diff --git a/haystack/components/generators/chat/openai.py b/haystack/components/generators/chat/openai.py
index cd227e7aba..11c51b958f 100644
--- a/haystack/components/generators/chat/openai.py
+++ b/haystack/components/generators/chat/openai.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
+import asyncio
 import json
 import os
 from datetime import datetime
@@ -505,13 +506,22 @@ async def _handle_async_stream_response(
     ) -> list[ChatMessage]:
         component_info = ComponentInfo.from_component(self)
         chunks: list[StreamingChunk] = []
-        async for chunk in chat_completion:  # pylint: disable=not-an-iterable
-            assert len(chunk.choices) <= 1, "Streaming responses should have at most one choice."
-            chunk_delta = _convert_chat_completion_chunk_to_streaming_chunk(
-                chunk=chunk, previous_chunks=chunks, component_info=component_info
-            )
-            chunks.append(chunk_delta)
-            await callback(chunk_delta)
+        try:
+            async for chunk in chat_completion:  # pylint: disable=not-an-iterable
+                assert len(chunk.choices) <= 1, "Streaming responses should have at most one choice."
+                chunk_delta = _convert_chat_completion_chunk_to_streaming_chunk(
+                    chunk=chunk, previous_chunks=chunks, component_info=component_info
+                )
+                chunks.append(chunk_delta)
+                await callback(chunk_delta)
+
+        except asyncio.CancelledError:
+            await asyncio.shield(chat_completion.close())
+            # close the stream when task is cancelled
+            # asyncio.shield ensures the close operation completes
+            # https://docs.python.org/3/library/asyncio-task.html#shielding-from-cancellation
+            raise  # Re-raise to propagate cancellation
+
         return [_convert_streaming_chunks_to_chat_message(chunks=chunks)]
 
 
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/fix-OpenAIChatGenerator-handles-asyncio.CancelledError-closing-response-stream-37e1e85255e1dc41.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/fix-OpenAIChatGenerator-handles-asyncio.CancelledError-closing-response-stream-37e1e85255e1dc41.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4484f8fe59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/fix-OpenAIChatGenerator-handles-asyncio.CancelledError-closing-response-stream-37e1e85255e1dc41.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+enhancements:
+  - |
+    The ``_handle_async_stream_response()`` method in ``OpenAIChatGenerator`` now handles ``asyncio.CancelledError`` exceptions. When a streaming task is cancelled mid-stream, the async for loop gracefully closes the stream using ``asyncio.shield()`` to ensure the cleanup operation completes even during cancellation.
diff --git a/test/components/generators/chat/test_openai_async.py b/test/components/generators/chat/test_openai_async.py
index 50da9777f9..a2203bb450 100644
--- a/test/components/generators/chat/test_openai_async.py
+++ b/test/components/generators/chat/test_openai_async.py
@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
+import asyncio
 import os
 from datetime import datetime
 from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock, patch
 
 import pytest
-from openai import AsyncOpenAI, OpenAIError
+from openai import AsyncOpenAI, AsyncStream, OpenAIError
 from openai.types.chat import (
     ChatCompletion,
     ChatCompletionChunk,
@@ -282,6 +283,85 @@ async def streaming_callback(chunk: StreamingChunk) -> None:
         assert tool_call.arguments == {"city": "Paris"}
         assert message.meta["finish_reason"] == "tool_calls"
 
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_async_stream_closes_on_cancellation(self, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("OPENAI_API_KEY", "test-api-key")
+        generator = OpenAIChatGenerator(
+            api_key=Secret.from_token("test-api-key"),
+            api_base_url="test-base-url",
+            organization="test-organization",
+            timeout=30,
+            max_retries=5,
+        )
+
+        # mocked the async stream that will be passed to the _handle_async_stream_response() method
+        mock_stream = AsyncMock(spec=AsyncStream)
+        mock_stream.close = AsyncMock()
+
+        async def mock_chunk_generator():
+            for i in range(100):
+                yield MagicMock(
+                    choices=[
+                        MagicMock(
+                            index=0,
+                            delta=MagicMock(content=f"chunk{i}", role=None, tool_calls=None),
+                            finish_reason=None,
+                            logprobs=None,
+                        )
+                    ],
+                    model="gpt-4",
+                    usage=None,
+                )
+                await asyncio.sleep(0.01)  # delay between chunks
+
+        mock_stream.__aiter__ = lambda self: mock_chunk_generator()
+
+        received_chunks = []
+
+        async def test_callback(chunk: StreamingChunk):
+            received_chunks.append(chunk)
+
+        # the task that will be cancelled
+        task = asyncio.create_task(generator._handle_async_stream_response(mock_stream, test_callback))
+
+        # trigger the task, process a few chunks, then cancel
+        await asyncio.sleep(0.05)
+        task.cancel()
+
+        with pytest.raises(asyncio.CancelledError):
+            await task
+
+        mock_stream.close.assert_awaited_once()
+
+        # we received some chunks before cancellation but not all of them
+        assert len(received_chunks) > 0
+        assert len(received_chunks) < 100
+
+    @pytest.mark.skipif(
+        not os.environ.get("OPENAI_API_KEY", None),
+        reason="Export an env var called OPENAI_API_KEY containing the OpenAI API key to run this test.",
+    )
+    @pytest.mark.integration
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_run_async_cancellation_integration(self):
+        generator = OpenAIChatGenerator(model="gpt-4")
+        messages = [ChatMessage.from_user("Write me an essay about the history of jazz music, at least 500 words.")]
+        received_chunks = []
+
+        async def streaming_callback(chunk: StreamingChunk):
+            received_chunks.append(chunk)
+
+        task = asyncio.create_task(generator.run_async(messages=messages, streaming_callback=streaming_callback))
+
+        await asyncio.sleep(2.0)
+        task.cancel()
+
+        with pytest.raises(asyncio.CancelledError):
+            await task
+
+        assert len(received_chunks) > 0
+        assert len(received_chunks) < 500
+
     @pytest.mark.skipif(
         not os.environ.get("OPENAI_API_KEY", None),
         reason="Export an env var called OPENAI_API_KEY containing the OpenAI API key to run this test.",
diff --git a/test/components/generators/chat/test_openai_responses.py b/test/components/generators/chat/test_openai_responses.py
index ca2ccc2c17..fae59f18d1 100644
--- a/test/components/generators/chat/test_openai_responses.py
+++ b/test/components/generators/chat/test_openai_responses.py
@@ -780,7 +780,8 @@ def warm_up(self):
         component.warm_up()
         assert len(warm_up_calls) == call_count
 
-    def test_run(self, openai_mock_responses):
+    def test_run(self, openai_mock_responses, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("OPENAI_API_KEY", "test-api-key")
         chat_messages = [ChatMessage.from_user("What's the capital of France")]
         component = OpenAIResponsesChatGenerator(
             model="gpt-4", generation_kwargs={"include": ["message.output_text.logprobs"]}