diff --git a/src/_ert/forward_model_runner/client.py b/src/_ert/forward_model_runner/client.py
index f98b7449af1..e178dc02690 100644
--- a/src/_ert/forward_model_runner/client.py
+++ b/src/_ert/forward_model_runner/client.py
@@ -116,7 +116,8 @@ async def send(self, message: str, retries: int | None = None) -> None:
         self._ack_event.clear()
 
         backoff = 1
-        retries = retries or self.DEFAULT_MAX_RETRIES
+        if retries is None:
+            retries = self.DEFAULT_MAX_RETRIES
         while retries >= 0:
             try:
                 await self.socket.send_multipart([b"", message.encode("utf-8")])
diff --git a/src/_ert/forward_model_runner/reporting/event.py b/src/_ert/forward_model_runner/reporting/event.py
index 1d6b9100517..2915406ed27 100644
--- a/src/_ert/forward_model_runner/reporting/event.py
+++ b/src/_ert/forward_model_runner/reporting/event.py
@@ -182,10 +182,7 @@ def _job_handler(self, msg: Start | Running | Exited):
             self._dump_event(event)
 
     def _finished_handler(self, _):
-        self._event_queue.put(Event._sentinel)
-        self._done.set()
-        if self._event_publisher_thread.is_alive():
-            self._event_publisher_thread.join()
+        self.stop()
 
     def _checksum_handler(self, msg: Checksum):
         fm_checksum = ForwardModelStepChecksum(
diff --git a/tests/ert/unit_tests/forward_model_runner/test_event_reporter.py b/tests/ert/unit_tests/forward_model_runner/test_event_reporter.py
index 32c62f574b0..b906340dc1e 100644
--- a/tests/ert/unit_tests/forward_model_runner/test_event_reporter.py
+++ b/tests/ert/unit_tests/forward_model_runner/test_event_reporter.py
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ def test_report_with_failed_reporter_but_finished_jobs(unused_tcp_port):
     url = f"tcp://{host}:{unused_tcp_port}"
     with MockZMQServer(unused_tcp_port) as mock_server:
         reporter = Event(
-            evaluator_url=url, ack_timeout=2, max_retries=1, finished_event_timeout=2
+            evaluator_url=url, ack_timeout=2, max_retries=0, finished_event_timeout=2
         )
         fmstep1 = ForwardModelStep(
             {"name": "fmstep1", "stdout": "stdout", "stderr": "stderr"}, 0