diff --git a/cmd/vm-informant/main.go b/cmd/vm-informant/main.go
index c3051c48f..ba09bf206 100644
--- a/cmd/vm-informant/main.go
+++ b/cmd/vm-informant/main.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"errors"
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
@@ -13,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/cgroups/v3/cgroup2"
+	"github.com/tychoish/fun/srv"
 
 	klog "k8s.io/klog/v2"
 
@@ -25,6 +25,17 @@ const minSubProcessRestartInterval = 5 * time.Second
 func main() {
 	ctx, cancel := signal.NotifyContext(context.Background(), syscall.SIGTERM)
 	defer cancel()
+	ctx = srv.SetShutdown(ctx)      // allows workers to cause a shutdown
+	ctx = srv.WithOrchestrator(ctx) // creates and starts an orchestrator
+	ctx = srv.SetBaseContext(ctx)   // sets a context for starting async work in request scopes
+
+	orca := srv.GetOrchestrator(ctx)
+
+	defer func() {
+		if err := orca.Service().Wait(); err != nil {
+			klog.Fatal("failed to shut down service", err)
+		}
+	}()
 
 	buildInfo := util.GetBuildInfo()
 	klog.Infof("buildInfo.GitInfo:   %s", buildInfo.GitInfo)
@@ -69,6 +80,10 @@ func main() {
 		}
 
 		runRestartOnFailure(ctx, args, cleanupHooks)
+		// this cancels the context
+		srv.GetShutdown(ctx)()
+		// this drops to the defer that waits for all services to shutdown
+		// will run now.
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -108,14 +123,17 @@ func main() {
 	util.AddHandler("", mux, "/upscale", http.MethodPut, "RawResources", state.NotifyUpscale)
 	util.AddHandler("", mux, "/unregister", http.MethodDelete, "AgentDesc", state.UnregisterAgent)
 
-	server := http.Server{Addr: "0.0.0.0:10301", Handler: mux}
-	klog.Infof("Starting server at %s", server.Addr)
-	err = server.ListenAndServe()
-	if errors.Is(err, http.ErrServerClosed) {
-		klog.Infof("Server ended.")
-	} else {
-		klog.Fatalf("Server failed: %s", err)
+	addr := "0.0.0.0:10301"
+	klog.Infof("Starting server at %s", addr)
+
+	// we create an http service and add it to the orchestrator,
+	// which will start it and manage its lifecycle.
+	if err := orca.Add(srv.HTTP("vm-informant-api", 5*time.Second, &http.Server{Addr: addr, Handler: mux})); err != nil {
+		klog.Fatalf("failed to add informant api server: %s", err)
 	}
+
+	// we drop to the defers now, which will block until the signal
+	// handler is called.
 }
 
 // runRestartOnFailure repeatedly calls this binary with the same flags, but with 'auto-restart'
@@ -131,6 +149,9 @@ func runRestartOnFailure(ctx context.Context, args []string, cleanupHooks []func
 
 	for {
 		startTime := time.Now()
+		sig := make(chan struct{})
+		var exitMode string
+
 		func() {
 			pctx, pcancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 			defer pcancel()
@@ -143,6 +164,8 @@ func runRestartOnFailure(ctx context.Context, args []string, cleanupHooks []func
 			err := cmd.Start()
 			if err == nil {
 				go func() {
+					defer close(sig)
+
 					select {
 					case <-pctx.Done():
 						return
@@ -181,18 +204,18 @@ func runRestartOnFailure(ctx context.Context, args []string, cleanupHooks []func
 
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
-			klog.Infof("vm-informant restart loop: received termination signal")
+			klog.Infof("vm-informant: received signal")
 			return
-		default:
+		case <-sig:
 			dur := time.Since(startTime)
 			if dur < minSubProcessRestartInterval {
-				// drain the timer before resetting it, required by Timer.Reset:
+				// drain the timer before resetting it, required by Timer.Reset::
 				if !timer.Stop() {
 					<-timer.C
 				}
 				timer.Reset(minSubProcessRestartInterval - dur)
 
-				klog.Infof("vm-informant exited. respecting minimum wait of %s", minSubProcessRestartInterval)
+				klog.Infof("vm-informant %s. respecting minimum wait of %s", exitMode, minSubProcessRestartInterval)
 				select {
 				case <-ctx.Done():
 					klog.Infof("vm-informant restart loop: received termination signal")