diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index af0dc62c4d8..871f5b1bbbd 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ Pieter Mulder
 Piotr Banaszkiewicz
 Pulkit Goyal
 Punyashloka Biswal
+Quentin Bey
 Quentin Pradet
 Ralf Schmitt
 Ralph Giles
diff --git a/changelog/6947.bugfix.rst b/changelog/6947.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..28180cb129a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/6947.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Unittest cleanup functions are called even if a test fails.
diff --git a/src/_pytest/unittest.py b/src/_pytest/unittest.py
index 2047876e5f1..6188a4120d6 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/unittest.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/unittest.py
@@ -113,15 +113,12 @@ class TestCaseFunction(Function):
     _testcase = None
 
     def setup(self):
-        self._needs_explicit_tearDown = False
         self._testcase = self.parent.obj(self.name)
         self._obj = getattr(self._testcase, self.name)
         if hasattr(self, "_request"):
             self._request._fillfixtures()
 
     def teardown(self):
-        if self._needs_explicit_tearDown:
-            self._testcase.tearDown()
         self._testcase = None
         self._obj = None
 
@@ -209,7 +206,7 @@ def runtest(self):
 
         testMethod = getattr(self._testcase, self._testcase._testMethodName)
 
-        class _GetOutOf_testPartExecutor(KeyboardInterrupt):
+        class _GetOutOf_testPartExecutor(Exception):
             """Helper exception to get out of unittests's testPartExecutor (see TestCase.run)."""
 
         @functools.wraps(testMethod)
@@ -218,13 +215,12 @@ def wrapped_testMethod(*args, **kwargs):
             features can have a chance to kick in (notably --pdb)"""
             try:
                 self.ihook.pytest_pyfunc_call(pyfuncitem=self)
-            except unittest.SkipTest:
+            except (unittest.SkipTest, exit.Exception):
                 raise
             except Exception as exc:
                 expecting_failure = self._expecting_failure(testMethod)
                 if expecting_failure:
                     raise
-                self._needs_explicit_tearDown = True
                 raise _GetOutOf_testPartExecutor(exc)
 
         setattr(self._testcase, self._testcase._testMethodName, wrapped_testMethod)
diff --git a/testing/test_unittest.py b/testing/test_unittest.py
index c5fc20239b1..c074ee3f778 100644
--- a/testing/test_unittest.py
+++ b/testing/test_unittest.py
@@ -209,6 +209,91 @@ def test_demo(self):
         assert type(obj).__name__ != "TestCaseObjectsShouldBeCleanedUp"
 
 
+def test_cleanup_called_issue6947(testdir):
+    """
+    Are unittest.TestCase cleanup functions not invoked on test failure?
+    When a test fails and the cleanup is not called, all following tests may fail.
+    This is truly visible for test using a database when the transaction is not rolled back at the end.
+    """
+    testpath = testdir.makepyfile(
+        """
+        import unittest
+        import pytest
+
+        def increment_cleanup_count():
+            TestCaseObjectsShouldBeCleanedUp.cleanup_counter += 1
+
+        class TestCaseObjectsShouldBeCleanedUp(unittest.TestCase):
+            cleanup_counter = 0
+            def setUp(self):
+                self.addCleanup(increment_cleanup_count)
+            def test_1_goes_well(self):
+                # First test to be run
+                assert TestCaseObjectsShouldBeCleanedUp.cleanup_counter == 0
+            def test_2_that_fails(self):
+                # Second test to be run, should fail
+                assert False
+            def test_3_goes_well_after_failure(self):
+                # Third test to be run
+                assert TestCaseObjectsShouldBeCleanedUp.cleanup_counter == 2
+            def test_4_exit(self):
+                pytest.exit("pytest_exit called")
+            def test_5_not_run(self):
+                assert True
+    """
+    )
+    reprec = testdir.inline_run(testpath)
+    passed, skipped, failed = reprec.countoutcomes()
+    # test_1_goes_well passed
+    # test_2_that_fails failed
+    # test_3_goes_well_after_failure passed
+    # and finally test_4 quit
+    assert failed == 1, failed
+    assert passed == 2
+    assert passed + skipped + failed == 3
+
+
+def test_teardown_called_issue6947(testdir):
+    """
+    This test assert the TestCase.tearDown method is called once after every tests.
+
+    Looks very similar to test_cleanup_called_issue6947 but testing a different mechanism.
+    """
+    testpath = testdir.makepyfile(
+        """
+        import unittest
+        import pytest
+
+        class TestCaseObjectsShouldBeCleanedUp(unittest.TestCase):
+            cleanup_counter = 0
+            def tearDown(self):
+                TestCaseObjectsShouldBeCleanedUp.cleanup_counter += 1
+            def test_1_goes_well(self):
+                # First test to be run
+                assert TestCaseObjectsShouldBeCleanedUp.cleanup_counter == 0
+            def test_2_that_fails(self):
+                # Second test to be run, should fail
+                assert False
+            def test_3_goes_well_after_failure(self):
+                # Third test to be run
+                assert TestCaseObjectsShouldBeCleanedUp.cleanup_counter == 2
+            def test_4_exit(self):
+                pytest.exit("pytest_exit called")
+            def test_5_not_run(self):
+                assert True
+    """
+    )
+    reprec = testdir.inline_run(testpath)
+    passed, skipped, failed = reprec.countoutcomes()
+    # test_1_goes_well passed
+    # test_2_that_fails failed
+    # test_3_goes_well_after_failure passed
+    # and finally test_4 quit
+    assert failed == 1, failed
+    assert passed == 2
+    assert passed + skipped + failed == 3
+
+
 def test_unittest_skip_issue148(testdir):
     testpath = testdir.makepyfile(
         """