diff --git a/database/common/store.go b/database/common/store.go
index b7222d1c..82c5e4c0 100644
--- a/database/common/store.go
+++ b/database/common/store.go
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ type ScaleSetsStore interface {
 	GetScaleSetByID(ctx context.Context, scaleSet uint) (params.ScaleSet, error)
 	DeleteScaleSetByID(ctx context.Context, scaleSetID uint) (err error)
 	SetScaleSetLastMessageID(ctx context.Context, scaleSetID uint, lastMessageID int64) error
-	SetScaleSetDesiredRunnerCount(ctx context.Context, scaleSetID uint, desiredRunnerCount int64) error
+	SetScaleSetDesiredRunnerCount(ctx context.Context, scaleSetID uint, desiredRunnerCount int) error
 }
 
 type ScaleSetInstanceStore interface {
diff --git a/database/sql/models.go b/database/sql/models.go
index ce156ccd..45e329f6 100644
--- a/database/sql/models.go
+++ b/database/sql/models.go
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ type ScaleSet struct {
 	OSArch                 commonParams.OSArch
 	Enabled                bool
 	LastMessageID          int64
-	DesiredRunnerCount     int64
+	DesiredRunnerCount     int
 	// ExtraSpecs is an opaque json that gets sent to the provider
 	// as part of the bootstrap params for instances. It can contain
 	// any kind of data needed by providers.
diff --git a/database/sql/scalesets.go b/database/sql/scalesets.go
index 03c34800..3adc423c 100644
--- a/database/sql/scalesets.go
+++ b/database/sql/scalesets.go
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ func (s *sqlDatabase) SetScaleSetLastMessageID(ctx context.Context, scaleSetID u
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (s *sqlDatabase) SetScaleSetDesiredRunnerCount(ctx context.Context, scaleSetID uint, desiredRunnerCount int64) error {
+func (s *sqlDatabase) SetScaleSetDesiredRunnerCount(ctx context.Context, scaleSetID uint, desiredRunnerCount int) error {
 	if err := s.conn.Transaction(func(tx *gorm.DB) error {
 		if q := tx.Model(&ScaleSet{}).Where("id = ?", scaleSetID).Update("desired_runner_count", desiredRunnerCount); q.Error != nil {
 			return errors.Wrap(q.Error, "saving database entry")
diff --git a/params/params.go b/params/params.go
index 8f63fecb..64a53984 100644
--- a/params/params.go
+++ b/params/params.go
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ type ScaleSet struct {
 	OSArch             commonParams.OSArch `json:"os_arch,omitempty"`
 	Enabled            bool                `json:"enabled,omitempty"`
 	Instances          []Instance          `json:"instances,omitempty"`
-	DesiredRunnerCount int64               `json:"desired_runner_count,omitempty"`
+	DesiredRunnerCount int                 `json:"desired_runner_count,omitempty"`
 
 	RunnerBootstrapTimeout uint `json:"runner_bootstrap_timeout,omitempty"`
 	// ExtraSpecs is an opaque raw json that gets sent to the provider
diff --git a/workers/scaleset/interfaces.go b/workers/scaleset/interfaces.go
index 077a35e5..51d1d54b 100644
--- a/workers/scaleset/interfaces.go
+++ b/workers/scaleset/interfaces.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ type scaleSetHelper interface {
 	ScaleSetCLI() *scalesets.ScaleSetClient
 	GetScaleSet() params.ScaleSet
 	SetLastMessageID(id int64) error
+	SetDesiredRunnerCount(count int) error
 	Owner() string
 	HandleJobsCompleted(jobs []params.ScaleSetJobMessage) error
 	HandleJobsStarted(jobs []params.ScaleSetJobMessage) error
diff --git a/workers/scaleset/scaleset_helper.go b/workers/scaleset/scaleset_helper.go
index 4d84a76b..ca673c4d 100644
--- a/workers/scaleset/scaleset_helper.go
+++ b/workers/scaleset/scaleset_helper.go
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 package scaleset
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"log/slog"
+
+	runnerErrors "github.com/cloudbase/garm-provider-common/errors"
+	commonParams "github.com/cloudbase/garm-provider-common/params"
 
 	"github.com/cloudbase/garm/params"
 	"github.com/cloudbase/garm/util/github/scalesets"
@@ -30,11 +35,54 @@ func (w *Worker) SetLastMessageID(id int64) error {
 // assigned and was not canceled before it had a chance to run, then we mark
 // that runner as pending_delete.
 func (w *Worker) HandleJobsCompleted(jobs []params.ScaleSetJobMessage) error {
+	for _, job := range jobs {
+		if job.RunnerName == "" {
+			// This job was not assigned to a runner, so we can skip it.
+			continue
+		}
+		// Set the runner to pending_delete.
+		runnerUpdateParams := params.UpdateInstanceParams{
+			Status:       commonParams.InstancePendingDelete,
+			RunnerStatus: params.RunnerTerminated,
+		}
+		_, err := w.store.UpdateInstance(w.ctx, job.RunnerName, runnerUpdateParams)
+		if err != nil {
+			if !errors.Is(err, runnerErrors.ErrNotFound) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("updating runner %s: %w", job.RunnerName, err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
 // HandleJobStarted updates the runners from idle to active in the DB and
 // assigns the job to them.
 func (w *Worker) HandleJobsStarted(jobs []params.ScaleSetJobMessage) error {
+	for _, job := range jobs {
+		if job.RunnerName == "" {
+			// This should not happen, but just in case.
+			continue
+		}
+
+		updateParams := params.UpdateInstanceParams{
+			RunnerStatus: params.RunnerActive,
+		}
+
+		_, err := w.store.UpdateInstance(w.ctx, job.RunnerName, updateParams)
+		if err != nil {
+			if errors.Is(err, runnerErrors.ErrNotFound) {
+				slog.InfoContext(w.ctx, "runner not found; handled by some other controller?", "runner_name", job.RunnerName)
+				continue
+			}
+			return fmt.Errorf("updating runner %s: %w", job.RunnerName, err)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (w *Worker) SetDesiredRunnerCount(count int) error {
+	if err := w.store.SetScaleSetDesiredRunnerCount(w.ctx, w.scaleSet.ID, count); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("setting desired runner count: %w", err)
+	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/workers/scaleset/scaleset_listener.go b/workers/scaleset/scaleset_listener.go
index 80ba67c3..58d99bf3 100644
--- a/workers/scaleset/scaleset_listener.go
+++ b/workers/scaleset/scaleset_listener.go
@@ -167,6 +167,11 @@ func (l *scaleSetListener) handleSessionMessage(msg params.RunnerScaleSetMessage
 	} else {
 		l.lastMessageID = msg.MessageID
 	}
+
+	if err := l.scaleSetHelper.SetDesiredRunnerCount(msg.Statistics.TotalAssignedJobs); err != nil {
+		slog.ErrorContext(l.ctx, "setting desired runner count", "error", err)
+	}
+
 	if err := l.messageSession.DeleteMessage(l.listenerCtx, msg.MessageID); err != nil {
 		slog.ErrorContext(l.ctx, "deleting message", "error", err)
 	}