diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/23958-cleanup.yml b/changelogs/fragments/23958-cleanup.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a973886532f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/23958-cleanup.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+bugfixes:
+- Ensure if a traceback halts ``strategy.run`` that we still attempt to clean up
+  (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/23958)
diff --git a/lib/ansible/executor/task_queue_manager.py b/lib/ansible/executor/task_queue_manager.py
index 02a75cd07f5..691f65acf2a 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/executor/task_queue_manager.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/executor/task_queue_manager.py
@@ -289,14 +289,16 @@ class TaskQueueManager:
             self._start_at_done = True
 
         # and run the play using the strategy and cleanup on way out
-        play_return = strategy.run(iterator, play_context)
+        try:
+            play_return = strategy.run(iterator, play_context)
+        finally:
+            strategy.cleanup()
+            self._cleanup_processes()
 
         # now re-save the hosts that failed from the iterator to our internal list
         for host_name in iterator.get_failed_hosts():
             self._failed_hosts[host_name] = True
 
-        strategy.cleanup()
-        self._cleanup_processes()
         return play_return
 
     def cleanup(self):