diff --git a/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/classloading/QuarkusClassLoader.java b/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/classloading/QuarkusClassLoader.java
index 016dbdd191b44b..d736258f2fbd70 100644
--- a/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/classloading/QuarkusClassLoader.java
+++ b/independent-projects/bootstrap/core/src/main/java/io/quarkus/bootstrap/classloading/QuarkusClassLoader.java
@@ -692,17 +692,27 @@ public void close() {
                 log.debug("Failed to clean up DB drivers");
             }
         }
-        for (ClassPathElement element : elements) {
-            //note that this is a 'soft' close
-            //all resources are closed, however the CL can still be used
-            //but after close no resources will be held past the scope of an operation
-            try (ClassPathElement ignored = element) {
-                //the close() operation is implied by the try-with syntax
-            } catch (Exception e) {
-                log.error("Failed to close " + element, e);
-            }
+        closeClassPathElements(elements);
+        closeClassPathElements(bannedElements);
+        closeClassPathElements(parentFirstElements);
+        closeClassPathElements(lesserPriorityElements);
+
+        definedPackages.clear();
+        resettableElement = null;
+        transformedClasses = null;
+        if (state != null) {
+            state.clear();
         }
-        for (ClassPathElement element : bannedElements) {
+        closeTasks.clear();
+        classLoaderEventListeners.clear();
+
+        ResourceBundle.clearCache(this);
+
+        status = STATUS_CLOSED;
+    }
+
+    private static void closeClassPathElements(List<ClassPathElement> classPathElements) {
+        for (ClassPathElement element : classPathElements) {
             //note that this is a 'soft' close
             //all resources are closed, however the CL can still be used
             //but after close no resources will be held past the scope of an operation
@@ -712,9 +722,7 @@ public void close() {
                 log.error("Failed to close " + element, e);
             }
         }
-        ResourceBundle.clearCache(this);
-
-        status = STATUS_CLOSED;
+        classPathElements.clear();
     }
 
     public boolean isClosed() {
@@ -900,6 +908,11 @@ static final class ClassLoaderState {
             this.bannedResources = bannedResources;
             this.parentFirstResources = parentFirstResources;
         }
+
+        void clear() {
+            // when the CL is closed, we make sure the resources are not loadable anymore
+            loadableResources.clear();
+        }
     }
 
     @Override