diff --git a/backend/controller/scaling/localscaling/local_scaling.go b/backend/controller/scaling/localscaling/local_scaling.go
index 3ace46aa70..174d17c164 100644
--- a/backend/controller/scaling/localscaling/local_scaling.go
+++ b/backend/controller/scaling/localscaling/local_scaling.go
@@ -158,6 +158,13 @@ func (l *localScaling) reconcileRunners(ctx context.Context, deploymentRunners *
 }
 
 func (l *localScaling) startRunner(ctx context.Context, deploymentKey string, info *deploymentInfo) error {
+	select {
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		// In some cases this gets called with an expired context, generally after the lease is released
+		// We don't want to start a runner in that case
+		return nil
+	default:
+	}
 	controllerEndpoint := l.controllerAddresses[len(l.runners)%len(l.controllerAddresses)]
 	logger := log.FromContext(ctx)
 
@@ -210,12 +217,14 @@ func (l *localScaling) startRunner(ctx context.Context, deploymentKey string, in
 	go func() {
 		logger.Debugf("Starting runner: %s", config.Key)
 		err := runner.Start(runnerCtx, config)
+		l.lock.Lock()
+		defer l.lock.Unlock()
 		if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
 			logger.Errorf(err, "Runner failed: %s", err)
+		} else {
+			// Don't count context.Canceled as an a restart error
+			info.exits++
 		}
-		l.lock.Lock()
-		defer l.lock.Unlock()
-		info.exits++
 		if info.exits >= maxExits {
 			logger.Errorf(fmt.Errorf("too many restarts"), "Runner failed too many times, not restarting")
 		}
diff --git a/backend/controller/scaling/scaling.go b/backend/controller/scaling/scaling.go
index 31e10f6ff7..b565018a58 100644
--- a/backend/controller/scaling/scaling.go
+++ b/backend/controller/scaling/scaling.go
@@ -28,13 +28,6 @@ func BeginGrpcScaling(ctx context.Context, url url.URL, leaser leases.Leaser, ha
 		// Grab a lease to take control of runner scaling
 		lease, leaseContext, err := leaser.AcquireLease(ctx, leases.SystemKey("ftl-scaling", "runner-creation"), leaseTimeout, optional.None[any]())
 		if err == nil {
-			defer func(lease leases.Lease) {
-				err := lease.Release()
-				if err != nil {
-					logger := log.FromContext(ctx)
-					logger.Errorf(err, "Failed to release lease")
-				}
-			}(lease)
 			// If we get it then we take over runner scaling
 			runGrpcScaling(leaseContext, url, handler)
 		} else if !errors.Is(err, leases.ErrConflict) {
@@ -43,8 +36,15 @@ func BeginGrpcScaling(ctx context.Context, url url.URL, leaser leases.Leaser, ha
 		}
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
+			if lease != nil {
+				err := lease.Release()
+				if err != nil {
+					logger := log.FromContext(ctx)
+					logger.Errorf(err, "Failed to release lease")
+				}
+			}
 			return
-		case <-time.After(leaseTimeout):
+		case <-leaseContext.Done():
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/rpc/rpc.go b/internal/rpc/rpc.go
index b6643b2152..f1af32ffa5 100644
--- a/internal/rpc/rpc.go
+++ b/internal/rpc/rpc.go
@@ -280,12 +280,6 @@ func RetryStreamingServerStream[Req, Resp any](
 	for {
 		stream, err := rpc(ctx, connect.NewRequest(req))
 		if err == nil {
-			defer func(stream *connect.ServerStreamForClient[Resp]) {
-				err := stream.Close()
-				if err != nil {
-					logger.Debugf("Failed to close stream: %s", err)
-				}
-			}(stream)
 			for {
 				if stream.Receive() {
 					resp := stream.Msg()
@@ -300,6 +294,10 @@ func RetryStreamingServerStream[Req, Resp any](
 					}
 					select {
 					case <-ctx.Done():
+						err := stream.Close()
+						if err != nil {
+							logger.Debugf("Failed to close stream: %s", err)
+						}
 						return
 					default:
 					}
@@ -312,6 +310,10 @@ func RetryStreamingServerStream[Req, Resp any](
 					break
 				}
 			}
+			err := stream.Close()
+			if err != nil {
+				logger.Debugf("Failed to close stream: %s", err)
+			}
 		}
 
 		errored = true