diff --git a/ibis/backends/impala/client.py b/ibis/backends/impala/client.py
@@ -305,7 +305,8 @@ def insert(
                 partition_schema=partition_schema,
                 overwrite=overwrite,
             )
-            return self._client.raw_sql(statement.compile())
+            self._client._safe_exec_sql(statement.compile())
+            return self
 
     def load_data(self, path, overwrite=False, partition=None):
         """Load data into an Impala table.
@@ -333,7 +334,8 @@ def load_data(self, path, overwrite=False, partition=None):
             overwrite=overwrite,
         )
 
-        return self._client.raw_sql(stmt.compile())
+        self._client._safe_exec_sql(stmt.compile())
+        return self
 
     @property
     def name(self):
@@ -348,7 +350,7 @@ def rename(self, new_name, database=None):
         if not m and database is None:
             database = self._database
         statement = RenameTable(self._qualified_name, new_name, new_database=database)
-        self._client.raw_sql(statement)
+        self._client._safe_exec_sql(statement)
 
         op = self.op().copy(name=statement.new_qualified_name)
         return type(self)(op)
@@ -385,7 +387,8 @@ def add_partition(self, spec, location=None):
         stmt = ddl.AddPartition(
             self._qualified_name, spec, part_schema, location=location
         )
-        return self._client.raw_sql(stmt)
+        self._client._safe_exec_sql(stmt)
+        return self
 
     def alter(
         self,
@@ -410,7 +413,8 @@ def alter(
 
         def _run_ddl(**kwds):
             stmt = AlterTable(self._qualified_name, **kwds)
-            return self._client.raw_sql(stmt)
+            self._client._safe_exec_sql(stmt)
+            return self
 
         return self._alter_table_helper(
             _run_ddl,
@@ -451,7 +455,8 @@ def alter_partition(
 
         def _run_ddl(**kwds):
             stmt = ddl.AlterPartition(self._qualified_name, spec, part_schema, **kwds)
-            return self._client.raw_sql(stmt)
+            self._client._safe_exec_sql(stmt)
+            return self
 
         return self._alter_table_helper(
             _run_ddl,
@@ -474,7 +479,8 @@ def drop_partition(self, spec):
         """Drop an existing table partition."""
         part_schema = self.partition_schema()
         stmt = ddl.DropPartition(self._qualified_name, spec, part_schema)
-        return self._client.raw_sql(stmt)
+        self._client._safe_exec_sql(stmt)
+        return self
 
     def partitions(self):
         """Return information about the table's partitions.

diff --git a/ibis/backends/impala/tests/conftest.py b/ibis/backends/impala/tests/conftest.py
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ def mockcon():
 @pytest.fixture(scope="module")
 def kudu_table(con, test_data_db):
     name = 'kudu_backed_table'
-    con.raw_sql(
+    cur = con.raw_sql(
         f"""\
 CREATE TABLE {test_data_db}.{name} (
   a STRING,
@@ -408,6 +408,7 @@ def kudu_table(con, test_data_db):
   'kudu.num_tablet_replicas' = '1'
 )"""
     )
+    cur.close()
     yield con.table(name)
     con.drop_table(name, database=test_data_db)
 

diff --git a/ibis/backends/impala/tests/test_client.py b/ibis/backends/impala/tests/test_client.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import datetime
+from contextlib import closing
 from posixpath import join as pjoin
 
 import pandas as pd
@@ -25,12 +26,6 @@ def test_hdfs_connect_function_is_public():
     assert hasattr(ibis.impala, "hdfs_connect")
 
 
-def test_cursor_garbage_collection(con):
-    for _ in range(5):
-        con.raw_sql('select 1').fetchall()
-        con.raw_sql('select 1').fetchone()
-
-
 def test_raise_ibis_error_no_hdfs(con_no_hdfs):
     # GH299
     with pytest.raises(com.IbisError):
@@ -62,9 +57,8 @@ def test_sql_with_limit(con):
 
 def test_raw_sql(con):
     query = 'SELECT * from functional_alltypes limit 10'
-    cur = con.raw_sql(query)
-    rows = cur.fetchall()
-    cur.release()
+    with closing(con.raw_sql(query)) as cur:
+        rows = cur.fetchall()
     assert len(rows) == 10
 
 
@@ -295,7 +289,7 @@ def test_datetime_to_int_cast(con):
 
 def test_set_option_with_dot(con):
     con.set_options({'request_pool': 'baz.quux'})
-    result = dict(row[:2] for row in con.raw_sql('set').fetchall())
+    result = con.get_options()
     assert result['REQUEST_POOL'] == 'baz.quux'
 
 

diff --git a/ibis/backends/impala/tests/test_ddl.py b/ibis/backends/impala/tests/test_ddl.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import os
+from contextlib import closing
 from posixpath import join as pjoin
 
 import pytest
@@ -346,13 +347,16 @@ def test_query_delimited_file_directory(con, test_data_dir, tmp_db):
 @pytest.fixture
 def temp_char_table(con):
     name = "testing_varchar_support"
-    con.raw_sql(
-        f"""\
+    with closing(
+        con.raw_sql(
+            f"""\
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS {name} (
   group1 VARCHAR(10),
   group2 CHAR(10)
 )"""
-    )
+        )
+    ):
+        pass
     assert name in con.list_tables(), name
     yield con.table(name)
     con.drop_table(name, force=True)