diff --git a/cmd/kwild/root/root.go b/cmd/kwild/root/root.go
index b6032b4d1..5610f4ad4 100644
--- a/cmd/kwild/root/root.go
+++ b/cmd/kwild/root/root.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package root
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	_ "net/http/pprof"
@@ -75,6 +76,9 @@ func RootCmd() *cobra.Command {
 
 			svr, err := server.New(ctx, kwildCfg, genesisConfig, nodeKey, autoGen)
 			if err != nil {
+				if errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+					return nil // clean shutdown
+				}
 				return err
 			}
 
diff --git a/cmd/kwild/server/build.go b/cmd/kwild/server/build.go
index d3a4e3204..68bbe4b31 100644
--- a/cmd/kwild/server/build.go
+++ b/cmd/kwild/server/build.go
@@ -289,10 +289,15 @@ type coreDependencies struct {
 // it is used to close all resources on shutdown
 type closeFuncs struct {
 	closers []func() error
+	logger  log.Logger
 }
 
-func (c *closeFuncs) addCloser(f func() error) {
-	c.closers = append([]func() error{f}, c.closers...) // slices.Insert(c.closers, 0, f)
+func (c *closeFuncs) addCloser(f func() error, msg string) {
+	// push to top of stack
+	c.closers = slices.Insert(c.closers, 0, func() error {
+		c.logger.Info(msg)
+		return f()
+	})
 }
 
 // closeAll closes all closers
@@ -355,7 +360,7 @@ func buildEventStore(d *coreDependencies, closers *closeFuncs) *events.EventStor
 	if err != nil {
 		failBuild(err, "failed to build event store")
 	}
-	closers.addCloser(db.Close)
+	closers.addCloser(db.Close, "closing event store")
 
 	e, err := events.NewEventStore(d.ctx, db)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -391,7 +396,7 @@ func buildDB(d *coreDependencies, closer *closeFuncs) *pg.DB {
 	if err != nil {
 		failBuild(err, "kwild database open failed")
 	}
-	closer.addCloser(db.Close)
+	closer.addCloser(db.Close, "closing main DB")
 
 	return db
 }
@@ -560,7 +565,7 @@ func buildAdminService(d *coreDependencies, closer *closeFuncs, admsvc admpb.Adm
 		if err != nil {
 			failBuild(err, "failed to build grpc server")
 		}
-		closer.addCloser(lis.Close)
+		closer.addCloser(lis.Close, "stopping admin service")
 
 		// client certs
 		caCertPool := x509.NewCertPool()
@@ -632,7 +637,7 @@ func buildAdminService(d *coreDependencies, closer *closeFuncs, admsvc admpb.Adm
 			failBuild(err, "failed to listen to unix socket")
 		}
 
-		closer.addCloser(lis.Close)
+		closer.addCloser(lis.Close, "stopping admin service")
 
 		err = os.Chmod(u.Target, 0777) // TODO: probably want this to be more restrictive
 		if err != nil {
@@ -679,7 +684,7 @@ func buildCometNode(d *coreDependencies, closer *closeFuncs, abciApp abciTypes.A
 	if err != nil {
 		failBuild(err, "failed to build comet node")
 	}
-	closer.addCloser(db.Close)
+	closer.addCloser(db.Close, "closing signing store")
 
 	readWriter := &atomicReadWriter{
 		kv:  db,
@@ -700,7 +705,7 @@ func buildCometNode(d *coreDependencies, closer *closeFuncs, abciApp abciTypes.A
 		}
 	}
 
-	node, err := cometbft.NewCometBftNode(abciApp, nodeCfg, genDoc, d.privKey,
+	node, err := cometbft.NewCometBftNode(d.ctx, abciApp, nodeCfg, genDoc, d.privKey,
 		readWriter, &d.log)
 	if err != nil {
 		failBuild(err, "failed to build comet node")
@@ -709,9 +714,31 @@ func buildCometNode(d *coreDependencies, closer *closeFuncs, abciApp abciTypes.A
 	return node
 }
 
+// panicErr is the type given to panic from failBuild so that the wrapped error
+// may be type-inspected.
+type panicErr struct {
+	err error
+	msg string
+}
+
+func (pe panicErr) String() string {
+	return pe.msg
+}
+
+func (pe panicErr) Error() string { // error interface
+	return pe.msg
+}
+
+func (pe panicErr) Unwrap() error {
+	return pe.err
+}
+
 func failBuild(err error, msg string) {
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(fmt.Sprintf("%s: %s", msg, err.Error()))
+		panic(panicErr{
+			err: err,
+			msg: fmt.Sprintf("%s: %s", msg, err),
+		})
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd/kwild/server/server.go b/cmd/kwild/server/server.go
index 98200b248..d34f97104 100644
--- a/cmd/kwild/server/server.go
+++ b/cmd/kwild/server/server.go
@@ -54,26 +54,32 @@ const (
 
 // New builds the kwild server.
 func New(ctx context.Context, cfg *config.KwildConfig, genesisCfg *config.GenesisConfig, nodeKey *crypto.Ed25519PrivateKey, autogen bool) (svr *Server, err error) {
+	logger, err := log.NewChecked(*cfg.LogConfig())
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid logger config: %w", err)
+	}
+	logger = *logger.Named("kwild")
+
 	closers := &closeFuncs{
 		closers: make([]func() error, 0),
+		logger:  logger,
 	}
 
 	defer func() {
 		if r := recover(); r != nil {
 			svr = nil
-			stack := make([]byte, 8192)
-			length := runtime.Stack(stack, false)
-			err = fmt.Errorf("panic while building kwild: %v\n\nstack:\n\n%v", r, string(stack[:length]))
+			if pe, ok := r.(panicErr); ok && errors.Is(pe.err, context.Canceled) {
+				logger.Warnf("Shutdown signaled: %v", pe.msg)
+				err = pe // interrupt request (shutdown) during bringup, not a crash
+			} else {
+				stack := make([]byte, 8192)
+				length := runtime.Stack(stack, false)
+				err = fmt.Errorf("panic while building kwild: %v\n\nstack:\n\n%v", r, string(stack[:length]))
+			}
 			closers.closeAll()
 		}
 	}()
 
-	logger, err := log.NewChecked(*cfg.LogConfig())
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid logger config: %w", err)
-	}
-	logger = *logger.Named("kwild")
-
 	if cfg.AppCfg.TLSKeyFile == "" || cfg.AppCfg.TLSCertFile == "" {
 		return nil, errors.New("unspecified TLS key and/or certificate")
 	}
diff --git a/internal/abci/cometbft/node.go b/internal/abci/cometbft/node.go
index eb5bdef81..a8898a82c 100644
--- a/internal/abci/cometbft/node.go
+++ b/internal/abci/cometbft/node.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package cometbft
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
@@ -163,7 +164,7 @@ WARNING: These files are overwritten on kwild startup.`
 }
 
 // NewCometBftNode creates a new CometBFT node.
-func NewCometBftNode(app abciTypes.Application, conf *cometConfig.Config, genDoc *types.GenesisDoc, privateKey cometEd25519.PrivKey, atomicStore privval.AtomicReadWriter, log *log.Logger) (*CometBftNode, error) {
+func NewCometBftNode(ctx context.Context, app abciTypes.Application, conf *cometConfig.Config, genDoc *types.GenesisDoc, privateKey cometEd25519.PrivKey, atomicStore privval.AtomicReadWriter, log *log.Logger) (*CometBftNode, error) {
 	if err := writeCometBFTConfigs(conf, genDoc); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to write the effective cometbft config files: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -180,7 +181,8 @@ func NewCometBftNode(app abciTypes.Application, conf *cometConfig.Config, genDoc
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create private validator: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	node, err := cometNodes.NewNode(
+	node, err := cometNodes.NewNodeWithContext(
+		ctx,
 		conf,
 		privateValidator,
 		&p2p.NodeKey{
@@ -193,7 +195,10 @@ func NewCometBftNode(app abciTypes.Application, conf *cometConfig.Config, genDoc
 		logger,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create CometBFT node: %v", err)
+		if errors.Is(ctx.Err(), context.Canceled) {
+			err = context.Canceled // canceled and comet forgot to use %w in doHandshake and elsewhere
+		}
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create CometBFT node: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	return &CometBftNode{
diff --git a/internal/sql/pg/db.go b/internal/sql/pg/db.go
index 6b51a58f5..6ed6d2a31 100644
--- a/internal/sql/pg/db.go
+++ b/internal/sql/pg/db.go
@@ -320,7 +320,10 @@ func (db *DB) precommit(ctx context.Context) ([]byte, error) {
 
 	// Wait for the "commit id" from the replication monitor.
 	select {
-	case commitID := <-resChan:
+	case commitID, ok := <-resChan:
+		if !ok {
+			return nil, errors.New("resChan unexpectedly closed")
+		}
 		logger.Debugf("received commit ID %x", commitID)
 		// The transaction is ready to commit, stored in a file with postgres in
 		// the pg_twophase folder of the pg cluster data_directory.
diff --git a/internal/sql/pg/repl.go b/internal/sql/pg/repl.go
index ebf16792c..1b67f250d 100644
--- a/internal/sql/pg/repl.go
+++ b/internal/sql/pg/repl.go
@@ -40,12 +40,15 @@ func replConn(ctx context.Context, host, port, user, pass, dbName string) (*pgco
 	return pgconn.Connect(ctx, connStr)
 }
 
+// startRepl creates a replication slot and begins receiving data. Cancelling
+// the context only cancels creation of the connection. Use the quit function to
+// terminate the monitoring goroutine.
 func startRepl(ctx context.Context, conn *pgconn.PgConn, publicationName, slotName string,
-	schemaFilter func(string) bool) (chan []byte, chan error, error) {
+	schemaFilter func(string) bool) (chan []byte, chan error, context.CancelFunc, error) {
 	// Create the replication slot and start postgres sending WAL data.
 	startLSN, err := createRepl(ctx, conn, publicationName, slotName)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, err
+		return nil, nil, nil, err
 	}
 
 	// Launch the receiver goroutine, which will send commit digests and an
@@ -60,12 +63,14 @@ func startRepl(ctx context.Context, conn *pgconn.PgConn, publicationName, slotNa
 	// to the sentry table that would cause a send with no receiver.
 	commitHash := make(chan []byte, 1)
 
+	// Tie captureRepl goroutine to a new context now that connections are established.
+	ctx2, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	go func() {
 		defer close(commitHash)
-		done <- captureRepl(ctx, conn, uint64(startLSN), commitHash, schemaFilter)
+		done <- captureRepl(ctx2, conn, uint64(startLSN), commitHash, schemaFilter)
 	}()
 
-	return commitHash, done, nil
+	return commitHash, done, cancel, nil
 }
 
 func createRepl(ctx context.Context, conn *pgconn.PgConn, publicationName, slotName string) (pglogrepl.LSN, error) {
diff --git a/internal/sql/pg/repl_test.go b/internal/sql/pg/repl_test.go
index 06f209212..7e52fe91b 100644
--- a/internal/sql/pg/repl_test.go
+++ b/internal/sql/pg/repl_test.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func Test_repl(t *testing.T) {
 
 	const publicationName = "kwild_repl"
 	var slotName = publicationName + random.String(8)
-	commitChan, errChan, err := startRepl(ctx, conn, publicationName, slotName, schemaFilter)
+	commitChan, errChan, quit, err := startRepl(ctx, conn, publicationName, slotName, schemaFilter)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func Test_repl(t *testing.T) {
 				if !bytes.Equal(commitHash, wantCommitHash) {
 					t.Errorf("commit hash mismatch, got %x, wanted %x", commitHash, wantCommitHash)
 				}
-				cancel()
+				quit()
 			case err := <-errChan:
 				if errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
 					return
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func Test_repl(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 				if err != nil {
 					t.Error(err)
-					cancel()
+					quit()
 				}
 				return
 			}
@@ -132,4 +132,5 @@ func Test_repl(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	wg.Wait()
+	connQ.Close(ctx)
 }
diff --git a/internal/sql/pg/replmon.go b/internal/sql/pg/replmon.go
index 1d37a7b07..2ddc9c45e 100644
--- a/internal/sql/pg/replmon.go
+++ b/internal/sql/pg/replmon.go
@@ -55,15 +55,13 @@ type replMon struct {
 // request a commit ID promise using the recvID method prior to committing a
 // transaction.
 func newReplMon(ctx context.Context, host, port, user, pass, dbName string, schemaFilter func(string) bool) (*replMon, error) {
-	ctx, quit := context.WithCancel(ctx)
 	conn, err := replConn(ctx, host, port, user, pass, dbName)
 	if err != nil {
-		quit()
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	var slotName = publicationName + random.String(8) // arbitrary, so just avoid collisions
-	commitChan, errChan, err := startRepl(ctx, conn, publicationName, slotName, schemaFilter)
+	commitChan, errChan, quit, err := startRepl(ctx, conn, publicationName, slotName, schemaFilter)
 	if err != nil {
 		quit()
 		conn.Close(ctx)