diff --git a/.gitlab/ci/check_missing_headers.sh b/.gitlab/ci/check_missing_headers.sh
index 25bcc1f35..d4f41c326 100755
--- a/.gitlab/ci/check_missing_headers.sh
+++ b/.gitlab/ci/check_missing_headers.sh
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@
 
 LIST=""
 
-for i in $(find spa/include -name '*.h' | sed s#spa/include/##);
+for i in $(find spa/include -name '*.h' -a -not -path 'spa/include/spa/utils/cleanup.h' | sed s#spa/include/##);
 do
 	[ -f "$PREFIX/include/spa-0.2/$i" ] || LIST="$i $LIST"
 done
 
-for i in $(find src/pipewire -name '*.h' -a -not -name '*private.h' | sed s#src/##);
+for i in $(find src/pipewire -name '*.h' -a -not -name '*private.h' -a -not -name 'cleanup.h' | sed s#src/##);
 do
 	[ -f "$PREFIX/include/pipewire-0.3/$i" ] || LIST="$i $LIST"
 done
diff --git a/spa/include/meson.build b/spa/include/meson.build
index 443db7dca..a143402e8 100644
--- a/spa/include/meson.build
+++ b/spa/include/meson.build
@@ -14,5 +14,8 @@ spa_sections = [
 
 spa_headers = 'spa'  # used by doxygen
 install_subdir('spa',
-  install_dir : get_option('includedir') / spa_name
+  install_dir : get_option('includedir') / spa_name,
+  exclude_files : [
+    'utils/cleanup.h',
+  ],
 )
diff --git a/spa/include/spa/utils/cleanup.h b/spa/include/spa/utils/cleanup.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..04e2bd193
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spa/include/spa/utils/cleanup.h
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+/* Simple Plugin API */
+/* SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright © 2023 PipeWire authors */
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT */
+
+#ifndef SPA_UTILS_CLEANUP_H
+#define SPA_UTILS_CLEANUP_H
+
+#if !defined(__has_attribute) || !__has_attribute(__cleanup__)
+#error "attribute `cleanup` is required"
+#endif
+
+#define spa_cleanup(func) __attribute__((__cleanup__(func)))
+
+#define SPA_DEFINE_AUTO_CLEANUP(name, type, ...) \
+typedef __typeof__(type) _spa_auto_cleanup_type_ ## name; \
+static inline void _spa_auto_cleanup_func_ ## name (__typeof__(type) *thing) \
+{ \
+	__VA_ARGS__ \
+}
+
+#define spa_auto(name) \
+	spa_cleanup(_spa_auto_cleanup_func_ ## name) \
+	_spa_auto_cleanup_type_ ## name
+
+#define SPA_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP(name, type, ...) \
+typedef __typeof__(type) * _spa_autoptr_cleanup_type_ ## name; \
+static inline void _spa_autoptr_cleanup_func_ ## name (__typeof__(type) **thing) \
+{ \
+	__VA_ARGS__ \
+}
+
+#define spa_autoptr(name) \
+	spa_cleanup(_spa_autoptr_cleanup_func_ ## name) \
+	_spa_autoptr_cleanup_type_ ## name
+
+#define spa_exchange(var, new_value) \
+__extension__ ({ \
+	__typeof__(var) _old_value = (var); \
+	(var) = (new_value); \
+	_old_value; \
+})
+
+#define spa_steal_ptr(ptr) ((__typeof__(*(ptr)) *) spa_exchange((ptr), NULL))
+#define spa_steal_fd(fd) spa_exchange((fd), -1)
+
+/* ========================================================================== */
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+#define spa_clear_ptr(ptr, destructor) \
+__extension__ ({ \
+	__typeof__(*(ptr)) *_old_value = spa_steal_ptr(ptr); \
+	if (_old_value) \
+		destructor(_old_value); \
+	(void) 0; \
+})
+
+static inline void _spa_autofree_cleanup_func(void *p)
+{
+	free(*(void **) p);
+}
+#define spa_autofree spa_cleanup(_spa_autofree_cleanup_func)
+
+/* ========================================================================== */
+
+#include <unistd.h>
+
+#define spa_clear_fd(fd) \
+__extension__ ({ \
+	int _old_value = spa_steal_fd(fd), _res = 0; \
+	if (_old_value >= 0) \
+		_res = close(_old_value); \
+	_res; \
+})
+
+static inline void _spa_autoclose_cleanup_func(int *fd)
+{
+	spa_clear_fd(*fd);
+}
+#define spa_autoclose spa_cleanup(_spa_autoclose_cleanup_func)
+
+/* ========================================================================== */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+SPA_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP(FILE, FILE, {
+	spa_clear_ptr(*thing, fclose);
+})
+
+/* ========================================================================== */
+
+#include <dirent.h>
+
+SPA_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP(DIR, DIR, {
+	spa_clear_ptr(*thing, closedir);
+})
+
+#endif /* SPA_UTILS_CLEANUP_H */
diff --git a/src/pipewire/cleanup.h b/src/pipewire/cleanup.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6a54e363b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pipewire/cleanup.h
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/* PipeWire */
+/* SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright © 2023 PipeWire authors */
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT */
+
+#ifndef PIPEWIRE_CLEANUP_H
+#define PIPEWIRE_CLEANUP_H
+
+#include <spa/utils/cleanup.h>
+
+#include <pipewire/properties.h>
+#include <pipewire/utils.h>
+
+SPA_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP(pw_properties, struct pw_properties, {
+	spa_clear_ptr(*thing, pw_properties_free);
+})
+
+SPA_DEFINE_AUTO_CLEANUP(pw_strv, char **, {
+	spa_clear_ptr(*thing, pw_free_strv);
+})
+
+#endif /* PIPEWIRE_CLEANUP_H */