diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3878654..c751afc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ Add your changes below.
 - Fixed scripts in examples directory that didn't run correctly
 - Updated documentation for `Client.current_user_top_artists` to indicate maximum number of artists limit
 - Set auth cache file permissions to `600`: https://github.com/spotipy-dev/spotipy/security/advisories/GHSA-pwhh-q4h6-w599
+- Fixed `__del__` methods by preventing garbage collection for `requests.Session`
 
 ### Changed
 
diff --git a/spotipy/client.py b/spotipy/client.py
index b622b14..03825a8 100644
--- a/spotipy/client.py
+++ b/spotipy/client.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from collections import defaultdict
 import requests
 
 from spotipy.exceptions import SpotifyException
-from spotipy.util import Retry
+from spotipy.util import REQUESTS_SESSION, Retry
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -211,11 +211,8 @@ class Spotify:
 
     def __del__(self):
         """Make sure the connection (pool) gets closed"""
-        try:
-            if isinstance(self._session, requests.Session):
-                self._session.close()
-        except AttributeError:
-            pass
+        if getattr(self, "_session", None) and isinstance(self._session, REQUESTS_SESSION):
+            self._session.close()
 
     def _build_session(self):
         self._session = requests.Session()
diff --git a/spotipy/oauth2.py b/spotipy/oauth2.py
index e949f84..7028588 100644
--- a/spotipy/oauth2.py
+++ b/spotipy/oauth2.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import requests
 
 from spotipy.cache_handler import CacheFileHandler, CacheHandler
 from spotipy.exceptions import SpotifyOauthError, SpotifyStateError
-from spotipy.util import CLIENT_CREDS_ENV_VARS, get_host_port, normalize_scope
+from spotipy.util import CLIENT_CREDS_ENV_VARS, REQUESTS_SESSION, get_host_port, normalize_scope
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class SpotifyAuthBase:
 
     def __del__(self):
         """Make sure the connection (pool) gets closed"""
-        if isinstance(self._session, requests.Session):
+        if getattr(self, "_session", None) and isinstance(self._session, REQUESTS_SESSION):
             self._session.close()
 
 
diff --git a/spotipy/util.py b/spotipy/util.py
index 4aeef09..65a9701 100644
--- a/spotipy/util.py
+++ b/spotipy/util.py
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ CLIENT_CREDS_ENV_VARS = {
     "redirect_uri": "SPOTIPY_REDIRECT_URI",
 }
 
+# workaround for garbage collection
+REQUESTS_SESSION = requests.Session
+
 
 def prompt_for_user_token(
     username=None,