diff --git a/python/arrow_odbc/connect.py b/python/arrow_odbc/connect.py
index 5e776ce..cba9fbe 100644
--- a/python/arrow_odbc/connect.py
+++ b/python/arrow_odbc/connect.py
@@ -16,46 +16,61 @@ def to_bytes_and_len(value: Optional[str]) -> Tuple[bytes, int]:
     return (value_bytes, value_len)
 
 
-def connect_to_database(
-    connection_string: str,
-    user: Optional[str],
-    password: Optional[str],
-    login_timeout_sec: Optional[int],
-    packet_size: Optional[int],
-) -> Any:
-    connection_string_bytes = connection_string.encode("utf-8")
-
-    (user_bytes, user_len) = to_bytes_and_len(user)
-    (password_bytes, password_len) = to_bytes_and_len(password)
-
-    # We use a pointer to pass the login time, so NULL can represent None
-    if login_timeout_sec is None:
-        login_timeout_sec_ptr = FFI.NULL
-    else:
-        login_timeout_sec_ptr = ffi.new("uint32_t *")
-        login_timeout_sec_ptr[0] = login_timeout_sec
+class ConnectionRaii:
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        connection_string: str,
+        user: Optional[str],
+        password: Optional[str],
+        login_timeout_sec: Optional[int],
+        packet_size: Optional[int],
+    ) -> None:
+        connection_string_bytes = connection_string.encode("utf-8")
 
-    if packet_size is None:
-        packet_size_ptr = FFI.NULL
-    else:
-        packet_size_ptr = ffi.new("uint32_t *")
-        packet_size_ptr[0] = packet_size
-
-    connection_out = ffi.new("OdbcConnection **")
-
-    # Open connection to ODBC Data Source
-    error = lib.arrow_odbc_connect_with_connection_string(
-        connection_string_bytes,
-        len(connection_string_bytes),
-        user_bytes,
-        user_len,
-        password_bytes,
-        password_len,
-        login_timeout_sec_ptr,
-        packet_size_ptr,
-        connection_out,
-    )
-    # See if we connected successfully and return an error if not
-    raise_on_error(error)
-    # Dereference output pointer. This gives us an `OdbcConnection *`
-    return connection_out[0]
+        (user_bytes, user_len) = to_bytes_and_len(user)
+        (password_bytes, password_len) = to_bytes_and_len(password)
+
+        # We use a pointer to pass the login time, so NULL can represent None
+        if login_timeout_sec is None:
+            login_timeout_sec_ptr = FFI.NULL
+        else:
+            login_timeout_sec_ptr = ffi.new("uint32_t *")
+            login_timeout_sec_ptr[0] = login_timeout_sec
+
+        if packet_size is None:
+            packet_size_ptr = FFI.NULL
+        else:
+            packet_size_ptr = ffi.new("uint32_t *")
+            packet_size_ptr[0] = packet_size
+
+        connection_out = ffi.new("ArrowOdbcConnection **")
+
+        # Open connection to ODBC Data Source
+        error = lib.arrow_odbc_connection_make(
+            connection_string_bytes,
+            len(connection_string_bytes),
+            user_bytes,
+            user_len,
+            password_bytes,
+            password_len,
+            login_timeout_sec_ptr,
+            packet_size_ptr,
+            connection_out,
+        )
+        # See if we connected successfully and return an error if not
+        raise_on_error(error)
+        # Dereference output pointer. This gives us an `ArrowOdbcConnection *`. We take ownership of
+        # the ArrowOdbcConnection and must take care to free it.
+        self.handle = connection_out[0]
+
+
+    def _arrow_odbc_connection(self) -> Any:
+        """
+        Give access to the inner ArrowOdbcConnection handle
+        """
+        return self.handle
+
+    
+    def __del__(self):
+        # Free the resources associated with this handle.
+        lib.arrow_odbc_connection_free(self.handle)
diff --git a/python/arrow_odbc/reader.py b/python/arrow_odbc/reader.py
index 966d360..b2f7495 100644
--- a/python/arrow_odbc/reader.py
+++ b/python/arrow_odbc/reader.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from pyarrow.cffi import ffi as arrow_ffi  # type: ignore
 from pyarrow import RecordBatch, Schema, Array  # type: ignore
 
-from arrow_odbc.connect import to_bytes_and_len, connect_to_database  # type: ignore
+from arrow_odbc.connect import to_bytes_and_len, ConnectionRaii  # type: ignore
 
 from .arrow_odbc import ffi, lib  # type: ignore
 from .error import raise_on_error
@@ -76,18 +76,10 @@ def connect(
         login_timeout_sec: Optional[int],
         packet_size: Optional[int],
     ):
-        connection = connect_to_database(
+        connection = ConnectionRaii(
             connection_string, user, password, login_timeout_sec, packet_size
         )
-
-        # Connecting to the database has been successful. Note that connection does not truly take
-        # ownership of the connection. If it runs out of scope (e.g. due to a raised exception) the
-        # connection would not be closed and its associated resources would not be freed.
-        # However, this is fine since everything from here on out until we call
-        # arrow_odbc_reader_set_connection is infalliable. arrow_odbc_reader_connection will truly
-        # take ownership of the connection.
-
-        lib.arrow_odbc_reader_set_connection(self.handle, connection)
+        lib.arrow_odbc_reader_set_connection(self.handle, connection._arrow_odbc_connection())
 
     def query(
         self,
diff --git a/python/arrow_odbc/writer.py b/python/arrow_odbc/writer.py
index b4d0a7f..d4840bf 100644
--- a/python/arrow_odbc/writer.py
+++ b/python/arrow_odbc/writer.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 from pyarrow import RecordBatchReader
 from pyarrow.cffi import ffi as arrow_ffi
-from arrow_odbc.connect import connect_to_database
+from arrow_odbc.connect import ConnectionRaii
 
 from .arrow_odbc import ffi, lib  # type: ignore
 from .error import raise_on_error
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ def dataframe_to_table(df):
         # Export the schema to the C Data structures.
         reader.schema._export_to_c(c_schema_ptr)
 
-        connection = connect_to_database(
+        connection = ConnectionRaii(
             connection_string, user, password, login_timeout_sec, packet_size
         )
 
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ def dataframe_to_table(df):
 
         writer_out = ffi.new("ArrowOdbcWriter **")
         error = lib.arrow_odbc_writer_make(
-            connection,
+            connection._arrow_odbc_connection(),
             table_bytes,
             len(table_bytes),
             chunk_size,
diff --git a/src/connection.rs b/src/connection.rs
index 5437dbe..ce14438 100644
--- a/src/connection.rs
+++ b/src/connection.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
-use std::{borrow::Cow, ptr::null_mut, slice, str};
+use std::{
+    borrow::Cow,
+    ptr::{null_mut, NonNull},
+    slice, str,
+};
 
 use arrow_odbc::odbc_api::{escape_attribute_value, Connection, ConnectionOptions, Environment};
 use log::debug;
@@ -6,19 +10,29 @@ use log::debug;
 use crate::{try_, ArrowOdbcError, ENV};
 
 /// Opaque type to transport connection to an ODBC Datasource over language boundry
-pub struct OdbcConnection(Connection<'static>);
+pub struct ArrowOdbcConnection(Option<Connection<'static>>);
 
-impl OdbcConnection {
+impl ArrowOdbcConnection {
     pub fn new(connection: Connection<'static>) -> Self {
-        OdbcConnection(connection)
+        ArrowOdbcConnection(Some(connection))
     }
 
     /// Take the inner connection out of its wrapper
-    pub fn take(self) -> Connection<'static> {
-        self.0
+    pub fn take(&mut self) -> Connection<'static> {
+        self.0.take().unwrap()
     }
 }
 
+/// Frees the resources associated with an ArrowOdbcConnection
+///
+/// # Safety
+///
+/// `reader` must point to a valid ArrowOdbcConnection.
+#[no_mangle]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn arrow_odbc_connection_free(connection: NonNull<ArrowOdbcConnection>) {
+    drop(Box::from_raw(connection.as_ptr()));
+}
+
 /// Allocate and open an ODBC connection using the specified connection string. In case of an error
 /// this function returns a NULL pointer.
 ///
@@ -28,7 +42,7 @@ impl OdbcConnection {
 /// hold the length of text in `connection_string_buf`.
 /// `user` and or `password` are optional and are allowed to be `NULL`.
 #[no_mangle]
-pub unsafe extern "C" fn arrow_odbc_connect_with_connection_string(
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn arrow_odbc_connection_make(
     connection_string_buf: *const u8,
     connection_string_len: usize,
     user: *const u8,
@@ -37,7 +51,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn arrow_odbc_connect_with_connection_string(
     password_len: usize,
     login_timeout_sec_ptr: *const u32,
     packet_size_ptr: *const u32,
-    connection_out: *mut *mut OdbcConnection,
+    connection_out: *mut *mut ArrowOdbcConnection,
 ) -> *mut ArrowOdbcError {
     let env = if let Some(env) = ENV.get() {
         // Use existing environment
@@ -78,7 +92,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn arrow_odbc_connect_with_connection_string(
     let dbms_name = try_!(connection.database_management_system_name());
     debug!("Database managment system name as reported by ODBC: {dbms_name}");
 
-    *connection_out = Box::into_raw(Box::new(OdbcConnection::new(connection)));
+    *connection_out = Box::into_raw(Box::new(ArrowOdbcConnection::new(connection)));
     null_mut()
 }
 
@@ -98,4 +112,4 @@ unsafe fn append_attribute(
     let text = str::from_utf8(bytes).unwrap();
     let escaped = escape_attribute_value(text);
     *connection_string = format!("{connection_string}{attribute_name}={escaped};").into()
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 6c7679a..524a3ac 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use std::sync::OnceLock;
 use arrow_odbc::odbc_api::Environment;
 
 pub use self::{
-    connection::{arrow_odbc_connect_with_connection_string, OdbcConnection},
+    connection::{arrow_odbc_connection_make, ArrowOdbcConnection},
     error::{arrow_odbc_error_free, arrow_odbc_error_message, ArrowOdbcError},
     logging::arrow_odbc_log_to_stderr,
     reader::{arrow_odbc_reader_free, arrow_odbc_reader_next, ArrowOdbcReader},
diff --git a/src/reader.rs b/src/reader.rs
index d4ea7ce..8cd99cb 100644
--- a/src/reader.rs
+++ b/src/reader.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use std::{
 use arrow::ffi::{FFI_ArrowArray, FFI_ArrowSchema};
 use arrow_odbc::OdbcReaderBuilder;
 
-use crate::{parameter::ArrowOdbcParameter, try_, ArrowOdbcError, OdbcConnection};
+use crate::{parameter::ArrowOdbcParameter, try_, ArrowOdbcError, ArrowOdbcConnection};
 
 pub use self::arrow_odbc_reader::ArrowOdbcReader;
 
@@ -29,10 +29,9 @@ pub use self::arrow_odbc_reader::ArrowOdbcReader;
 #[no_mangle]
 pub unsafe extern "C" fn arrow_odbc_reader_set_connection(
     mut reader: NonNull<ArrowOdbcReader>,
-    connection: NonNull<OdbcConnection>,
+    mut connection: NonNull<ArrowOdbcConnection>,
 ) {
-    let connection = *Box::from_raw(connection.as_ptr());
-    reader.as_mut().set_connection(connection.take());
+    reader.as_mut().set_connection(connection.as_mut().take());
 }
 
 /// Creates an Arrow ODBC reader instance.
diff --git a/src/writer.rs b/src/writer.rs
index 03b2713..d001f7d 100644
--- a/src/writer.rs
+++ b/src/writer.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use arrow_odbc::{
     OdbcWriter,
 };
 
-use crate::{try_, ArrowOdbcError, OdbcConnection};
+use crate::{try_, ArrowOdbcError, ArrowOdbcConnection};
 
 /// Opaque type holding all the state associated with an ODBC writer implementation in Rust. This
 /// type also has ownership of the ODBC Connection handle.
@@ -43,15 +43,14 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn arrow_odbc_writer_free(writer: NonNull<ArrowOdbcWriter>
 ///   is transferred to the caller.
 #[no_mangle]
 pub unsafe extern "C" fn arrow_odbc_writer_make(
-    connection: NonNull<OdbcConnection>,
+    mut connection: NonNull<ArrowOdbcConnection>,
     table_buf: *const u8,
     table_len: usize,
     chunk_size: usize,
     schema: *const c_void,
     writer_out: *mut *mut ArrowOdbcWriter,
 ) -> *mut ArrowOdbcError {
-    let connection = *Box::from_raw(connection.as_ptr());
-    let connection = connection.take();
+    let connection = connection.as_mut().take();
 
     let table = slice::from_raw_parts(table_buf, table_len);
     let table = str::from_utf8(table).unwrap();