diff --git a/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/deployer/orchestrator.rs b/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/deployer/orchestrator.rs
index 13f3228..efc67eb 100644
--- a/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/deployer/orchestrator.rs
+++ b/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/deployer/orchestrator.rs
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ impl DeploymentOrchestrator {
         let (block_feed, block_feed_guard) = client_builder
             .start_block_feed(&node_clients, &mut environment)
             .await?;
-        let cleanup_guard = make_cleanup_guard(environment.into_cleanup(), block_feed_guard);
+        let cleanup_guard = make_cleanup_guard(environment.into_cleanup()?, block_feed_guard);
 
         let context = RunContext::new(
             descriptors,
diff --git a/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/errors.rs b/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/errors.rs
index 9653eb4..b2f53f0 100644
--- a/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/errors.rs
+++ b/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/errors.rs
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ pub enum ComposeRunnerError {
         #[source]
         source: anyhow::Error,
     },
+    #[error("internal invariant violated: {message}")]
+    InternalInvariant { message: &'static str },
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
diff --git a/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/infrastructure/environment.rs b/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/infrastructure/environment.rs
index 1104fb8..1ea8e96 100644
--- a/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/infrastructure/environment.rs
+++ b/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/infrastructure/environment.rs
@@ -84,28 +84,38 @@ impl StackEnvironment {
     }
 
     /// Convert into a cleanup guard while keeping the environment borrowed.
-    pub fn take_cleanup(&mut self) -> RunnerCleanup {
-        RunnerCleanup::new(
+    pub fn take_cleanup(&mut self) -> Result<RunnerCleanup, ComposeRunnerError> {
+        let workspace = self
+            .workspace
+            .take()
+            .ok_or(ComposeRunnerError::InternalInvariant {
+                message: "workspace must be available while cleaning up",
+            })?;
+
+        Ok(RunnerCleanup::new(
             self.compose_path.clone(),
             self.project_name.clone(),
             self.root.clone(),
-            self.workspace
-                .take()
-                .expect("workspace must be available while cleaning up"),
+            workspace,
             self.cfgsync_handle.take(),
-        )
+        ))
     }
 
     /// Convert into a cleanup guard, consuming the environment.
-    pub fn into_cleanup(self) -> RunnerCleanup {
-        RunnerCleanup::new(
+    pub fn into_cleanup(self) -> Result<RunnerCleanup, ComposeRunnerError> {
+        let workspace = self
+            .workspace
+            .ok_or(ComposeRunnerError::InternalInvariant {
+                message: "workspace must be available while cleaning up",
+            })?;
+
+        Ok(RunnerCleanup::new(
             self.compose_path,
             self.project_name,
             self.root,
-            self.workspace
-                .expect("workspace must be available while cleaning up"),
+            workspace,
             self.cfgsync_handle,
-        )
+        ))
     }
 
     /// Dump compose logs and trigger cleanup after a failure.
@@ -115,7 +125,10 @@ impl StackEnvironment {
             "compose stack failure; dumping docker logs"
         );
         dump_compose_logs(self.compose_path(), self.project_name(), self.root()).await;
-        Box::new(self.take_cleanup()).cleanup();
+        match self.take_cleanup() {
+            Ok(cleanup) => Box::new(cleanup).cleanup(),
+            Err(err) => error!(error = %err, "failed to acquire cleanup guard"),
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/lifecycle/block_feed.rs b/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/lifecycle/block_feed.rs
index 2c27761..c86f869 100644
--- a/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/lifecycle/block_feed.rs
+++ b/testing-framework/deployers/compose/src/lifecycle/block_feed.rs
@@ -49,5 +49,7 @@ pub async fn spawn_block_feed_with_retry(
         }
     }
 
-    Err(last_err.expect("block feed retry should capture an error"))
+    Err(last_err.unwrap_or(ComposeRunnerError::InternalInvariant {
+        message: "block feed retry exhausted without capturing an error",
+    }))
 }