diff --git a/src/exo/utils/channels.py b/src/exo/utils/channels.py
index c9336215..6ce4849d 100644
--- a/src/exo/utils/channels.py
+++ b/src/exo/utils/channels.py
@@ -192,7 +192,13 @@ class MpReceiver[T]:
         try:
             return self.receive_nowait()
         except WouldBlock:
-            item = self._state.buffer.get()
+            try:
+                item = self._state.buffer.get()
+            except (TypeError, OSError):
+                # Queue pipe can get closed while we are blocked on get().
+                # The underlying connection._handle becomes None, causing
+                # TypeError in read(handle, remaining).
+                raise ClosedResourceError from None
             if isinstance(item, _MpEndOfStream):
                 self.close()
                 raise EndOfStream from None
diff --git a/src/exo/utils/info_gatherer/net_profile.py b/src/exo/utils/info_gatherer/net_profile.py
index 85986ead..3255b207 100644
--- a/src/exo/utils/info_gatherer/net_profile.py
+++ b/src/exo/utils/info_gatherer/net_profile.py
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ async def check_reachable(
                 await send.send((target_ip, expected_node_id))
 
     async with (
-        httpx.AsyncClient(timeout=timeout, limits=limits) as client,
+        httpx.AsyncClient(timeout=timeout, limits=limits, verify=False) as client,
         create_task_group() as tg,
     ):
         for node_id in topology.list_nodes():
diff --git a/src/exo/worker/runner/runner.py b/src/exo/worker/runner/runner.py
index f22ae5c8..47293d8c 100644
--- a/src/exo/worker/runner/runner.py
+++ b/src/exo/worker/runner/runner.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import resource
 import time
 from collections.abc import Generator
 from functools import cache
-from typing import Literal
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Literal
 
 import mlx.core as mx
 from mlx_lm.models.deepseek_v32 import Model as DeepseekV32Model
@@ -588,6 +588,13 @@ def main(
                 case Shutdown():
                     current_status = RunnerShuttingDown()
                     logger.info("runner shutting down")
+                    if not TYPE_CHECKING:
+                        del inference_model, image_model, tokenizer, group
+                        mx.clear_cache()
+                        import gc
+
+                        gc.collect()
+
                     event_sender.send(
                         RunnerStatusUpdated(
                             runner_id=runner_id, runner_status=current_status
@@ -612,12 +619,8 @@ def main(
             event_sender.send(
                 RunnerStatusUpdated(runner_id=runner_id, runner_status=current_status)
             )
-            if isinstance(current_status, RunnerShutdown):
-                del inference_model, image_model, tokenizer, group
-                mx.clear_cache()
-                import gc
 
-                gc.collect()
+            if isinstance(current_status, RunnerShutdown):
                 break
 
 
diff --git a/src/exo/worker/runner/runner_supervisor.py b/src/exo/worker/runner/runner_supervisor.py
index 58ac778e..2cee74fd 100644
--- a/src/exo/worker/runner/runner_supervisor.py
+++ b/src/exo/worker/runner/runner_supervisor.py
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ class RunnerSupervisor:
         logger.info("Runner supervisor shutting down")
         self._ev_recv.close()
         self._task_sender.close()
-        self._event_sender.close()
         self._cancel_sender.send(TaskId("CANCEL_CURRENT_TASK"))
         self._cancel_sender.close()
         self.runner_process.join(5)
@@ -180,6 +179,7 @@ class RunnerSupervisor:
                 await self._check_runner(e)
                 for tid in self.pending:
                     self.pending[tid].set()
+        self._event_sender.close()
 
     def __del__(self) -> None:
         if self.runner_process.is_alive():
@@ -208,10 +208,15 @@ class RunnerSupervisor:
 
         logger.opt(exception=e).error(f"Runner terminated ({cause})")
 
-        await self._event_sender.send(
-            RunnerStatusUpdated(
-                runner_id=self.bound_instance.bound_runner_id,
-                runner_status=RunnerFailed(error_message=f"Terminated ({cause})"),
+        try:
+            await self._event_sender.send(
+                RunnerStatusUpdated(
+                    runner_id=self.bound_instance.bound_runner_id,
+                    runner_status=RunnerFailed(error_message=f"Terminated ({cause})"),
+                )
+            )
+        except (ClosedResourceError, BrokenResourceError):
+            logger.warning(
+                "Event sender already closed, unable to report runner failure"
             )
-        )
         self.shutdown()