diff --git a/api/src/opentrons/protocol_runner/run_orchestrator.py b/api/src/opentrons/protocol_runner/run_orchestrator.py
index c99e9f09d20..8e03b6c6738 100644
--- a/api/src/opentrons/protocol_runner/run_orchestrator.py
+++ b/api/src/opentrons/protocol_runner/run_orchestrator.py
@@ -121,22 +121,9 @@ def add_command(
             return self._json_or_python_runner.set_command_queued(request)
 
     # TODO(tz, 2024-5-13): what runner should we return?
-    def get_protocol_runner(self) -> Optional[Union[protocol_runner.JsonRunner, protocol_runner.PythonAndLegacyRunner]]:
-        return self._json_or_python_runner
+    def get_protocol_runner(self) -> protocol_runner.AnyRunner:
+        return self._json_or_python_runner or self._setup_runner
 
     def get_protocol_engine(self) -> ProtocolEngine:
         return self._protocol_engine
 
-    async def load(
-        self,
-        protocol_source: ProtocolSource,
-        python_parse_mode: PythonParseMode,
-        run_time_param_values: Optional[RunTimeParamValuesType],
-    ) -> None:
-        pass
-
-    def prepare(
-        self,
-    ) -> None:
-        pass
-
diff --git a/robot-server/robot_server/runs/engine_store.py b/robot-server/robot_server/runs/engine_store.py
index 2967a29e6d7..78334c27685 100644
--- a/robot-server/robot_server/runs/engine_store.py
+++ b/robot-server/robot_server/runs/engine_store.py
@@ -255,13 +255,11 @@ async def create(
         # concurrency hazard. If two requests simultaneously call this method,
         # they will both "succeed" (with undefined results) instead of one
         # raising EngineConflictError.
-        if isinstance(
-            self._run_orchestrator.get_protocol_runner(), PythonAndLegacyRunner
-        ):
+        if isinstance(self.runner, PythonAndLegacyRunner):
             assert (
                 protocol is not None
             ), "A Python protocol should have a protocol source file."
-            await self._run_orchestrator.load(
+            await self.runner.load(
                 protocol.source,
                 # Conservatively assume that we're re-running a protocol that
                 # was uploaded before we added stricter validation, and that
@@ -269,13 +267,13 @@ async def create(
                 python_parse_mode=PythonParseMode.ALLOW_LEGACY_METADATA_AND_REQUIREMENTS,
                 run_time_param_values=run_time_param_values,
             )
-        elif isinstance(self._run_orchestrator.get_protocol_runner(), JsonRunner):
+        elif isinstance(self.runner, JsonRunner):
             assert (
                 protocol is not None
             ), "A JSON protocol should have a protocol source file."
-            await self._run_orchestrator.load(protocol.source)
+            await self.runner.load(protocol.source)
         else:
-            self._run_orchestrator.prepare()
+            self.runner.prepare()
 
         for offset in labware_offsets:
             engine.add_labware_offset(offset)
@@ -295,8 +293,8 @@ async def clear(self) -> RunResult:
             EngineConflictError: The current runner/engine pair is not idle, so
             they cannot be cleared.
         """
-        engine = self._run_orchestrator.get_protocol_engine()
-        runner = self._run_orchestrator.get_protocol_runner()
+        engine = self.engine
+        runner = self.runner
         if engine.state_view.commands.get_is_okay_to_clear():
             await engine.finish(
                 drop_tips_after_run=False,
diff --git a/robot-server/tests/runs/test_engine_store.py b/robot-server/tests/runs/test_engine_store.py
index 330e974be9c..97631f27380 100644
--- a/robot-server/tests/runs/test_engine_store.py
+++ b/robot-server/tests/runs/test_engine_store.py
@@ -11,11 +11,7 @@
 from opentrons.hardware_control import HardwareControlAPI, API
 from opentrons.hardware_control.types import EstopStateNotification, EstopState
 from opentrons.protocol_engine import ProtocolEngine, StateSummary, types as pe_types
-from opentrons.protocol_runner import (
-    RunResult,
-    LiveRunner,
-    JsonRunner,
-)
+from opentrons.protocol_runner import RunResult, LiveRunner, JsonRunner, RunOrchestrator
 from opentrons.protocol_reader import ProtocolReader, ProtocolSource
 
 from robot_server.protocols.protocol_store import ProtocolResource
@@ -25,6 +21,7 @@
     NoRunnerEnginePairError,
     handle_estop_event,
 )
+from robot_server.runs.run_models import Run
 
 
 def mock_notify_publishers() -> None:
@@ -32,6 +29,12 @@ def mock_notify_publishers() -> None:
     return None
 
 
+@pytest.fixture
+async def mock_run_orchestrator(decoy: Decoy) -> RunOrchestrator:
+    """A mock RunOrchestrator"""
+    return decoy.mock(cls=RunOrchestrator)
+
+
 @pytest.fixture
 async def subject(decoy: Decoy, hardware_api: HardwareControlAPI) -> EngineStore:
     """Get a EngineStore test subject."""
@@ -53,7 +56,9 @@ async def json_protocol_source() -> ProtocolSource:
     return await ProtocolReader().read_saved(files=[simple_protocol], directory=None)
 
 
-async def test_create_engine(subject: EngineStore) -> None:
+async def test_create_engine(
+    decoy: Decoy, subject: EngineStore, mock_run_orchestrator: RunOrchestrator
+) -> None:
     """It should create an engine for a run."""
     result = await subject.create(
         run_id="run-id",