory.handle.createFile(sub_path, .{
         .truncate = false,
         .read = true,
         .mode = link.determineMode(options),
     });
-    errdefer file.close();
-
-    const self = try createEmpty(allocator, options);
-    errdefer self.base.destroy();
-
     self.base.file = file;
 
     // TODO Write object specific relocations, COFF symbol table, then enable object file output.
diff --git a/src/link/Elf.zig b/src/link/Elf.zig
index 467bbeee54d346a87f9b3ec45d6c28de55990eb1..08903f7c05e9489728d3a5f1051fd63e7289b165 100644
--- a/src/link/Elf.zig
+++ b/src/link/Elf.zig
@@ -299,15 +299,14 @@ pub fn openPath(allocator: Allocator, sub_path: []const u8, options: link.Option
         return createEmpty(allocator, options);
     }
 
+    const self = try createEmpty(allocator, options);
+    errdefer self.base.destroy();
+
     const file = try options.emit.?.directory.handle.createFile(sub_path, .{
         .truncate = false,
         .read = true,
         .mode = link.determineMode(options),
     });
-    errdefer file.close();
-
-    const self = try createEmpty(allocator, options);
-    errdefer self.base.destroy();
 
     self.base.file = file;
     self.shdr_table_dirty = true;
diff --git a/src/link/Plan9.zig b/src/link/Plan9.zig
index 4eaa6ed26b162c1f6fd627f389c36ce2d1de35d7..4648a6a673f7d8e398ccad2964d41f2d36b8d7d5 100644
--- a/src/link/Plan9.zig
+++ b/src/link/Plan9.zig
@@ -643,14 +643,16 @@ pub fn openPath(allocator: Allocator, sub_path: []const u8, options: link.Option
     if (options.use_llvm)
         return error.LLVMBackendDoesNotSupportPlan9;
     assert(options.object_format == .plan9);
+
+    const self = try createEmpty(allocator, options);
+    errdefer self.base.destroy();
+
     const file = try options.emit.?.directory.handle.createFile(sub_path, .{
         .read = true,
         .mode = link.determineMode(options),
     });
     errdefer file.close();
-
-    const self = try createEmpty(allocator, options);
-    errdefer self.base.destroy();
+    self.base.file = file;
 
     self.bases = defaultBaseAddrs(options.target.cpu.arch);
 
@@ -673,7 +675,6 @@ pub fn openPath(allocator: Allocator, sub_path: []const u8, options: link.Option
         },
     });
 
-    self.base.file = file;
     return self;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/link/SpirV.zig b/src/link/SpirV.zig
index ee3205c9f50950c593e8951185713ac2a54259b9..19cb1373ef19525fd33a01f8a4a1aa9492b6b5cf 100644
--- a/src/link/SpirV.zig
+++ b/src/link/SpirV.zig
@@ -104,13 +104,11 @@ pub fn openPath(allocator: Allocator, sub_path: []const u8, options: link.Option
     if (options.use_llvm) return error.LLVM_BackendIsTODO_ForSpirV; // TODO: LLVM Doesn't support SpirV at all.
     if (options.use_lld) return error.LLD_LinkingIsTODO_ForSpirV; // TODO: LLD Doesn't support SpirV at all.
 
-    // TODO: read the file and keep valid parts instead of truncating
-    const file = try options.emit.?.directory.handle.createFile(sub_path, .{ .truncate = true, .read = true });
-    errdefer file.close();
-
     const spirv = try createEmpty(allocator, options);
     errdefer spirv.base.destroy();
 
+    // TODO: read the file and keep valid parts instead of truncating
+    const file = try options.emit.?.directory.handle.createFile(sub_path, .{ .truncate = true, .read = true });
     spirv.base.file = file;
     return spirv;
 }
diff --git a/src/link/Wasm.zig b/src/link/Wasm.zig
index 81d77d5b66094aef25914b2fffc475d0c826d8dc..8f6dfacf4619c1e31e6491d27b793fbf23861227 100644
--- a/src/link/Wasm.zig
+++ b/src/link/Wasm.zig
@@ -105,13 +105,11 @@ pub fn openPath(allocator: Allocator, sub_path: []const u8, options: link.Option
         return createEmpty(allocator, options);
     }
 
-    // TODO: read the file and keep valid parts instead of truncating
-    const file = try options.emit.?.directory.handle.createFile(sub_path, .{ .truncate = true, .read = true });
-    errdefer file.close();
-
     const wasm_bin = try createEmpty(allocator, options);
     errdefer wasm_bin.base.destroy();
 
+    // TODO: read the file and keep valid parts instead of truncating
+    const file = try options.emit.?.directory.handle.createFile(sub_path, .{ .truncate = true, .read = true });
     wasm_bin.base.file = file;
 
     try file.writeAll(&(wasm.magic ++ wasm.version));