diff --git a/internal/datastore/common/tuple.go b/internal/datastore/common/tuple.go
index 854b84d705..492c14ce09 100644
--- a/internal/datastore/common/tuple.go
+++ b/internal/datastore/common/tuple.go
@@ -1,17 +1,16 @@
 package common
 
 import (
-	"runtime"
-
 	"github.com/authzed/spicedb/pkg/datastore"
 	"github.com/authzed/spicedb/pkg/datastore/options"
 	core "github.com/authzed/spicedb/pkg/proto/core/v1"
+	"github.com/authzed/spicedb/pkg/spiceerrors"
 )
 
 // NewSliceRelationshipIterator creates a datastore.TupleIterator instance from a materialized slice of tuples.
 func NewSliceRelationshipIterator(tuples []*core.RelationTuple, order options.SortOrder) datastore.RelationshipIterator {
 	iter := &sliceRelationshipIterator{tuples: tuples, order: order}
-	runtime.SetFinalizer(iter, MustIteratorBeClosed)
+	spiceerrors.SetFinalizerForDebugging(iter, MustIteratorBeClosed)
 	return iter
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/datastore/memdb/readonly.go b/internal/datastore/memdb/readonly.go
index 69cfdbecde..76790f62e8 100644
--- a/internal/datastore/memdb/readonly.go
+++ b/internal/datastore/memdb/readonly.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package memdb
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"runtime"
 	"slices"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
@@ -524,7 +523,7 @@ func eq(lhsNamespace, lhsObjectID, lhsRelation string, rhs *core.ObjectAndRelati
 
 func newMemdbTupleIterator(it memdb.ResultIterator, limit *uint64, order options.SortOrder) *memdbTupleIterator {
 	iter := &memdbTupleIterator{it: it, limit: limit, order: order}
-	runtime.SetFinalizer(iter, mustHaveBeenClosed)
+	spiceerrors.SetFinalizerForDebugging(iter, mustHaveBeenClosed)
 	return iter
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/spiceerrors/assert_off.go b/pkg/spiceerrors/assert_off.go
index c1ecd29c94..d537c77625 100644
--- a/pkg/spiceerrors/assert_off.go
+++ b/pkg/spiceerrors/assert_off.go
@@ -7,3 +7,8 @@ package spiceerrors
 func DebugAssert(condition func() bool, format string, args ...any) {
 	// Do nothing on purpose
 }
+
+// SetFinalizerForDebugging is a no-op in non-CI builds
+func SetFinalizerForDebugging[T any](obj interface{}, finalizer func(obj T)) {
+	// Do nothing on purpose
+}
diff --git a/pkg/spiceerrors/assert_on.go b/pkg/spiceerrors/assert_on.go
index 6b90a605c6..d64ec7d333 100644
--- a/pkg/spiceerrors/assert_on.go
+++ b/pkg/spiceerrors/assert_on.go
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@
 
 package spiceerrors
 
-import "fmt"
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"runtime"
+)
 
 // DebugAssert panics if the condition is false in CI builds.
 func DebugAssert(condition func() bool, format string, args ...any) {
@@ -11,3 +14,9 @@ func DebugAssert(condition func() bool, format string, args ...any) {
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf(format, args...))
 	}
 }
+
+// SetFinalizerForDebugging sets a finalizer on the object for debugging purposes
+// in CI builds.
+func SetFinalizerForDebugging[T any](obj interface{}, finalizer func(obj T)) {
+	runtime.SetFinalizer(obj, finalizer)
+}