diff --git a/modules/database/src/tools/dbdToHtml.pl b/modules/database/src/tools/dbdToHtml.pl
index 39c377cfb..d25801478 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/tools/dbdToHtml.pl
+++ b/modules/database/src/tools/dbdToHtml.pl
@@ -108,6 +108,12 @@ if ($opt_D) {   # Output dependencies only
 open my $out, '>', $opt_o or
     die "Can't create $opt_o: $!\n";
 
+$SIG{__DIE__} = sub {
+    die @_ if $^S;  # Ignore eval deaths
+    close $out;
+    unlink $opt_o;
+};
+
 my $podHtml;
 my $idify;
 my $contentType =
diff --git a/src/tools/makeAPIheader.pl b/src/tools/makeAPIheader.pl
index db043d8cb..4ebbeea9e 100644
--- a/src/tools/makeAPIheader.pl
+++ b/src/tools/makeAPIheader.pl
@@ -126,6 +126,12 @@ my $guard = "INC_${stem}API_H";
 open my $o, '>', $outfile or
     die "makeAPIheader.pl: Can't create $outfile: $!\n";
 
+$SIG{__DIE__} = sub {
+    die @_ if $^S;  # Ignore eval deaths
+    close $o;
+    unlink $outfile;
+};
+
 print $o <<"__EOF__";
 /* This is a generated file, do not edit! */
 
diff --git a/src/tools/podRemove.pl b/src/tools/podRemove.pl
index 14fbf58f0..ae77f7b41 100644
--- a/src/tools/podRemove.pl
+++ b/src/tools/podRemove.pl
@@ -68,6 +68,12 @@ open my $inp, '<', $infile or
 open my $out, '>', $opt_o or
     die "podRemove.pl: Can't create $opt_o: $!\n";
 
+$SIG{__DIE__} = sub {
+    die @_ if $^S;  # Ignore eval deaths
+    close $out;
+    unlink $opt_o;
+};
+
 my $inPod = 0;
 while (<$inp>) {
     if (m/\A=[a-zA-Z]/) {
diff --git a/src/tools/podToHtml.pl b/src/tools/podToHtml.pl
index d1676781d..a6698dac4 100644
--- a/src/tools/podToHtml.pl
+++ b/src/tools/podToHtml.pl
@@ -93,6 +93,12 @@ my $root = '../' x scalar @inpath;
 open my $out, '>', $opt_o or
     die "Can't create $opt_o: $!\n";
 
+$SIG{__DIE__} = sub {
+    die @_ if $^S;  # Ignore eval deaths
+    close $out;
+    unlink $opt_o;
+};
+
 my $podHtml = EPICS::PodHtml->new();
 
 $podHtml->html_css($root . 'style.css');