diff --git a/.env.test b/.env.test
index 131beb69..d6805656 100644
--- a/.env.test
+++ b/.env.test
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 ZEROBYTE_DATABASE_URL=:memory:
 APP_SECRET=8b9acd4456dd5db0a4a3c4f4e1240b2c3ae08bb59690167197425e4a25dd9a69
 BASE_URL=http://localhost:4096
+ENABLE_LOCAL_AGENT=true
diff --git a/app/server/modules/agents/__tests__/agents-manager.test.ts b/app/server/modules/agents/__tests__/agents-manager.test.ts
index dd9310f2..c55d222d 100644
--- a/app/server/modules/agents/__tests__/agents-manager.test.ts
+++ b/app/server/modules/agents/__tests__/agents-manager.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { EventEmitter } from "node:events";
 import { PassThrough } from "node:stream";
-import { afterEach, expect, test, vi } from "vitest";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, expect, test, vi } from "vitest";
+import type { ProcessWithAgentRuntime } from "../helpers/runtime-state.dev";
 
 const spawnMock = vi.fn();
 
@@ -8,7 +9,19 @@ vi.mock("node:child_process", async () => {
 	return { spawn: spawnMock };
 });
 
-const { spawnLocalAgent, stopLocalAgent } = await import("../agents-manager");
+let spawnLocalAgent: (typeof import("../agents-manager"))["spawnLocalAgent"];
+let stopLocalAgent: (typeof import("../agents-manager"))["stopLocalAgent"];
+
+const processWithAgentRuntime = process as ProcessWithAgentRuntime;
+
+const setAgentRuntime = () => {
+	processWithAgentRuntime.__zerobyteAgentRuntime = {
+		agentManager: null,
+		localAgent: null,
+		isStoppingLocalAgent: false,
+		localAgentRestartTimeout: null,
+	};
+};
 
 type FakeChildProcess = EventEmitter & {
 	stdout: PassThrough;
@@ -34,8 +47,15 @@ const createFakeChild = () => {
 	return child;
 };
 
+beforeEach(async () => {
+	vi.resetModules();
+	setAgentRuntime();
+	({ spawnLocalAgent, stopLocalAgent } = await import("../agents-manager"));
+});
+
 afterEach(async () => {
 	await stopLocalAgent();
+	delete processWithAgentRuntime.__zerobyteAgentRuntime;
 	spawnMock.mockReset();
 	vi.restoreAllMocks();
 	vi.useRealTimers();
diff --git a/app/server/modules/agents/agents-manager.ts b/app/server/modules/agents/agents-manager.ts
index 5680abbf..6782dcad 100644
--- a/app/server/modules/agents/agents-manager.ts
+++ b/app/server/modules/agents/agents-manager.ts
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ export const startAgentRuntime = async () => {
 
 	if (runtime.agentManager) {
 		await runtime.agentManager.stop();
+		runtime.agentManager = null;
 	}
 
 	const { createAgentManagerRuntime } = await import("./controller/server");
diff --git a/app/server/modules/agents/controller/session.ts b/app/server/modules/agents/controller/session.ts
index f010f5a5..999cec41 100644
--- a/app/server/modules/agents/controller/session.ts
+++ b/app/server/modules/agents/controller/session.ts
@@ -147,8 +147,8 @@ export const createControllerAgentSession = (
 						yield* Effect.sync(() => {
 							try {
 								const sendResult = socket.send(message);
-								if (sendResult <= 0) {
-									handleSendFailure(sendResult === 0 ? "connection issue" : "backpressure");
+								if (sendResult === 0) {
+									handleSendFailure("connection issue");
 								}
 							} catch (error) {
 								handleSendFailure(toMessage(error));
diff --git a/app/server/modules/backups/__tests__/backups.service.execution.test.ts b/app/server/modules/backups/__tests__/backups.service.execution.test.ts
index c9b236b9..cdc4bd4d 100644
--- a/app/server/modules/backups/__tests__/backups.service.execution.test.ts
+++ b/app/server/modules/backups/__tests__/backups.service.execution.test.ts
@@ -283,6 +283,29 @@ describe("stop backup", () => {
 		);
 	});
 
+	test("should settle and mark the backup as failed when the backup process throws", async () => {
+		const { resticBackupMock } = setup();
+		const volume = await createTestVolume();
+		const repository = await createTestRepository();
+		const schedule = await createTestBackupSchedule({
+			volumeId: volume.id,
+			repositoryId: repository.id,
+		});
+
+		resticBackupMock.mockImplementationOnce(() => Promise.reject(new Error("restic crashed")));
+
+		const result = await Promise.race([
+			backupsService.executeBackup(schedule.id).then(() => "settled"),
+			new Promise<string>((resolve) => setTimeout(() => resolve("timed-out"), 100)),
+		]);
+
+		expect(result).toBe("settled");
+
+		const updatedSchedule = await getScheduleByIdOrShortId(schedule.id);
+		expect(updatedSchedule.lastBackupStatus).toBe("error");
+		expect(updatedSchedule.lastBackupError).toBe("Error: restic crashed");
+	});
+
 	test("should block forget on the same repository until the active backup completes", async () => {
 		const { resticBackupMock, resticForgetMock, runBackupMock } = setup();
 		const volume = await createTestVolume();
diff --git a/app/test/helpers/agent-mock.ts b/app/test/helpers/agent-mock.ts
index 1f00b14f..4fbf20e5 100644
--- a/app/test/helpers/agent-mock.ts
+++ b/app/test/helpers/agent-mock.ts
@@ -74,7 +74,10 @@ export const createAgentBackupMocks = (
 						status: "failed",
 						error: stderrLines.join("\n") || resultWithStderr.stderr || result.error,
 					});
-				})().catch(() => {});
+				})().catch((err) => {
+					runningBackups.delete(request.scheduleId);
+					resolve({ status: "failed", error: String(err) });
+				});
 			});
 		},
 	);