diff --git a/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoop.java b/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoop.java
index c22c3054..0753ad29 100644
--- a/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoop.java
+++ b/pickhardt-payments/src/main/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoop.java
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public void start(
         if (paymentStatus.isFailure() && decodedPaymentRequest.destination().equals(ownPubkey)) {
             grpcInvoices.cancelPaymentRequest(decodedPaymentRequest);
         }
-        if (paymentStatus.isPending() || paymentStatus.isFailure()) {
+        if (paymentStatus.isFailure()) {
             grpcSendToRoute.forceFailureForPayment(decodedPaymentRequest);
         }
     }
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ private void start() {
                 loopIterationCounter++;
                 Coins residualAmount = totalAmountToSend.subtract(inFlight);
                 if (Coins.NONE.equals(residualAmount)) {
-                    paymentStatus.info(TIMEOUT_MESSAGE);
+                    paymentStatus.failed(TIMEOUT_MESSAGE);
                     return;
                 }
                 if (shouldAbort(loopIterationCounter)) {
diff --git a/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoopTest.java b/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoopTest.java
index bf6949c8..f507aa2a 100644
--- a/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoopTest.java
+++ b/pickhardt-payments/src/test/java/de/cotto/lndmanagej/pickhardtpayments/PaymentLoopTest.java
@@ -265,10 +265,8 @@ void aborts_for_stuck_pending_amount() {
                 .thenReturn(Coins.NONE)
                 .thenReturn(DECODED_PAYMENT_REQUEST.amount());
         paymentLoop.start(DECODED_PAYMENT_REQUEST, PAYMENT_OPTIONS, paymentStatus);
-        SoftAssertions softly = new SoftAssertions();
-        softly.assertThat(paymentStatus.isSuccess()).isFalse();
-        softly.assertThat(paymentStatus.isFailure()).isFalse();
-        softly.assertAll();
+        // it's not strictly a failure, but we need to complete the flux/stream (see #88)
+        assertThat(paymentStatus.isFailure()).isTrue();
         verify(grpcSendToRoute).forceFailureForPayment(DECODED_PAYMENT_REQUEST);
     }