diff --git a/capa/features/extractors/ghidra/extractor.py b/capa/features/extractors/ghidra/extractor.py
index d348d9f7..f189e31b 100644
--- a/capa/features/extractors/ghidra/extractor.py
+++ b/capa/features/extractors/ghidra/extractor.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+import weakref
 import contextlib
 from typing import Iterator
 
@@ -58,19 +59,17 @@ class GhidraFeatureExtractor(StaticFeatureExtractor):
         self.externs = ghidra_helpers.get_file_externs()
         self.fakes = ghidra_helpers.map_fake_import_addrs()
 
+        # Register cleanup to run when the extractor is garbage collected or when the program exits.
+        # We use weakref.finalize instead of __del__ to avoid issues with reference cycles and
+        # to ensure deterministic cleanup on interpreter shutdown.
+        if self.ctx_manager or self.tmpdir:
+            weakref.finalize(self, cleanup, self.ctx_manager, self.tmpdir)
+
     def get_base_address(self):
         import capa.features.extractors.ghidra.helpers as ghidra_helpers
 
         return AbsoluteVirtualAddress(ghidra_helpers.get_current_program().getImageBase().getOffset())
 
-    def __del__(self):
-        if hasattr(self, "ctx_manager") and self.ctx_manager:
-            with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
-                self.ctx_manager.__exit__(None, None, None)
-        if hasattr(self, "tmpdir") and self.tmpdir:
-            with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
-                self.tmpdir.cleanup()
-
     def extract_global_features(self):
         yield from self.global_features
 
@@ -113,3 +112,12 @@ class GhidraFeatureExtractor(StaticFeatureExtractor):
 
     def extract_insn_features(self, fh: FunctionHandle, bbh: BBHandle, ih: InsnHandle):
         yield from capa.features.extractors.ghidra.insn.extract_features(fh, bbh, ih)
+
+
+def cleanup(ctx_manager, tmpdir):
+    if ctx_manager:
+        with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
+            ctx_manager.__exit__(None, None, None)
+    if tmpdir:
+        with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
+            tmpdir.cleanup()
diff --git a/capa/loader.py b/capa/loader.py
index 800a0185..448aeee0 100644
--- a/capa/loader.py
+++ b/capa/loader.py
@@ -368,21 +368,47 @@ def get_extractor(
 
             tmpdir = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()
 
-            # PyGhidra's open_program returns a context manager.
-            # We manually enter it here and pass it to the extractor, which will exit it when done.
-            cm = pyghidra.open_program(str(input_path), project_location=tmpdir.name)
-            flat_api = cm.__enter__()
+            project_cm = pyghidra.open_project(tmpdir.name, "CapaProject", create=True)
+            project = project_cm.__enter__()
             try:
                 from ghidra.util.task import TaskMonitor
 
                 monitor = TaskMonitor.DUMMY
-                program = flat_api.getCurrentProgram()
+
+                # Import file
+                loader = pyghidra.program_loader().project(project).source(str(input_path)).name(input_path.name)
+                with loader.load() as load_results:
+                    load_results.save(monitor)
+
+                # Open program
+                program, consumer = pyghidra.consume_program(project, "/" + input_path.name)
+
+                # Analyze
+                pyghidra.analyze(program, monitor)
+
+                from ghidra.program.flatapi import FlatProgramAPI
+
+                flat_api = FlatProgramAPI(program)
 
                 import capa.features.extractors.ghidra.context as ghidra_context
 
                 ghidra_context.set_context(program, flat_api, monitor)
+
+                # Wrapper to handle cleanup of program (consumer) and project
+                class GhidraContextWrapper:
+                    def __init__(self, project_cm, program, consumer):
+                        self.project_cm = project_cm
+                        self.program = program
+                        self.consumer = consumer
+
+                    def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_val, exc_tb):
+                        self.program.release(self.consumer)
+                        self.project_cm.__exit__(exc_type, exc_val, exc_tb)
+
+                cm = GhidraContextWrapper(project_cm, program, consumer)
+
             except Exception:
-                cm.__exit__(None, None, None)
+                project_cm.__exit__(None, None, None)
                 tmpdir.cleanup()
                 raise
 
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 0efb88ea..9637ed87 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -25,17 +25,3 @@ from fixtures import _692f_dotnetfile_extractor  # noqa: F401 [imported but unus
 from fixtures import _1c444_dotnetfile_extractor  # noqa: F401 [imported but unused]
 from fixtures import _039a6_dotnetfile_extractor  # noqa: F401 [imported but unused]
 from fixtures import _0953c_dotnetfile_extractor  # noqa: F401 [imported but unused]
-
-
-def pytest_sessionfinish(session, exitstatus):
-    try:
-        import pyghidra
-
-        if pyghidra.started():
-            import os
-
-            # If PyGhidra was started, we might need to force exit to prevent hangs
-            # due to non-daemon JVM threads.
-            os._exit(exitstatus)
-    except ImportError:
-        pass
diff --git a/tests/test_ghidra_features.py b/tests/test_ghidra_features.py
index ec902856..0f38cce2 100644
--- a/tests/test_ghidra_features.py
+++ b/tests/test_ghidra_features.py
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
-import importlib.util
 import os
+import importlib.util
 
 import pytest
 import fixtures