diff --git a/contree_cli/cli/file.py b/contree_cli/cli/file.py
index 968754b..75b9706 100644
--- a/contree_cli/cli/file.py
+++ b/contree_cli/cli/file.py
@@ -328,37 +328,35 @@ def cmd_file_ls(args: FileListArgs) -> int | None:
     if args.until is not None:
         params["until"] = isoformat_datetime(args.until)
 
-    fetcher = PaginatedFetcher(
+    emitted = 0
+    hit_limit = False
+    with PaginatedFetcher(
         client,
         "/v1/files",
         params,
         lambda body: json.loads(body).get("files", []),
         limit=args.limit,
         concurrency=CONTREE_CONCURRENCY,
-    )
-
-    emitted = 0
-    hit_limit = False
-    for page in fetcher:
-        for entry in page:
-            if emitted >= args.limit:
-                hit_limit = True
+    ) as fetcher:
+        for page in fetcher:
+            for entry in page:
+                if emitted >= args.limit:
+                    hit_limit = True
+                    break
+                uuid_str = entry.get("uuid")
+                source = sources.get(uuid_str, "") if isinstance(uuid_str, str) else ""
+                if args.quiet:
+                    formatter(
+                        uuid=uuid_str,
+                        sha256=entry.get("sha256", ""),
+                        source=source,
+                    )
+                else:
+                    formatter(**{**entry, "source": source})
+                emitted += 1
+            formatter.flush()
+            if hit_limit:
                 break
-            uuid_str = entry.get("uuid")
-            source = sources.get(uuid_str, "") if isinstance(uuid_str, str) else ""
-            if args.quiet:
-                formatter(
-                    uuid=uuid_str,
-                    sha256=entry.get("sha256", ""),
-                    source=source,
-                )
-            else:
-                formatter(**{**entry, "source": source})
-            emitted += 1
-        formatter.flush()
-        if hit_limit:
-            fetcher.stop()
-            break
 
     if hit_limit:
         logger.warning(
diff --git a/contree_cli/cli/images.py b/contree_cli/cli/images.py
index c142281..c60965d 100644
--- a/contree_cli/cli/images.py
+++ b/contree_cli/cli/images.py
@@ -272,28 +272,26 @@ def cmd_images(args: ImagesArgs) -> None:
     if args.until is not None:
         base_params["until"] = isoformat_datetime(args.until)
 
-    fetcher = PaginatedFetcher(
+    emitted = 0
+    hit_limit = False
+    with PaginatedFetcher(
         client,
         "/v1/images",
         base_params,
         lambda body: json.loads(body)["images"],
         limit=args.limit,
         concurrency=CONTREE_CONCURRENCY,
-    )
-
-    emitted = 0
-    hit_limit = False
-    for page in fetcher:
-        for image in page:
-            if emitted >= args.limit:
-                hit_limit = True
+    ) as fetcher:
+        for page in fetcher:
+            for image in page:
+                if emitted >= args.limit:
+                    hit_limit = True
+                    break
+                formatter(**image)
+                emitted += 1
+            formatter.flush()
+            if hit_limit:
                 break
-            formatter(**image)
-            emitted += 1
-        formatter.flush()
-        if hit_limit:
-            fetcher.stop()
-            break
 
     if hit_limit:
         logger.warning(
diff --git a/contree_cli/cli/operation.py b/contree_cli/cli/operation.py
index 32e4399..1d09697 100644
--- a/contree_cli/cli/operation.py
+++ b/contree_cli/cli/operation.py
@@ -393,31 +393,29 @@ def cmd_list(args: ListArgs) -> None:
         base_params["until"] = isoformat_datetime(args.until)
 
     limit = args.show_max
-    fetcher = PaginatedFetcher(
+    emitted = 0
+    hit_limit = False
+    with PaginatedFetcher(
         client,
         "/v1/operations",
         base_params,
         json.loads,
         limit=limit,
         concurrency=CONTREE_CONCURRENCY,
-    )
-
-    emitted = 0
-    hit_limit = False
-    for page in fetcher:
-        for op in page:
-            if limit is not None and emitted >= limit:
-                hit_limit = True
+    ) as fetcher:
+        for page in fetcher:
+            for op in page:
+                if limit is not None and emitted >= limit:
+                    hit_limit = True
+                    break
+                if args.quiet:
+                    print(op["uuid"])
+                else:
+                    formatter(**op)
+                emitted += 1
+            formatter.flush()
+            if hit_limit:
                 break
-            if args.quiet:
-                print(op["uuid"])
-            else:
-                formatter(**op)
-            emitted += 1
-        formatter.flush()
-        if hit_limit:
-            fetcher.stop()
-            break
 
     if hit_limit:
         logger.warning(
diff --git a/contree_cli/client.py b/contree_cli/client.py
index e49dd2f..6648acc 100644
--- a/contree_cli/client.py
+++ b/contree_cli/client.py
@@ -619,6 +619,17 @@ def stop(self) -> None:
         """Signal that the caller has seen enough; skip pending fetches."""
         self._stop.set()
 
+    def __enter__(self) -> PaginatedFetcher:
+        return self
+
+    def __exit__(self, *_: object) -> None:
+        # Setting the stop event short-circuits any worker that hasn't
+        # started yet and prevents the iterator's refill from enqueueing
+        # more fetches. Callers wrap iteration in `with PaginatedFetcher(...)`
+        # so they don't have to remember an explicit `stop()` after
+        # breaking out of a paged loop.
+        self.stop()
+
     def _fetch(self, offset: int) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
         if self._stop.is_set():
             return []
diff --git a/tests/test_client.py b/tests/test_client.py
index aefd871..23987a2 100644
--- a/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_client.py
@@ -668,11 +668,12 @@ def test_small_limit_uses_capped_page_size_in_request(self, contree_client):
         # `limit=5` must request `limit=6` (capped page size + 1 for the
         # truncation probe), not the default 1000.
         contree_client.respond_json({"items": [{"i": i} for i in range(6)]})
-        f = self.make_fetcher(contree_client, limit=5)
-        pages_iter = iter(f)
-        first = next(pages_iter)
-        assert len(first) == 6
-        f.stop()  # mirror the real caller, which calls stop() after hitting limit
+        with self.make_fetcher(contree_client, limit=5) as f:
+            pages_iter = iter(f)
+            first = next(pages_iter)
+            assert len(first) == 6
+            # Context manager exit calls stop() automatically; mirrors the
+            # real caller which breaks out of the loop after hitting limit.
         with contextlib.suppress(StopIteration):
             next(pages_iter)
         req = contree_client.get_request(0)