> `defer` is still in "spooky action at a distance" category

Agree, this is also why I'm a bit weary of it.

What brings me on the "pro" side is that, defer or not defer, there will need to be some kind of cleanup anyway. It's just a matter of where it is declared, and close to the acquisition is arguably better.

The caveat IMHO is that if a codebase is not consistent in its use, it could be worst.