diff --git a/.changeset/metal-workers-exit.md b/.changeset/metal-workers-exit.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b628ffa23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/metal-workers-exit.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@livekit/agents": patch
+---
+
+Fix worker cleanup after LiveKit connection retries are exhausted.
diff --git a/agents/src/worker.test.ts b/agents/src/worker.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5b8f4c9dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agents/src/worker.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 LiveKit, Inc.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { AgentServer, ServerOptions } from './worker.js';
+
+vi.mock('./inference/_warmup.js', () => ({
+  _getLocalInferenceModule: () => undefined,
+}));
+
+describe('AgentServer connection failures', () => {
+  it('run rejects when connection retries are exhausted', async () => {
+    const server = new AgentServer(
+      new ServerOptions({
+        agent: 'test-agent.js',
+        wsURL: 'ws://127.0.0.1:1',
+        apiKey: 'devkey',
+        apiSecret: 'devsecret',
+        maxRetry: 0,
+        numIdleProcesses: 0,
+        simulation: true,
+      }),
+    );
+
+    try {
+      await expect(server.run()).rejects.toThrow(/failed to connect/);
+    } finally {
+      await server.close();
+      await server.close();
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/agents/src/worker.ts b/agents/src/worker.ts
index e08ff2ef4..57f046559 100644
--- a/agents/src/worker.ts
+++ b/agents/src/worker.ts
@@ -491,8 +491,15 @@ export class AgentServer {
     if (this.#httpServer) {
       tasks.push(this.#httpServer.run());
     }
-    await ThrowsPromise.all(tasks);
-    this.#close.resolve();
+    try {
+      await ThrowsPromise.all(tasks);
+      this.#close.resolve();
+    } catch (e) {
+      if (!this.#close.done) {
+        this.#close.reject(e instanceof Error ? e : new Error(String(e)));
+      }
+      throw e;
+    }
   }
 
   get id(): string {
@@ -925,7 +932,7 @@ export class AgentServer {
 
   async close() {
     if (this.#closed) {
-      await this.#close.await;
+      await this.#close.await.catch(() => undefined);
       return;
     }
 
@@ -939,7 +946,7 @@ export class AgentServer {
     await ThrowsPromise.allSettled(this.#tasks);
 
     this.#session?.close();
-    await this.#close.await;
+    await this.#close.await.catch(() => undefined);
   }
 }