diff --git a/api/download_subreddit_images.go b/api/download_subreddit_images.go
index cff0390..30556b3 100644
--- a/api/download_subreddit_images.go
+++ b/api/download_subreddit_images.go
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ func (api *API) downloadSubredditListImage(ctx context.Context, list reddit.List
 			}()
 
 			if imageFile := api.findImageFileForDevices(ctx, post, devices); imageFile != nil {
+				defer cleanup(imageFile)
 				err := api.saveImageToFSAndDatabase(ctx, imageFile, subreddit, post, acceptedDevices)
 				if err != nil {
 					log.New(ctx).Err(err).Error("failed to download subreddit image")
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ func (api *API) downloadSubredditImage(ctx context.Context, post reddit.Post, su
 	if err != nil {
 		return errs.Wrapw(err, "failed to download image to temp file")
 	}
-	defer tmpImageFile.Close()
+	defer cleanup(tmpImageFile)
 
 	thumbnailPath := post.GetThumbnailTargetPath(api.config)
 	_, errStat := os.Stat(thumbnailPath)
@@ -333,11 +334,12 @@ func (api *API) isImageEntryExists(ctx context.Context, post reddit.Post, device
 // Return nil if no image file exists for the devices.
 //
 // Ensure to close the file after use.
-func (api *API) findImageFileForDevices(ctx context.Context, post reddit.Post, devices models.DeviceSlice) (oldImageFile *os.File) {
+func (api *API) findImageFileForDevices(ctx context.Context, post reddit.Post, devices models.DeviceSlice) *os.File {
 	for _, device := range devices {
 		stat, err := os.Stat(post.GetImageTargetPath(api.config, device))
 		if err == nil {
-			oldImageFile, err = os.Open(post.GetImageTargetPath(api.config, device))
+			var err error
+			oldImageFile, err := os.Open(post.GetImageTargetPath(api.config, device))
 			if err != nil {
 				log.New(ctx).Err(err).Error("failed to open image file", "filename", post.GetImageTargetPath(api.config, device))
 				return nil
@@ -438,6 +440,10 @@ func (te *tempFile) Close() error {
 	return te.file.Close()
 }
 
+func (te *tempFile) Name() string {
+	return te.filename
+}
+
 // copyImageToTempDir copies the image to a temporary directory and returns the file handle
 //
 // file must be closed by the caller after use.
@@ -494,3 +500,13 @@ func (api *API) copyImageToTempDir(ctx context.Context, img reddit.PostImage) (t
 		filename: tmpFilename,
 	}, err
 }
+
+type removeableFile interface {
+	io.ReadCloser
+	Name() string
+}
+
+func cleanup(file removeableFile) {
+	_ = file.Close()
+	_ = os.Remove(file.Name())
+}