diff --git a/python/cudaq/handlers/photonics_kernel.py b/python/cudaq/handlers/photonics_kernel.py
index 5738234314..a0d1d65907 100644
--- a/python/cudaq/handlers/photonics_kernel.py
+++ b/python/cudaq/handlers/photonics_kernel.py
@@ -13,11 +13,6 @@
 
 from ..mlir._mlir_libs._quakeDialects import cudaq_runtime
 
-_TARGET_NAME = 'photonics'
-
-# The qudit level must be explicitly defined
-globalQuditLevel = None
-
 
 @dataclass
 class PyQudit:
@@ -34,14 +29,39 @@ class PyQudit:
     level: int
     id: int
 
-    def __del__(self):
-        try:
-            cudaq_runtime.photonics.release_qudit(self.level, self.id)
-        except Exception as e:
-            if _TARGET_NAME == cudaq_runtime.get_target().name:
-                raise e
-            else:
-                pass
+
+class QuditManager(object):
+    """
+    A class to explicitly manage resource allocation for qudits within a 
+    `PhotonicsKernel`.    
+    """
+    qudit_level = None
+    allocated_ids = []
+
+    @classmethod
+    def reset(cls):
+        cls.qudit_level = None
+        cls.allocated_ids = []
+
+    @classmethod
+    def allocate(cls, level: int):
+        if cls.qudit_level is None:
+            cls.qudit_level = level
+        elif level != cls.qudit_level:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                "The qudits must be of same level within a kernel.")
+        id = cudaq_runtime.photonics.allocate_qudit(cls.qudit_level)
+        cls.allocated_ids.append(id)
+        return PyQudit(cls.qudit_level, id)
+
+    def __enter__(cls):
+        cls.reset()
+
+    def __exit__(cls, exc_type, exc_val, exc_tb):
+        while cls.allocated_ids:
+            cudaq_runtime.photonics.release_qudit(cls.allocated_ids.pop(),
+                                                  cls.qudit_level)
+        cls.reset()
 
 
 def _is_qudit_type(q: any) -> bool:
@@ -71,7 +91,7 @@ def _check_args(q: any):
         RuntimeError: If the qudit level is not set.
         Exception: If input argument is not instance of `PyQudit` class.
     """
-    if globalQuditLevel is None:
+    if QuditManager.qudit_level is None:
         raise RuntimeError(
             "Qudit level not set. Define a qudit (`qudit(level=N)`) or list of qudits."
         )
@@ -97,15 +117,7 @@ def qudit(level: int) -> PyQudit:
         RuntimeError: If a qudit of level different than one already defined 
             in the kernel is requested.
     """
-    global globalQuditLevel
-
-    if globalQuditLevel is None:
-        globalQuditLevel = level
-    elif level != globalQuditLevel:
-        raise RuntimeError("The qudits must be of same level within a kernel.")
-
-    id = cudaq_runtime.photonics.allocate_qudit(globalQuditLevel)
-    return PyQudit(globalQuditLevel, id)
+    return QuditManager.allocate(level)
 
 
 def plus(qudit: PyQudit):
@@ -202,13 +214,11 @@ class PhotonicsHandler(object):
 
     def __init__(self, function):
 
-        if _TARGET_NAME != cudaq_runtime.get_target().name:
+        if 'photonics' != cudaq_runtime.get_target().name:
             raise RuntimeError(
                 "A photonics kernel can only be used with 'photonics' target.")
 
-        global globalQuditLevel
-        globalQuditLevel = None
-
+        QuditManager.reset()
         self.kernelFunction = function
 
         self.kernelFunction.__globals__['qudit'] = qudit
@@ -218,4 +228,5 @@ def __init__(self, function):
         self.kernelFunction.__globals__['mz'] = mz
 
     def __call__(self, *args):
-        return self.kernelFunction(*args)
+        with QuditManager():
+            return self.kernelFunction(*args)
diff --git a/python/tests/handlers/test_photonics_kernel.py b/python/tests/handlers/test_photonics_kernel.py
index 771769b4ad..dd2fa762f2 100644
--- a/python/tests/handlers/test_photonics_kernel.py
+++ b/python/tests/handlers/test_photonics_kernel.py
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-import gc
 from typing import List
 
 import cudaq
@@ -20,8 +19,6 @@ def do_something():
     yield
     cudaq.reset_target()
     cudaq.__clearKernelRegistries()
-    # Make the tests stable by enforcing resource release
-    gc.collect()
 
 
 def test_qudit():