diff --git a/internal/daemon/daemon.go b/internal/daemon/daemon.go
index 017ea2b..4cfe4e1 100644
--- a/internal/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/internal/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ func (d *Daemon) Serve(ctx context.Context) error {
 				return nil
 			default:
 			}
-			if ne, ok := err.(net.Error); ok && ne.Temporary() {
+			if _, ok := err.(net.Error); ok {
 				if d.logger != nil {
 					d.logger.Warn("daemon accept temporary failure", "error", err.Error())
 				}
diff --git a/internal/daemon/vm.go b/internal/daemon/vm.go
index 8190163..21e3836 100644
--- a/internal/daemon/vm.go
+++ b/internal/daemon/vm.go
@@ -326,10 +326,13 @@ func (d *Daemon) startVMLocked(ctx context.Context, vm model.VMRecord, image mod
 		return cleanupOnErr(err)
 	}
 	if err := machine.Start(ctx); err != nil {
-		vm.Runtime.PID = d.resolveFirecrackerPID(ctx, machine, apiSock)
+		// Use a fresh context: the request ctx may already be cancelled (client
+		// disconnect), but we still need the PID so cleanupRuntime can kill the
+		// Firecracker process that was spawned before the failure.
+		vm.Runtime.PID = d.resolveFirecrackerPID(context.Background(), machine, apiSock)
 		return cleanupOnErr(err)
 	}
-	vm.Runtime.PID = d.resolveFirecrackerPID(ctx, machine, apiSock)
+	vm.Runtime.PID = d.resolveFirecrackerPID(context.Background(), machine, apiSock)
 	op.debugStage("firecracker_started", "pid", vm.Runtime.PID)
 	op.stage("socket_access", "api_socket", apiSock)
 	if err := d.ensureSocketAccess(ctx, apiSock, "firecracker api socket"); err != nil {