diff --git a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/actions/devices.test.ts b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/actions/devices.test.ts
index 0892c811ad2..578e48471c2 100644
--- a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/actions/devices.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/actions/devices.test.ts
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ describe("matrix device actions", () => {
         },
       ],
     }));
-    withStartedActionClientMock.mockImplementation(async (_opts, run) => {
+    withResolvedActionClientMock.mockImplementation(async (_opts, run) => {
       return await run({
         listOwnDevices: vi.fn(async () => [
           {
@@ -150,5 +150,10 @@ describe("matrix device actions", () => {
         current: true,
       }),
     ]);
+    expect(withResolvedActionClientMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      { accountId: "poe" },
+      expect.any(Function),
+    );
+    expect(withStartedActionClientMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 });
diff --git a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/actions/devices.ts b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/actions/devices.ts
index 27735fc081f..c64a128712b 100644
--- a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/actions/devices.ts
+++ b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/actions/devices.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { summarizeMatrixDeviceHealth } from "../device-health.js";
-import { withResolvedActionClient, withStartedActionClient } from "./client.js";
+import { withResolvedActionClient } from "./client.js";
 import type { MatrixActionClientOpts } from "./types.js";
 
 export async function listMatrixOwnDevices(opts: MatrixActionClientOpts = {}) {
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ export async function listMatrixOwnDevices(opts: MatrixActionClientOpts = {}) {
 }
 
 export async function pruneMatrixStaleGatewayDevices(opts: MatrixActionClientOpts = {}) {
-  return await withStartedActionClient(opts, async (client) => {
+  return await withResolvedActionClient(opts, async (client) => {
     const devices = await client.listOwnDevices();
     const health = summarizeMatrixDeviceHealth(devices);
     const staleGatewayDeviceIds = health.staleOpenClawDevices.map((device) => device.deviceId);
diff --git a/extensions/qa-matrix/src/runners/contract/scenario-runtime-e2ee-destructive.ts b/extensions/qa-matrix/src/runners/contract/scenario-runtime-e2ee-destructive.ts
index b177dbf6126..5577d01dc41 100644
--- a/extensions/qa-matrix/src/runners/contract/scenario-runtime-e2ee-destructive.ts
+++ b/extensions/qa-matrix/src/runners/contract/scenario-runtime-e2ee-destructive.ts
@@ -81,6 +81,19 @@ type MatrixQaDestructiveSetup = {
   seededEventId: string;
 };
 
+async function cleanupMatrixQaTempDevices(
+  client: MatrixQaE2eeScenarioClient,
+  deviceIds: Array<string | null | undefined>,
+): Promise<void> {
+  await client.stop().catch(() => undefined);
+  const uniqueDeviceIds = [
+    ...new Set(deviceIds.filter((deviceId): deviceId is string => !!deviceId)),
+  ];
+  if (uniqueDeviceIds.length > 0) {
+    await client.deleteOwnDevices(uniqueDeviceIds).catch(() => undefined);
+  }
+}
+
 function requireMatrixQaE2eeOutputDir(context: MatrixQaScenarioContext) {
   if (!context.outputDir) {
     throw new Error("Matrix E2EE destructive QA scenarios require an output directory");
@@ -668,8 +681,7 @@ export async function runMatrixQaE2eeStateLossExternalRecoveryKeyScenario(
     };
   } finally {
     await cli.dispose().catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.deleteOwnDevices([device.deviceId]).catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.stop().catch(() => undefined);
+    await cleanupMatrixQaTempDevices(setup.owner, [device.deviceId]);
   }
 }
 
@@ -748,8 +760,7 @@ export async function runMatrixQaE2eeStateLossStoredRecoveryKeyScenario(
     };
   } finally {
     await cli.dispose().catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.deleteOwnDevices([device.deviceId]).catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.stop().catch(() => undefined);
+    await cleanupMatrixQaTempDevices(setup.owner, [device.deviceId]);
   }
 }
 
@@ -793,8 +804,7 @@ export async function runMatrixQaE2eeStateLossNoRecoveryKeyScenario(
     };
   } finally {
     await cli.dispose().catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.deleteOwnDevices([device.deviceId]).catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.stop().catch(() => undefined);
+    await cleanupMatrixQaTempDevices(setup.owner, [device.deviceId]);
   }
 }
 
@@ -863,8 +873,7 @@ export async function runMatrixQaE2eeStaleRecoveryKeyAfterBackupResetScenario(
     };
   } finally {
     await cli.dispose().catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.deleteOwnDevices([device.deviceId]).catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.stop().catch(() => undefined);
+    await cleanupMatrixQaTempDevices(setup.owner, [device.deviceId]);
   }
 }
 
@@ -1026,8 +1035,7 @@ export async function runMatrixQaE2eeServerBackupDeletedLocalReuploadRestoresSce
     };
   } finally {
     await cli.dispose().catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.deleteOwnDevices([device.deviceId]).catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.stop().catch(() => undefined);
+    await cleanupMatrixQaTempDevices(setup.owner, [device.deviceId]);
   }
 }
 
@@ -1101,8 +1109,7 @@ export async function runMatrixQaE2eeCorruptCryptoIdbSnapshotScenario(
     };
   } finally {
     await cli.dispose().catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.deleteOwnDevices([device.deviceId]).catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.stop().catch(() => undefined);
+    await cleanupMatrixQaTempDevices(setup.owner, [device.deviceId]);
   }
 }
 
@@ -1141,6 +1148,7 @@ export async function runMatrixQaE2eeServerDeviceDeletedLocalStateIntactScenario
     assertMatrixQaCliBackupRestoreSucceeded(restored.payload, "deleted-device preflight");
     await setup.owner.deleteOwnDevices([device.deviceId]);
     const ownerDevicesAfterDelete = await setup.owner.listOwnDevices();
+    await setup.owner.stop().catch(() => undefined);
     const defaultStatus = await runMatrixQaCliJson<MatrixQaCliVerificationStatus>({
       allowNonZero: true,
       args: ["matrix", "verify", "status", "--account", "deleted-device", "--json"],
@@ -1238,6 +1246,7 @@ export async function runMatrixQaE2eeServerDeviceDeletedReloginRecoversScenario(
 
     await setup.owner.deleteOwnDevices([deleted.device.deviceId]);
     const ownerDevicesAfterDelete = await setup.owner.listOwnDevices();
+    await setup.owner.stop().catch(() => undefined);
     const defaultStatus = await runMatrixQaCliJson<MatrixQaCliVerificationStatus>({
       allowNonZero: true,
       args: ["matrix", "verify", "status", "--account", "deleted-device-recovery", "--json"],
@@ -1322,12 +1331,11 @@ export async function runMatrixQaE2eeServerDeviceDeletedReloginRecoversScenario(
     };
   } finally {
     await replacement?.cli.dispose().catch(() => undefined);
-    if (replacement?.device.deviceId) {
-      await setup.owner.deleteOwnDevices([replacement.device.deviceId]).catch(() => undefined);
-    }
     await deleted.cli.dispose().catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.deleteOwnDevices([deleted.device.deviceId]).catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.stop().catch(() => undefined);
+    await cleanupMatrixQaTempDevices(setup.owner, [
+      replacement?.device.deviceId,
+      deleted.device.deviceId,
+    ]);
   }
 }
 
@@ -1566,6 +1574,7 @@ export async function runMatrixQaE2eeWrongAccountRecoveryKeyScenario(
       };
     } finally {
       await cli?.dispose().catch(() => undefined);
+      await observer.stop().catch(() => undefined);
       if (device) {
         await observer.deleteOwnDevices([device.deviceId]).catch(() => undefined);
       }
@@ -1627,7 +1636,6 @@ export async function runMatrixQaE2eeHistoryExistsBackupEmptyScenario(
     };
   } finally {
     await cli.dispose().catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.deleteOwnDevices([device.deviceId]).catch(() => undefined);
-    await setup.owner.stop().catch(() => undefined);
+    await cleanupMatrixQaTempDevices(setup.owner, [device.deviceId]);
   }
 }
diff --git a/extensions/qa-matrix/src/runners/contract/scenario-runtime-e2ee.ts b/extensions/qa-matrix/src/runners/contract/scenario-runtime-e2ee.ts
index 5944f805570..105e0cd98f3 100644
--- a/extensions/qa-matrix/src/runners/contract/scenario-runtime-e2ee.ts
+++ b/extensions/qa-matrix/src/runners/contract/scenario-runtime-e2ee.ts
@@ -1495,6 +1495,7 @@ export async function runMatrixQaE2eeRecoveryKeyLifecycleScenario(
           }
         }
         await recoveryClient.stop();
+        await client.stop().catch(() => undefined);
         await client.deleteOwnDevices([recoveryDevice.deviceId]).catch(() => undefined);
         cleanupRecoveryDevice = false;
         return {
@@ -1530,6 +1531,7 @@ export async function runMatrixQaE2eeRecoveryKeyLifecycleScenario(
       } finally {
         if (cleanupRecoveryDevice) {
           await recoveryClient.stop().catch(() => undefined);
+          await client.stop().catch(() => undefined);
           await client.deleteOwnDevices([recoveryDevice.deviceId]).catch(() => undefined);
         }
       }
@@ -1609,6 +1611,7 @@ export async function runMatrixQaE2eeRecoveryOwnerVerificationRequiredScenario(
           ].join("\n"),
         };
       } finally {
+        await client.stop().catch(() => undefined);
         await client.deleteOwnDevices([recoveryDevice.deviceId]).catch(() => undefined);
       }
     },
@@ -3136,6 +3139,7 @@ export async function runMatrixQaE2eeStaleDeviceHygieneScenario(
       if (!before.some((device) => device.deviceId === secondary.deviceId)) {
         throw new Error("Matrix stale-device list did not include the secondary login");
       }
+      await client.stop().catch(() => undefined);
       const deleted = await client.deleteOwnDevices([secondary.deviceId]);
       const remainingDeviceIds = deleted.remainingDevices.map((device) => device.deviceId);
       if (remainingDeviceIds.includes(secondary.deviceId)) {