diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute.py b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute.py
index 0ab99ca303..8484973f57 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/compute/test_compute.py
@@ -8373,9 +8373,11 @@ class ComputeAPITestCase(BaseTestCase):
                                    'schedule_and_build_instances',
                                    autospec=True)
         self.schedule_and_build_instances_mock = _patch.start()
+        self.addCleanup(_patch.stop)
         _patch = mock.patch.object(self.compute_api.compute_task_api,
                                    'rebuild_instance', autospec=True)
         self.rebuild_instance_mock = _patch.start()
+        self.addCleanup(_patch.stop)
 
         # Assume that we're always OK for network quota.
         def fake_validate_networks(context, requested_networks, num_instances):
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/pci/fakes.py b/nova/tests/unit/pci/fakes.py
index 106d6f2eb6..93ab33b27f 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/pci/fakes.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/pci/fakes.py
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ def patch_pci_whitelist(f):
     @functools.wraps(f)
     def wrapper(self, *args, **kwargs):
         patcher = fake_pci_whitelist()
-        f(self, *args, **kwargs)
-        patcher.stop()
+        try:
+            f(self, *args, **kwargs)
+        finally:
+            patcher.stop()
     return wrapper
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/scheduler/client/test_report.py b/nova/tests/unit/scheduler/client/test_report.py
index a0aee70262..f3355cfc0e 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/scheduler/client/test_report.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/scheduler/client/test_report.py
@@ -1058,9 +1058,10 @@ class TestSetAndClearAllocations(SchedulerReportClientTestCase):
         super(TestSetAndClearAllocations, self).setUp()
         # We want to reuse the mock throughout the class, but with
         # different return values.
-        self.mock_post = mock.patch(
-            'nova.scheduler.client.report.SchedulerReportClient.post').start()
-        self.addCleanup(self.mock_post.stop)
+        patcher = mock.patch(
+            'nova.scheduler.client.report.SchedulerReportClient.post')
+        self.mock_post = patcher.start()
+        self.addCleanup(patcher.stop)
         self.mock_post.return_value.status_code = 204
         self.rp_uuid = mock.sentinel.rp
         self.consumer_uuid = mock.sentinel.consumer
diff --git a/nova/tests/unit/volume/test_cinder.py b/nova/tests/unit/volume/test_cinder.py
index 37b165a358..47f500615f 100644
--- a/nova/tests/unit/volume/test_cinder.py
+++ b/nova/tests/unit/volume/test_cinder.py
@@ -989,10 +989,11 @@ class CinderClientTestCase(test.NoDBTestCase):
         self.ctxt = context.RequestContext('fake-user', 'fake-project')
         # Mock out the keystoneauth stuff.
         self.mock_session = mock.Mock(autospec=session.Session)
-        load_session = mock.patch('keystoneauth1.loading.'
+        patcher = mock.patch('keystoneauth1.loading.'
                                   'load_session_from_conf_options',
-                                  return_value=self.mock_session).start()
-        self.addCleanup(load_session.stop)
+                                  return_value=self.mock_session)
+        patcher.start()
+        self.addCleanup(patcher.stop)
 
     @mock.patch('cinderclient.client.get_volume_api_from_url',
                 return_value='3')