diff --git a/awx/main/tasks.py b/awx/main/tasks.py
index c46db34c4f..9b155123de 100644
--- a/awx/main/tasks.py
+++ b/awx/main/tasks.py
@@ -3168,6 +3168,11 @@ class AWXReceptorJob:
                     logger.warn(f"Could not launch pod for {log_name}. Exceeded quota.")
                     self.task.update_model(self.task.instance.pk, status='pending')
                     return
+
+                # if we did not exceed the quota, continue with shutting down the job
+                resultsock.shutdown(socket.SHUT_RDWR)
+                resultfile.close()
+
                 # If ansible-runner ran, but an error occured at runtime, the traceback information
                 # is saved via the status_handler passed in to the processor.
                 if state_name == 'Succeeded':
@@ -3251,10 +3256,21 @@ class AWXReceptorJob:
 
     @cleanup_new_process
     def cancel_watcher(self, processor_future):
+        receptor_ctl = get_receptor_ctl()
         while True:
             if processor_future.done():
                 return processor_future.result()
 
+            # cancel job if receptor no longer knows about work item
+            try:
+                receptor_ctl.simple_command(f'work status {self.unit_id}')
+            except RuntimeError:
+                self.task.instance.result_traceback = traceback.format_exc()
+                self.task.instance.save(update_fields=['result_traceback'])
+
+                result = namedtuple('result', ['status', 'rc'])
+                return result('error', 1)
+
             if self.task.cancel_callback():
                 result = namedtuple('result', ['status', 'rc'])
                 return result('canceled', 1)