diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/animation.py b/lib/matplotlib/animation.py
index b4f1b77bb967..48d596fbc0ec 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/animation.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/animation.py
@@ -236,8 +236,10 @@ def saving(self, *args, **kw):
         '''
         # This particular sequence is what contextlib.contextmanager wants
         self.setup(*args, **kw)
-        yield
-        self.finish()
+        try:
+            yield self
+        finally:
+            self.finish()
 
     def _run(self):
         # Uses subprocess to call the program for assembling frames into a