diff --git a/scripts/qapi/gen.py b/scripts/qapi/gen.py
index 8b851c6262..670c21e210 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi/gen.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi/gen.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 # See the COPYING file in the top-level directory.
 
 from contextlib import contextmanager
-import errno
 import os
 import re
 from typing import (
@@ -65,21 +64,19 @@ class QAPIGen:
             return
         pathname = os.path.join(output_dir, self.fname)
         odir = os.path.dirname(pathname)
+
         if odir:
-            try:
-                os.makedirs(odir)
-            except os.error as e:
-                if e.errno != errno.EEXIST:
-                    raise
+            os.makedirs(odir, exist_ok=True)
+
+        # use os.open for O_CREAT to create and read a non-existant file
         fd = os.open(pathname, os.O_RDWR | os.O_CREAT, 0o666)
-        f = open(fd, 'r+', encoding='utf-8')
-        text = self.get_content()
-        oldtext = f.read(len(text) + 1)
-        if text != oldtext:
-            f.seek(0)
-            f.truncate(0)
-            f.write(text)
-        f.close()
+        with os.fdopen(fd, 'r+', encoding='utf-8') as fp:
+            text = self.get_content()
+            oldtext = fp.read(len(text) + 1)
+            if text != oldtext:
+                fp.seek(0)
+                fp.truncate(0)
+                fp.write(text)
 
 
 def _wrap_ifcond(ifcond: List[str], before: str, after: str) -> str: