diff --git a/agent/consul/rpc.go b/agent/consul/rpc.go
index 52168b4dbb..6a50781708 100644
--- a/agent/consul/rpc.go
+++ b/agent/consul/rpc.go
@@ -942,13 +942,10 @@ func (s *Server) blockingQuery(queryOpts structs.QueryOptionsCompat, queryMeta s
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, timeout)
 	defer cancel()
 
-	// instrument blockingQueries
-	// atomic inc our server's count of in-flight blockingQueries and store the new value
-	queriesBlocking := atomic.AddUint64(&s.queriesBlocking, 1)
-	// atomic dec when we return from blockingQuery()
+	count := atomic.AddUint64(&s.queriesBlocking, 1)
+	metrics.SetGauge([]string{"rpc", "queries_blocking"}, float32(count))
+	// decrement the count when the function returns.
 	defer atomic.AddUint64(&s.queriesBlocking, ^uint64(0))
-	// set the gauge directly to the new value of s.blockingQueries
-	metrics.SetGauge([]string{"rpc", "queries_blocking"}, float32(queriesBlocking))
 
 	for {
 		if queryOpts.GetRequireConsistent() {
@@ -977,24 +974,17 @@ func (s *Server) blockingQuery(queryOpts structs.QueryOptionsCompat, queryMeta s
 			return nil
 		}
 
-		// block up to the timeout if we don't see anything fresh.
-		if err := ws.WatchCtx(ctx); err == nil {
-			// a non-nil error only occurs when the context is cancelled
-
-			// If a restore may have woken us up then bail out from
-			// the query immediately. This is slightly race-ey since
-			// this might have been interrupted for other reasons,
-			// but it's OK to kick it back to the caller in either
-			// case.
-			select {
-			case <-state.AbandonCh():
-				return nil
-			default:
-			}
+		// block until something changes, or the timeout
+		if err := ws.WatchCtx(ctx); err != nil {
+			// exit if we've reached the timeout, or other cancellation
+			return nil
 		}
 
-		if ctx.Err() != nil {
+		// exit if the state store has been abandoned
+		select {
+		case <-state.AbandonCh():
 			return nil
+		default:
 		}
 	}
 }