diff --git a/python/__init__.py b/python/__init__.py
index 5d6f3e9fc..e396fb36f 100644
--- a/python/__init__.py
+++ b/python/__init__.py
@@ -315,8 +315,9 @@ class Panda:
   @staticmethod
   def usb_connect(serial, claim=True, wait=False):
     handle, usb_serial, bootstub, bcd = None, None, None, None
-    context = usb1.USBContext()
     while 1:
+      context = usb1.USBContext()
+      context.open()
       try:
         for device in context.getDeviceList(skip_on_error=True):
           if device.getVendorID() == 0xbbaa and device.getProductID() in (0xddcc, 0xddee):
@@ -347,7 +348,7 @@ class Panda:
         logging.exception("USB connect error")
       if not wait or handle is not None:
         break
-      context = usb1.USBContext()  # New context needed so new devices show up
+      context.close()
 
     usb_handle = None
     if handle is not None:
@@ -363,21 +364,21 @@ class Panda:
 
   @staticmethod
   def usb_list():
-    context = usb1.USBContext()
     ret = []
     try:
-      for device in context.getDeviceList(skip_on_error=True):
-        if device.getVendorID() == 0xbbaa and device.getProductID() in (0xddcc, 0xddee):
-          try:
-            serial = device.getSerialNumber()
-            if len(serial) == 24:
-              ret.append(serial)
-            else:
-              warnings.warn(f"found device with panda descriptors but invalid serial: {serial}", RuntimeWarning)
-          except Exception:
-            continue
+      with usb1.USBContext() as context:
+        for device in context.getDeviceList(skip_on_error=True):
+          if device.getVendorID() == 0xbbaa and device.getProductID() in (0xddcc, 0xddee):
+            try:
+              serial = device.getSerialNumber()
+              if len(serial) == 24:
+                ret.append(serial)
+              else:
+                warnings.warn(f"found device with panda descriptors but invalid serial: {serial}", RuntimeWarning)
+            except Exception:
+              continue
     except Exception:
-      pass
+      logging.exception("exception while listing pandas")
     return ret
 
   @staticmethod
diff --git a/python/dfu.py b/python/dfu.py
index 15e018c5b..f724bf15d 100644
--- a/python/dfu.py
+++ b/python/dfu.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class PandaDFU:
   def usb_connect(dfu_serial: Optional[str]) -> Optional[STBootloaderUSBHandle]:
     handle = None
     context = usb1.USBContext()
+    context.open()
     for device in context.getDeviceList(skip_on_error=True):
       if device.getVendorID() == 0x0483 and device.getProductID() == 0xdf11:
         try:
@@ -64,15 +65,15 @@ class PandaDFU:
 
   @staticmethod
   def usb_list() -> List[str]:
-    context = usb1.USBContext()
     dfu_serials = []
     try:
-      for device in context.getDeviceList(skip_on_error=True):
-        if device.getVendorID() == 0x0483 and device.getProductID() == 0xdf11:
-          try:
-            dfu_serials.append(device.open().getASCIIStringDescriptor(3))
-          except Exception:
-            pass
+      with usb1.USBContext() as context:
+        for device in context.getDeviceList(skip_on_error=True):
+          if device.getVendorID() == 0x0483 and device.getProductID() == 0xdf11:
+            try:
+              dfu_serials.append(device.open().getASCIIStringDescriptor(3))
+            except Exception:
+              pass
     except Exception:
       pass
     return dfu_serials