diff --git a/packages/jumpstarter/jumpstarter/exporter/exporter.py b/packages/jumpstarter/jumpstarter/exporter/exporter.py
index 428292f89..e4ff3f865 100644
--- a/packages/jumpstarter/jumpstarter/exporter/exporter.py
+++ b/packages/jumpstarter/jumpstarter/exporter/exporter.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 
 import grpc
-from anyio import connect_unix, create_task_group
+from anyio import connect_unix, create_memory_object_stream, create_task_group, sleep
 from google.protobuf import empty_pb2
 from jumpstarter_protocol import (
     jumpstarter_pb2,
@@ -38,9 +38,12 @@ async def __aexit__(self, exc_type, exc_value, traceback):
         )
 
     async def __handle(self, path, endpoint, token, tls_config, grpc_options):
-        async with await connect_unix(path) as stream:
-            async with connect_router_stream(endpoint, token, stream, tls_config, grpc_options):
-                pass
+        try:
+            async with await connect_unix(path) as stream:
+                async with connect_router_stream(endpoint, token, stream, tls_config, grpc_options):
+                    pass
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.info("failed to handle connection: {}".format(e))
 
     @asynccontextmanager
     async def session(self):
@@ -65,23 +68,71 @@ async def session(self):
                 yield path
 
     async def handle(self, lease_name, tg):
-        controller = jumpstarter_pb2_grpc.ControllerServiceStub(self.channel_factory())
         logger.info("Listening for incoming connection requests on lease %s", lease_name)
+
+        listen_tx, listen_rx = create_memory_object_stream()
+
+        async def listen(retries=5, backoff=3):
+            retries_left = retries
+            while True:
+                try:
+                    controller = jumpstarter_pb2_grpc.ControllerServiceStub(self.channel_factory())
+                    async for request in controller.Listen(jumpstarter_pb2.ListenRequest(lease_name=lease_name)):
+                        await listen_tx.send(request)
+                except Exception as e:
+                    if retries_left > 0:
+                        retries_left -= 1
+                        logger.info(
+                            "Listen stream interrupted, restarting in {}s, {} retries left: {}".format(
+                                backoff, retries_left, e
+                            )
+                        )
+                        await sleep(backoff)
+                    else:
+                        raise
+                else:
+                    retries_left = retries
+
+        tg.start_soon(listen)
+
         async with self.session() as path:
-            async for request in controller.Listen(jumpstarter_pb2.ListenRequest(lease_name=lease_name)):
+            async for request in listen_rx:
                 logger.info("Handling new connection request on lease %s", lease_name)
                 tg.start_soon(
                     self.__handle, path, request.router_endpoint, request.router_token, self.tls, self.grpc_options
                 )
 
-    async def serve(self):
-        controller = jumpstarter_pb2_grpc.ControllerServiceStub(self.channel_factory())
+    async def serve(self):  # noqa: C901
         # initial registration
         async with self.session():
             pass
         started = False
+        status_tx, status_rx = create_memory_object_stream()
+
+        async def status(retries=5, backoff=3):
+            retries_left = retries
+            while True:
+                try:
+                    controller = jumpstarter_pb2_grpc.ControllerServiceStub(self.channel_factory())
+                    async for status in controller.Status(jumpstarter_pb2.StatusRequest()):
+                        await status_tx.send(status)
+                except Exception as e:
+                    if retries_left > 0:
+                        retries_left -= 1
+                        logger.info(
+                            "Status stream interrupted, restarting in {}s, {} retries left: {}".format(
+                                backoff, retries_left, e
+                            )
+                        )
+                        await sleep(backoff)
+                    else:
+                        raise
+                else:
+                    retries_left = retries
+
         async with create_task_group() as tg:
-            async for status in controller.Status(jumpstarter_pb2.StatusRequest()):
+            tg.start_soon(status)
+            async for status in status_rx:
                 if self.lease_name != "" and self.lease_name != status.lease_name:
                     self.lease_name = status.lease_name
                     logger.info("Lease status changed, killing existing connections")