diff --git a/concrete/common/compilation/artifacts.py b/concrete/common/compilation/artifacts.py
index f35347dd1..eaefd8f3f 100644
--- a/concrete/common/compilation/artifacts.py
+++ b/concrete/common/compilation/artifacts.py
@@ -175,9 +175,9 @@ class CompilationArtifacts:
                     f.write(f"{name} :: {parameter}\n")
 
         drawings = self.drawings_of_operation_graphs.items()
-        for index, (name, drawing) in enumerate(drawings):
+        for index, (name, drawing_filename) in enumerate(drawings):
             identifier = CompilationArtifacts._identifier(index, name)
-            drawing.save(output_directory.joinpath(f"{identifier}.png"))
+            shutil.copy(drawing_filename, output_directory.joinpath(f"{identifier}.png"))
 
         textual_representations = self.textual_representations_of_operation_graphs.items()
         for index, (name, representation) in enumerate(textual_representations):
diff --git a/concrete/common/debugging/drawing.py b/concrete/common/debugging/drawing.py
index bcca75469..305b75ed7 100644
--- a/concrete/common/debugging/drawing.py
+++ b/concrete/common/debugging/drawing.py
@@ -43,19 +43,18 @@ def draw_graph(
     show: bool = False,
     vertical: bool = True,
     save_to: Optional[Path] = None,
-) -> Image.Image:
+) -> str:
     """Draws operation graphs and optionally saves/shows the drawing.
 
     Args:
         opgraph (OPGraph): the graph to be drawn and optionally saved/shown
         show (bool): if set to True, the drawing will be shown using matplotlib
         vertical (bool): if set to True, the orientation will be vertical
-        save_to (Optional[Path]): if specified, the drawn graph will be saved to this path
+        save_to (Optional[Path]): if specified, the drawn graph will be saved to this path; else
+            it is saved in a temporary file
 
     Returns:
-        Pillow Image of the drawn graph.
-        This is useful because you can use the drawing however you like.
-        (check https://pillow.readthedocs.io/en/stable/reference/Image.html for further information)
+        The path of the file where the drawn graph is saved
 
     """
 
@@ -90,19 +89,21 @@ def draw_graph(
     agraph.layout("dot")
 
     if save_to is None:
-        with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(suffix=".png") as tmp:
-            agraph.draw(tmp.name)
-            img = Image.open(tmp.name)
+        with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(suffix=".png", delete=False) as tmp:
+            save_to_str = str(tmp.name)
     else:
-        agraph.draw(save_to)
-        img = Image.open(save_to)
+        save_to_str = str(save_to)
+
+    agraph.draw(save_to_str)
 
     if show:  # pragma: no cover
         # We can't have coverage in this branch as `plt.show()` blocks and waits for user action.
         plt.close("all")
         plt.figure()
+        img = Image.open(save_to_str)
         plt.imshow(img)
+        img.close()
         plt.axis("off")
         plt.show()
 
-    return img
+    return save_to_str