diff --git a/pkg/cmd/api/api.go b/pkg/cmd/api/api.go
index 7bd9fcd0d28..f835cec4501 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/api/api.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/api/api.go
@@ -318,13 +318,19 @@ func apiRun(opts *ApiOptions) error {
 		requestPath = addPerPage(requestPath, 100, params)
 	}
 
+	// Execute defers in FIFO order.
+	deferQueue := queue{}
+	defer deferQueue.Close()
+
 	// Similar to `jq --slurp`, write all pages JSON arrays or objects into a JSON array.
 	if opts.Paginate && opts.Slurp {
 		w := &jsonArrayWriter{
 			Writer: bodyWriter,
 			color:  opts.IO.ColorEnabled(),
 		}
-		defer w.Close()
+		deferQueue.Enqueue(func() {
+			_ = w.Close()
+		})
 
 		bodyWriter = w
 	}
@@ -376,7 +382,7 @@ func apiRun(opts *ApiOptions) error {
 
 	if !opts.Silent {
 		if err := opts.IO.StartPager(); err == nil {
-			defer opts.IO.StopPager()
+			deferQueue.Enqueue(opts.IO.StopPager)
 		} else {
 			fmt.Fprintf(opts.IO.ErrOut, "failed to start pager: %v\n", err)
 		}
@@ -681,3 +687,15 @@ func previewNamesToMIMETypes(names []string) string {
 	}
 	return strings.Join(types, ", ")
 }
+
+type queue []func()
+
+func (q *queue) Enqueue(f func()) {
+	*q = append(*q, f)
+}
+
+func (q *queue) Close() {
+	for _, f := range *q {
+		f()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go b/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go
index 5244f04d480..944eaa4c95a 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/api/api_test.go
@@ -1760,3 +1760,20 @@ func Test_apiRun_acceptHeader(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestQueue_Close(t *testing.T) {
+	sut := queue{}
+	actual := make([]int, 0, 2)
+
+	func() {
+		defer sut.Close()
+		sut.Enqueue(func() {
+			actual = append(actual, 0)
+		})
+		sut.Enqueue(func() {
+			actual = append(actual, 1)
+		})
+	}()
+
+	assert.Equal(t, []int{0, 1}, actual)
+}