diff --git a/integration-tests/worker/CHANGELOG.md b/integration-tests/worker/CHANGELOG.md
index 354459683..834a16de2 100644
--- a/integration-tests/worker/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/integration-tests/worker/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # @openfn/integration-tests-worker
 
+## 1.0.56
+
+### Patch Changes
+
+- Updated dependencies [ca07db4]
+  - @openfn/ws-worker@1.6.1
+
 ## 1.0.55
 
 ### Patch Changes
diff --git a/integration-tests/worker/package.json b/integration-tests/worker/package.json
index b7155b990..63167ed0d 100644
--- a/integration-tests/worker/package.json
+++ b/integration-tests/worker/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "@openfn/integration-tests-worker",
   "private": true,
-  "version": "1.0.55",
+  "version": "1.0.56",
   "description": "Lightning WOrker integration tests",
   "author": "Open Function Group <admin@openfn.org>",
   "license": "ISC",
diff --git a/integration-tests/worker/test/exit-reasons.test.ts b/integration-tests/worker/test/exit-reasons.test.ts
index 64f6b3a9c..72083290f 100644
--- a/integration-tests/worker/test/exit-reasons.test.ts
+++ b/integration-tests/worker/test/exit-reasons.test.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,31 @@ test('crash: syntax error', async (t) => {
   t.regex(error_message, /Unexpected token \(1:9\)$/);
 });
 
+// https://github.com/OpenFn/kit/issues/758
+test('crash: job not found', async (t) => {
+  lightning.addDataclip('x', {});
+
+  const attempt = {
+    id: crypto.randomUUID(),
+    jobs: [
+      {
+        id: 'x',
+        adaptor: '@openfn/language-common@latest',
+        body: 'fn(s => s)',
+      },
+    ],
+    dataclip_id: 'x', // having a data clip is important to trigger the crash
+    starting_node_id: 'y',
+  };
+
+  const result = await run(attempt);
+
+  const { reason, error_type, error_message } = result;
+  t.is(reason, 'crash');
+  t.is(error_type, 'ValidationError');
+  t.regex(error_message, /could not find start job: y/i);
+});
+
 test('exception: autoinstall error', async (t) => {
   const attempt = {
     id: crypto.randomUUID(),
diff --git a/packages/lightning-mock/src/start.ts b/packages/lightning-mock/src/start.ts
index 5b746a8c7..9f78a12b2 100644
--- a/packages/lightning-mock/src/start.ts
+++ b/packages/lightning-mock/src/start.ts
@@ -28,10 +28,14 @@ const args = yargs(hideBin(process.argv))
 
 const logger = createLogger('LNG', { level: args.log });
 
-createLightningServer({
+const server = createLightningServer({
   port: args.port,
   logger,
   logLevel: args.log,
 });
 
+// add a default credential
+server.addCredential('c', { user: 'user ' });
+server.addDataclip('d', { data: {} });
+
 logger.success('Started mock Lightning server on ', args.port);
diff --git a/packages/ws-worker/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/ws-worker/CHANGELOG.md
index 945d25ee2..b05ad2ed0 100644
--- a/packages/ws-worker/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/ws-worker/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # ws-worker
 
+## 1.6.1
+
+### Patch Changes
+
+- ca07db4: Fix an issue where a run with a missing start node caused the server to crash
+
 ## 1.6.0
 
 ### Minor Changes
diff --git a/packages/ws-worker/package.json b/packages/ws-worker/package.json
index c18fa89bb..30483fbfe 100644
--- a/packages/ws-worker/package.json
+++ b/packages/ws-worker/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@openfn/ws-worker",
-  "version": "1.6.0",
+  "version": "1.6.1",
   "description": "A Websocket Worker to connect Lightning to a Runtime Engine",
   "main": "dist/index.js",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/packages/ws-worker/src/api/destroy.ts b/packages/ws-worker/src/api/destroy.ts
index 3f2295c47..fa2743c64 100644
--- a/packages/ws-worker/src/api/destroy.ts
+++ b/packages/ws-worker/src/api/destroy.ts
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ const destroy = async (app: ServerApp, logger: Logger) => {
       await app.engine.destroy();
       app.socket?.disconnect();
 
-      logger.info('Server closed....');
-
       resolve();
     }),
   ]);
diff --git a/packages/ws-worker/src/api/execute.ts b/packages/ws-worker/src/api/execute.ts
index ac3dc0ec1..52753bf16 100644
--- a/packages/ws-worker/src/api/execute.ts
+++ b/packages/ws-worker/src/api/execute.ts
@@ -149,7 +149,6 @@ export function execute(
         loadedInput = await loadDataclip(channel, input);
         logger.success('dataclip loaded');
       } catch (e: any) {
-        // abort with error
         return handleRunError(context, {
           workflowId: plan.id!,
           message: `Failed to load dataclip ${input}${
diff --git a/packages/ws-worker/src/server.ts b/packages/ws-worker/src/server.ts
index 5d75feff3..6d52f389a 100644
--- a/packages/ws-worker/src/server.ts
+++ b/packages/ws-worker/src/server.ts
@@ -110,11 +110,13 @@ function connect(app: ServerApp, logger: Logger, options: ServerOptions = {}) {
     if (app.killWorkloop) {
       app.killWorkloop();
       delete app.killWorkloop;
-      logger.info('Connection to lightning lost.');
-      logger.info(
-        'Worker will automatically reconnect when lightning is back online.'
-      );
-      // So far as I know, the socket will try and reconnect in the background forever
+      if (!app.destroyed) {
+        logger.info('Connection to lightning lost');
+        logger.info(
+          'Worker will automatically reconnect when lightning is back online'
+        );
+        // So far as I know, the socket will try and reconnect in the background forever
+      }
     }
   };
 
@@ -180,6 +182,9 @@ function createServer(engine: RuntimeEngine, options: ServerOptions = {}) {
     if (app.socket) {
       app.workflows[id] = true;
 
+      // TODO if we fail to join the run channel, the whole server
+      //     will crash. Really we should just abort the run somehow
+      //     Maybe even soft shutdown the worker
       const {
         channel: runChannel,
         plan,
diff --git a/packages/ws-worker/src/util/create-run-state.ts b/packages/ws-worker/src/util/create-run-state.ts
index 7227da833..460a28027 100644
--- a/packages/ws-worker/src/util/create-run-state.ts
+++ b/packages/ws-worker/src/util/create-run-state.ts
@@ -25,14 +25,16 @@ export default (plan: ExecutionPlan, input?: Lazy<State>): RunState => {
       startNode = jobs.find(({ id }) => id === plan.options.start)!;
     }
 
-    // TODO throw with validation error of some kind if this node could not be found
-
     const initialRuns: string[] = [];
-    // If this is a trigger, get the downstream jobs
-    if (!startNode.expression) {
-      initialRuns.push(...Object.keys(startNode.next!));
-    } else {
-      initialRuns.push(startNode.id!);
+    // Note that the workflow hasn't been properly validated yet
+    // and it's technically possible that there is no start node
+    if (startNode) {
+      // If this is a trigger, get the downstream jobs
+      if (!startNode.expression) {
+        initialRuns.push(...Object.keys(startNode.next!));
+      } else {
+        initialRuns.push(startNode.id!);
+      }
     }
 
     // For any runs downstream of the initial state,
diff --git a/packages/ws-worker/test/util/create-run-state.test.ts b/packages/ws-worker/test/util/create-run-state.test.ts
index 7424ee957..31ad59577 100644
--- a/packages/ws-worker/test/util/create-run-state.test.ts
+++ b/packages/ws-worker/test/util/create-run-state.test.ts
@@ -98,3 +98,24 @@ test('Set initial input dataclip with a trigger with multiple downstream jobs',
 
   t.deepEqual(run.inputDataclips, { a: 's', b: 's', c: 's' });
 });
+
+test("Do not throw if the start step doesn't exist", (t) => {
+  const plan = createPlan([{ id: 'a' }]);
+  plan.options.start = 'wibble';
+  const input = 'x';
+
+  createRunState(plan, input);
+
+  t.pass('did not throw');
+});
+
+test('Do not throw  if there are no steps', (t) => {
+  const plan = createPlan([{ id: 'a' }]);
+  plan.workflow.steps = [];
+
+  const input = 'x';
+
+  createRunState(plan, input);
+
+  t.pass('did not throw');
+});