diff --git a/runner/pool/pool.go b/runner/pool/pool.go
index 4a677fb1..2097af7a 100644
--- a/runner/pool/pool.go
+++ b/runner/pool/pool.go
@@ -59,12 +59,15 @@ func (k *keyMutex) TryLock(key string) bool {
 	return keyMux.TryLock()
 }
 
-func (k *keyMutex) Unlock(key string) {
+func (k *keyMutex) Unlock(key string, remove bool) {
 	mux, ok := k.muxes.Load(key)
 	if !ok {
 		return
 	}
 	keyMux := mux.(*sync.Mutex)
+	if remove {
+		k.Delete(key)
+	}
 	keyMux.Unlock()
 }
 
@@ -72,11 +75,6 @@ func (k *keyMutex) Delete(key string) {
 	k.muxes.Delete(key)
 }
 
-func (k *keyMutex) UnlockAndDelete(key string) {
-	k.Unlock(key)
-	k.Delete(key)
-}
-
 type basePoolManager struct {
 	ctx          context.Context
 	controllerID string
@@ -323,7 +321,7 @@ func (r *basePoolManager) cleanupOrphanedProviderRunners(runners []*github.Runne
 			log.Printf("failed to acquire lock for instance %s", instance.Name)
 			continue
 		}
-		defer r.keyMux.Unlock(instance.Name)
+		defer r.keyMux.Unlock(instance.Name, false)
 
 		switch providerCommon.InstanceStatus(instance.Status) {
 		case providerCommon.InstancePendingCreate,
@@ -382,7 +380,7 @@ func (r *basePoolManager) reapTimedOutRunners(runners []*github.Runner) error {
 			log.Printf("failed to acquire lock for instance %s", instance.Name)
 			continue
 		}
-		defer r.keyMux.Unlock(instance.Name)
+		defer r.keyMux.Unlock(instance.Name, false)
 
 		pool, err := r.store.GetPoolByID(r.ctx, instance.PoolID)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -501,11 +499,14 @@ func (r *basePoolManager) cleanupOrphanedGithubRunners(runners []*github.Runner)
 			log.Printf("failed to acquire lock for instance %s", dbInstance.Name)
 			continue
 		}
-		defer r.keyMux.Unlock(dbInstance.Name)
 
 		// See: https://golang.org/doc/faq#closures_and_goroutines
 		runner := runner
 		g.Go(func() error {
+			deleteMux := false
+			defer func() {
+				r.keyMux.Unlock(dbInstance.Name, deleteMux)
+			}()
 			providerInstance, ok := instanceInList(dbInstance.Name, poolInstances)
 			if !ok {
 				// The runner instance is no longer on the provider, and it appears offline in github.
@@ -525,7 +526,7 @@ func (r *basePoolManager) cleanupOrphanedGithubRunners(runners []*github.Runner)
 				if err := r.store.DeleteInstance(ctx, dbInstance.PoolID, dbInstance.Name); err != nil {
 					return errors.Wrap(err, "removing runner from database")
 				}
-				defer r.keyMux.UnlockAndDelete(dbInstance.Name)
+				deleteMux = true
 				return nil
 			}
 
@@ -910,7 +911,7 @@ func (r *basePoolManager) scaleDownOnePool(ctx context.Context, pool params.Pool
 			log.Printf("failed to acquire lock for instance %s", instanceToDelete.Name)
 			continue
 		}
-		defer r.keyMux.Unlock(instanceToDelete.Name)
+		defer r.keyMux.Unlock(instanceToDelete.Name, false)
 
 		g.Go(func() error {
 			log.Printf("scaling down idle worker %s from pool %s\n", instanceToDelete.Name, pool.ID)
@@ -997,7 +998,7 @@ func (r *basePoolManager) retryFailedInstancesForOnePool(ctx context.Context, po
 
 		instance := instance
 		g.Go(func() error {
-			defer r.keyMux.Unlock(instance.Name)
+			defer r.keyMux.Unlock(instance.Name, false)
 			// NOTE(gabriel-samfira): this is done in parallel. If there are many failed instances
 			// this has the potential to create many API requests to the target provider.
 			// TODO(gabriel-samfira): implement request throttling.
@@ -1143,13 +1144,16 @@ func (r *basePoolManager) deletePendingInstances() error {
 		// Set the status to deleting before launching the goroutine that removes
 		// the runner from the provider (which can take a long time).
 		if err := r.setInstanceStatus(instance.Name, providerCommon.InstanceDeleting, nil); err != nil {
-			log.Printf("failed to update runner %s status", instance.Name)
-			r.keyMux.Unlock(instance.Name)
+			log.Printf("failed to update runner %s status: %s", instance.Name, err)
+			r.keyMux.Unlock(instance.Name, false)
 			continue
 		}
 
 		go func(instance params.Instance) (err error) {
-			defer r.keyMux.Unlock(instance.Name)
+			deleteMux := false
+			defer func() {
+				r.keyMux.Unlock(instance.Name, deleteMux)
+			}()
 			defer func(instance params.Instance) {
 				if err != nil {
 					// failed to remove from provider. Set the status back to pending_delete, which
@@ -1168,7 +1172,7 @@ func (r *basePoolManager) deletePendingInstances() error {
 			if deleteErr := r.store.DeleteInstance(r.ctx, instance.PoolID, instance.Name); deleteErr != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to delete instance from database: %w", deleteErr)
 			}
-			r.keyMux.UnlockAndDelete(instance.Name)
+			deleteMux = true
 			return nil
 		}(instance) //nolint
 	}
@@ -1198,14 +1202,14 @@ func (r *basePoolManager) addPendingInstances() error {
 		// won't attempt to create the runner a second time.
 		if err := r.setInstanceStatus(instance.Name, providerCommon.InstanceCreating, nil); err != nil {
 			log.Printf("failed to update runner %s status: %s", instance.Name, err)
-			r.keyMux.Unlock(instance.Name)
+			r.keyMux.Unlock(instance.Name, false)
 			// We failed to transition the instance to Creating. This means that garm will retry to create this instance
 			// when the loop runs again and we end up with multiple instances.
 			continue
 		}
 
 		go func(instance params.Instance) {
-			defer r.keyMux.Unlock(instance.Name)
+			defer r.keyMux.Unlock(instance.Name, false)
 			log.Printf("creating instance %s in pool %s", instance.Name, instance.PoolID)
 			if err := r.addInstanceToProvider(instance); err != nil {
 				log.Printf("failed to add instance to provider: %s", err)