diff --git a/crates/notebook/src/background.rs b/crates/notebook/src/background.rs
index d713fbb37ec1fb3295ea946589cef83e7e92fc16..3c38eae5c1bb4957f896617a9741f5c73dc76fc8 100644
--- a/crates/notebook/src/background.rs
+++ b/crates/notebook/src/background.rs
@@ -459,7 +459,8 @@ impl Background {
         self.0.touched(paths);
     }
 
-    /// Each watched section's status, in watch order; held sections report their live state.
+    /// Each watched section's status, in watch order: a held section's live state while its
+    /// session syncs, otherwise this thread's last check of it.
     pub fn status(&self) -> Vec<(String, SyncStatus)> {
         let sections: Vec<_> = self.0.watched.lock().map_or_else(
             |_| Vec::new(),
@@ -489,7 +490,8 @@ impl Background {
             .into_iter()
             .map(|(path, fallback, held)| {
                 let live = held.and_then(|held| {
-                    let worker = held.worker.upgrade()?;
+                    let worker = (held.worker.upgrade())
+                        .filter(|worker| !worker.stopped.load(Ordering::Acquire))?;
                     let replica = held.replica.upgrade()?;
                     let observed = held.observed.upgrade()?;
                     let synced =