diff --git a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/DelegateFormatterStep.java b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/DelegateFormatterStep.java
index 829652a5d..18d64b475 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/DelegateFormatterStep.java
+++ b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/DelegateFormatterStep.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2022 DiffPlug
+ * Copyright 2022-2024 DiffPlug
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -29,4 +29,9 @@ abstract class DelegateFormatterStep implements FormatterStep {
 	public final String getName() {
 		return delegateStep.getName();
 	}
+
+	@Override
+	public void close() throws Exception {
+		delegateStep.close();
+	}
 }
diff --git a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/Formatter.java b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/Formatter.java
index 05b27c1cf..9400989dd 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/Formatter.java
+++ b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/Formatter.java
@@ -35,8 +35,6 @@
 
 import javax.annotation.Nullable;
 
-import com.diffplug.spotless.generic.FenceStep;
-
 /** Formatter which performs the full formatting. */
 public final class Formatter implements Serializable, AutoCloseable {
 	private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;
@@ -304,15 +302,10 @@ public boolean equals(Object obj) {
 	@Override
 	public void close() {
 		for (FormatterStep step : steps) {
-			if (step instanceof DelegateFormatterStep) {
-				step = ((DelegateFormatterStep) step).delegateStep;
-			}
-			if (step instanceof FormatterStepImpl.Standard) {
-				((FormatterStepImpl.Standard) step).cleanupFormatterFunc();
-			} else if (step instanceof FormatterStepEqualityOnStateSerialization) {
-				((FormatterStepEqualityOnStateSerialization) step).cleanupFormatterFunc();
-			} else if (step instanceof FenceStep.BaseStep) {
-				((FenceStep.BaseStep) step).cleanup();
+			try {
+				step.close();
+			} catch (Exception e) {
+				throw ThrowingEx.asRuntime(e);
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FormatterStep.java b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FormatterStep.java
index 26bc1e56e..d2e87b867 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FormatterStep.java
+++ b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FormatterStep.java
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
  * The input is guaranteed to have unix-style newlines, and the output is required
  * to not introduce any windows-style newlines as well.
  */
-public interface FormatterStep extends Serializable {
+public interface FormatterStep extends Serializable, AutoCloseable {
 	/** The name of the step, for debugging purposes. */
 	String getName();
 
diff --git a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FormatterStepEqualityOnStateSerialization.java b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FormatterStepEqualityOnStateSerialization.java
index 0ff279c5f..52bf9fc76 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FormatterStepEqualityOnStateSerialization.java
+++ b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FormatterStepEqualityOnStateSerialization.java
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ public int hashCode() {
 		return Arrays.hashCode(serializedState());
 	}
 
-	void cleanupFormatterFunc() {
+	@Override
+	public void close() {
 		if (formatter instanceof FormatterFunc.Closeable) {
 			((FormatterFunc.Closeable) formatter).close();
 			formatter = null;
diff --git a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FormatterStepImpl.java b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FormatterStepImpl.java
index 869e7b796..8e2982d6d 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FormatterStepImpl.java
+++ b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/FormatterStepImpl.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2016-2023 DiffPlug
+ * Copyright 2016-2024 DiffPlug
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ protected String format(State state, String rawUnix, File file) throws Exception
 			return formatter.apply(rawUnix, file);
 		}
 
-		void cleanupFormatterFunc() {
+		@Override
+		public void close() throws Exception {
 			if (formatter instanceof FormatterFunc.Closeable) {
 				((FormatterFunc.Closeable) formatter).close();
 				formatter = null;
@@ -114,6 +115,14 @@ protected String format(Integer state, String rawUnix, File file) throws Excepti
 			}
 			return formatter.apply(rawUnix, file);
 		}
+
+		@Override
+		public void close() throws Exception {
+			if (formatter instanceof FormatterFunc.Closeable) {
+				((FormatterFunc.Closeable) formatter).close();
+				formatter = null;
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	static void checkNotSentinel(File file) {
diff --git a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/generic/FenceStep.java b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/generic/FenceStep.java
index e1b486bc2..1db94d088 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/generic/FenceStep.java
+++ b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/generic/FenceStep.java
@@ -247,7 +247,8 @@ public int hashCode() {
 			return Objects.hash(name, regex.pattern(), regex.flags(), steps);
 		}
 
-		public void cleanup() {
+		@Override
+		public void close() {
 			if (formatter != null) {
 				formatter.close();
 				formatter = null;
diff --git a/testlib/src/test/java/com/diffplug/spotless/generic/FenceStepTest.java b/testlib/src/test/java/com/diffplug/spotless/generic/FenceStepTest.java
index 2f64dac0f..682855755 100644
--- a/testlib/src/test/java/com/diffplug/spotless/generic/FenceStepTest.java
+++ b/testlib/src/test/java/com/diffplug/spotless/generic/FenceStepTest.java
@@ -151,5 +151,11 @@ public String format(String rawUnix, File file) throws Exception {
 			return formatterFunc.apply(rawUnix, file);
 		}
 
+		@Override
+		public void close() throws Exception {
+			if (formatterFunc instanceof FormatterFunc.Closeable) {
+				((FormatterFunc.Closeable) formatterFunc).close();
+			}
+		}
 	}
 }