diff --git a/client/client_test.go b/client/client_test.go
index 46a69f5f..fb4f2eb7 100644
--- a/client/client_test.go
+++ b/client/client_test.go
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ func TestNexClient_CloneWorkload(t *testing.T) {
 			be.NilErr(t, err)
 			defer nc.Close()
 
-			client, err := NewClient(context.Background(), nc, "user", WithAuctionStall(1*time.Second))
+			client, err := NewClient(context.Background(), nc, "user", WithAuctionStall(5*time.Second))
 			be.NilErr(t, err)
 			be.Nonzero(t, client)
 
diff --git a/handlers.go b/handlers.go
index 73b09016..fd8d39e8 100644
--- a/handlers.go
+++ b/handlers.go
@@ -372,8 +372,8 @@ func (n *NexNode) handleStopWorkload() func(micro.Request) {
 			err = r.RespondJSON(ret)
 			if err != nil {
 				n.logger.Error("failed to respond to stop workload request", slog.String("err", err.Error()))
-				return
 			}
+			return
 		}
 
 		msgs(func(m *nats.Msg, e error) bool {
diff --git a/internal/watcher.go b/internal/watcher.go
index ae02fe3e..644b2379 100644
--- a/internal/watcher.go
+++ b/internal/watcher.go
@@ -228,11 +228,11 @@ func (a *AgentWatcher) StartLocalBinaryAgent(ap *AgentProcess, regCreds *models.
 
 			ap.agentLock.Unlock()
 
-			state, err := cmd.Process.Wait()
+			err = cmd.Wait()
 			if err != nil {
 				a.logger.Error("Nexlet process exited with error", slog.Int("process", ap.Process.Pid), slog.String("err", err.Error()))
-			} else if state != nil && ap.state != models.AgentStateStopping || ap.state != models.AgentStateLameduck {
-				a.logger.Warn("Nexlet process unexpectedly exited with state", slog.Any("state", state), slog.Int("process", ap.Process.Pid))
+			} else if cmd.ProcessState != nil && ap.state != models.AgentStateStopping && ap.state != models.AgentStateLameduck {
+				a.logger.Warn("Nexlet process unexpectedly exited with state", slog.Any("state", cmd.ProcessState), slog.Int("process", ap.Process.Pid))
 			}
 
 			a.agentCount--
diff --git a/sdk/go/agent/runner.go b/sdk/go/agent/runner.go
index 6782bad0..e65cbc7d 100644
--- a/sdk/go/agent/runner.go
+++ b/sdk/go/agent/runner.go
@@ -314,6 +314,9 @@ func (a *Runner) performHeartbeat() {
 }
 
 func (a *Runner) Shutdown() error {
+	if a.micro == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
 	return a.micro.Stop()
 }