diff --git a/src/fileimpl.cpp b/src/fileimpl.cpp
index fea3c777..882f9ae5 100644
--- a/src/fileimpl.cpp
+++ b/src/fileimpl.cpp
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ class Grouping
   {}
 #endif
 
-  FileImpl::FileImpl(std::shared_ptr<FileCompound> _zimFile)
+  FileImpl::FileImpl(std::shared_ptr<FileCompound> _zimFile) try
     : zimFile(_zimFile),
       zimReader(makeFileReader(zimFile)),
       direntReader(new DirentReader(zimReader)),
@@ -265,6 +265,9 @@ class Grouping
     m_byTitleDirentLookup.reset(new ByTitleDirentLookup(mp_titleDirentAccessor.get()));
 
     readMimeTypes();
+  } catch (...) {
+    getClusterCache().drop_all([=](const std::tuple<FileImpl*, cluster_index_type>& key) {return std::get<0>(key) == this;});
+    throw;
   }
 
   FileImpl::~FileImpl() {
diff --git a/test/archive.cpp b/test/archive.cpp
index c91f16b4..81960b7c 100644
--- a/test/archive.cpp
+++ b/test/archive.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ class ZimArchive: public testing::Test {
     zim::set_cluster_cache_max_size(CLUSTER_CACHE_SIZE);
     ASSERT_EQ(zim::get_cluster_cache_current_size(), 0);
   }
+  void TearDown() override {
+    ASSERT_EQ(zim::get_cluster_cache_current_size(), 0);
+  }
 };
 
 using TestContextImpl = std::vector<std::pair<std::string, std::string> >;
@@ -691,7 +694,8 @@ class CapturedStderr
 #define EXPECT_BROKEN_ZIMFILE(ZIMPATH, EXPECTED_STDERROR_TEXT) \
   CapturedStderr stderror;                                     \
   EXPECT_FALSE(zim::validate(ZIMPATH, checksToRun));           \
-  EXPECT_EQ(EXPECTED_STDERROR_TEXT, std::string(stderror)) << ZIMPATH;
+  EXPECT_EQ(EXPECTED_STDERROR_TEXT, std::string(stderror)) << ZIMPATH; \
+  ASSERT_EQ(zim::get_cluster_cache_current_size(), 0);
 
 #define TEST_BROKEN_ZIM_NAME(ZIMNAME, EXPECTED)                \
 for(auto& testfile: getDataFilePath(ZIMNAME)) {EXPECT_BROKEN_ZIMFILE(testfile.path, EXPECTED)}