diff --git a/intern/guardedalloc/MEM_guardedalloc.h b/intern/guardedalloc/MEM_guardedalloc.h
index b64689f458b..0f7fce5a3e0 100644
--- a/intern/guardedalloc/MEM_guardedalloc.h
+++ b/intern/guardedalloc/MEM_guardedalloc.h
@@ -269,12 +269,6 @@ extern void (*MEM_name_ptr_set)(void *vmemh, const char *str) ATTR_NONNULL();
  */
 void MEM_init_memleak_detection(void);
 
-/**
- * Use this if we want to call #exit during argument parsing for example,
- * without having to free all data.
- */
-void MEM_use_memleak_detection(bool enabled);
-
 /**
  * When this has been called and memory leaks have been detected, the process will have an exit
  * code that indicates failure. This can be used for when checking for memory leaks with automated
diff --git a/intern/guardedalloc/intern/leak_detector.cc b/intern/guardedalloc/intern/leak_detector.cc
index af478a2b38f..b5c5e3ca80d 100644
--- a/intern/guardedalloc/intern/leak_detector.cc
+++ b/intern/guardedalloc/intern/leak_detector.cc
@@ -24,15 +24,11 @@ char free_after_leak_detection_message[] =
 namespace {
 
 bool fail_on_memleak = false;
-bool ignore_memleak = false;
 
 class MemLeakPrinter {
  public:
   ~MemLeakPrinter()
   {
-    if (ignore_memleak) {
-      return;
-    }
     leak_detector_has_run = true;
     const uint leaked_blocks = MEM_get_memory_blocks_in_use();
     if (leaked_blocks == 0) {
@@ -83,11 +79,6 @@ void MEM_init_memleak_detection()
   static MemLeakPrinter printer;
 }
 
-void MEM_use_memleak_detection(bool enabled)
-{
-  ignore_memleak = !enabled;
-}
-
 void MEM_enable_fail_on_memleak()
 {
   fail_on_memleak = true;
diff --git a/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_playanim.cc b/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_playanim.cc
index d3c0f15cf5d..64d9e32d80a 100644
--- a/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_playanim.cc
+++ b/source/blender/windowmanager/intern/wm_playanim.cc
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 #include "MOV_read.hh"
 #include "MOV_util.hh"
 
+#include "BKE_blender.hh"
 #include "BKE_image.hh"
 
 #include "BIF_glutil.hh"
@@ -2249,15 +2250,8 @@ int WM_main_playanim(int argc, const char **argv)
   AUD_exitOnce();
 #endif
 
-  /* NOTE(@ideasman42): Not useful unless all subsystems are properly shutdown. */
-  if (false) {
-    const int totblock = MEM_get_memory_blocks_in_use();
-    if (totblock != 0) {
-      /* Prints many `bAKey`, `bArgument` messages which are tricky to fix. */
-      printf("Error Totblock: %d\n", totblock);
-      MEM_printmemlist();
-    }
-  }
+  /* Cleanup sub-systems started before this function was called. */
+  BKE_blender_atexit();
 
   return exit_code.value();
 }
diff --git a/source/creator/creator.cc b/source/creator/creator.cc
index ca52a7fa35f..eb99151ba83 100644
--- a/source/creator/creator.cc
+++ b/source/creator/creator.cc
@@ -144,6 +144,11 @@ static void main_callback_setup()
   MEM_set_error_callback(callback_mem_error);
 }
 
+/** Data to free when Blender exits early on. */
+struct CreatorAtExitData_EarlyExit {
+  bContext *C;
+};
+
 /** Free data on early exit (if Python calls `sys.exit()` while parsing args for eg). */
 struct CreatorAtExitData {
 #ifndef WITH_PYTHON_MODULE
@@ -155,9 +160,11 @@ struct CreatorAtExitData {
   int argv_num;
 #endif
 
-#if defined(WITH_PYTHON_MODULE) && !defined(USE_WIN32_UNICODE_ARGS)
-  void *_empty; /* Prevent empty struct error with MSVC. */
-#endif
+  /**
+   * When non-null, run additional exit logic.
+   * Cleared once early initialization is over.
+   */
+  CreatorAtExitData_EarlyExit *early_exit = nullptr;
 };
 
 static void callback_main_atexit(void *user_data)
@@ -169,8 +176,6 @@ static void callback_main_atexit(void *user_data)
     BLI_args_destroy(app_init_data->ba);
     app_init_data->ba = nullptr;
   }
-#else
-  UNUSED_VARS(app_init_data); /* May be unused. */
 #endif
 
 #ifdef USE_WIN32_UNICODE_ARGS
@@ -181,9 +186,21 @@ static void callback_main_atexit(void *user_data)
     free((void *)app_init_data->argv);
     app_init_data->argv = nullptr;
   }
-#else
-  UNUSED_VARS(app_init_data); /* May be unused. */
 #endif
+
+  if (CreatorAtExitData_EarlyExit *early_exit = app_init_data->early_exit) {
+    CTX_free(early_exit->C);
+
+    RE_texture_rng_exit();
+    BKE_brush_system_exit();
+
+    BKE_blender_globals_clear();
+    BKE_appdir_exit();
+
+    DNA_sdna_current_free();
+
+    CLG_exit();
+  }
 }
 
 static void callback_clg_fatal(void *fp)
@@ -288,6 +305,9 @@ int main(int argc,
   CreatorAtExitData app_init_data = {nullptr};
   BKE_blender_atexit_register(callback_main_atexit, &app_init_data);
 
+  CreatorAtExitData_EarlyExit app_init_data_early_exit = {nullptr};
+  app_init_data.early_exit = &app_init_data_early_exit;
+
 /* Un-buffered `stdout` makes `stdout` and `stderr` better synchronized, and helps
  * when stepping through code in a debugger (prints are immediately
  * visible). However disabling buffering causes lock contention on windows
@@ -366,6 +386,8 @@ int main(int argc,
 
   C = CTX_create();
 
+  app_init_data_early_exit.C = C;
+
 #ifdef WITH_PYTHON_MODULE
 #  ifdef __APPLE__
   environ = *_NSGetEnviron();
@@ -439,10 +461,6 @@ int main(int argc,
 
   main_args_setup(C, ba, false);
 
-  /* Begin argument parsing, ignore leaks so arguments that call #exit
-   * (such as `--version` & `--help`) don't report leaks. */
-  MEM_use_memleak_detection(false);
-
   /* Parse environment handling arguments. */
   BLI_args_parse(ba, ARG_PASS_ENVIRONMENT, nullptr, nullptr);
 
@@ -476,6 +494,9 @@ int main(int argc,
   main_signal_setup();
 #endif
 
+  /* Continue with regular initialization, no need to use "early" exit. */
+  app_init_data.early_exit = nullptr;
+
   /* Must be initialized after #BKE_appdir_init to account for color-management paths. */
   IMB_init();
   /* Keep after #ARG_PASS_SETTINGS since debug flags are checked. */
@@ -543,9 +564,6 @@ int main(int argc,
   callback_main_atexit(&app_init_data);
   BKE_blender_atexit_unregister(callback_main_atexit, &app_init_data);
 
-  /* End argument parsing, allow memory leaks to be printed. */
-  MEM_use_memleak_detection(true);
-
 /* Paranoid, avoid accidental re-use. */
 #ifndef WITH_PYTHON_MODULE
   ba = nullptr;
diff --git a/source/creator/creator_args.cc b/source/creator/creator_args.cc
index c2b30748656..86081f8b790 100644
--- a/source/creator/creator_args.cc
+++ b/source/creator/creator_args.cc
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #  endif
 
 #  include "BKE_appdir.hh"
+#  include "BKE_blender.hh"
 #  include "BKE_blender_cli_command.hh"
 #  include "BKE_blender_version.h"
 #  include "BKE_blendfile.hh"
@@ -627,6 +628,10 @@ static const char arg_handle_print_version_doc[] =
 static int arg_handle_print_version(int /*argc*/, const char ** /*argv*/, void * /*data*/)
 {
   print_version_full();
+
+  /* Handles cleanup before exit. */
+  BKE_blender_atexit();
+
   exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
   BLI_assert_unreachable();
   return 0;
@@ -922,6 +927,9 @@ static int arg_handle_print_help(int /*argc*/, const char ** /*argv*/, void *dat
 
   print_help(ba, false);
 
+  /* Handles cleanup before exit. */
+  BKE_blender_atexit();
+
   exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
   BLI_assert_unreachable();