diff --git a/backend/runner/pubsub/consumer.go b/backend/runner/pubsub/consumer.go
index 09243af343..ea9d8638a6 100644
--- a/backend/runner/pubsub/consumer.go
+++ b/backend/runner/pubsub/consumer.go
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ type consumer struct {
 	verb        *schema.Verb
 	subscriber  *schema.MetadataSubscriber
 	retryParams schema.RetryParams
+	group       sarama.ConsumerGroup
+	cancel      context.CancelFunc
 
 	verbClient     VerbClient
 	timelineClient *timeline.Client
@@ -40,11 +42,28 @@ func newConsumer(moduleName string, verb *schema.Verb, subscriber *schema.Metada
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("subscription %s has no Kafka brokers", verb.Name)
 	}
 
+	config := sarama.NewConfig()
+	config.Consumer.Return.Errors = true
+	config.Consumer.Offsets.AutoCommit.Enable = true
+	switch subscriber.FromOffset {
+	case schema.FromOffsetBeginning, schema.FromOffsetUnspecified:
+		config.Consumer.Offsets.Initial = sarama.OffsetOldest
+	case schema.FromOffsetLatest:
+		config.Consumer.Offsets.Initial = sarama.OffsetNewest
+	}
+
+	groupID := kafkaConsumerGroupID(moduleName, verb)
+	group, err := sarama.NewConsumerGroup(verb.Runtime.Subscription.KafkaBrokers, groupID, config)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create consumer group for subscription %s: %w", verb.Name, err)
+	}
+
 	c := &consumer{
 		moduleName: moduleName,
 		deployment: deployment,
 		verb:       verb,
 		subscriber: subscriber,
+		group:      group,
 
 		verbClient:     verbClient,
 		timelineClient: timelineClient,
@@ -73,51 +92,33 @@ func (c *consumer) kafkaTopicID() string {
 
 func (c *consumer) Begin(ctx context.Context) error {
 	// set up config
-	logger := log.FromContext(ctx).Scope("subscription:" + c.verb.Name)
+	logger := log.FromContext(ctx).AppendScope("sub:" + c.verb.Name)
 	ctx = log.ContextWithLogger(ctx, logger)
 
-	config := sarama.NewConfig()
-	config.Consumer.Return.Errors = true
-	config.Consumer.Offsets.AutoCommit.Enable = true
+	logger.Debugf("Subscribing to %s", c.kafkaTopicID())
 
-	var fromOffsetStr string
-	switch c.subscriber.FromOffset {
-	case schema.FromOffsetBeginning, schema.FromOffsetUnspecified:
-		config.Consumer.Offsets.Initial = sarama.OffsetOldest
-		fromOffsetStr = "beginning"
-	case schema.FromOffsetLatest:
-		config.Consumer.Offsets.Initial = sarama.OffsetNewest
-		fromOffsetStr = "latest"
-	}
-
-	groupID := kafkaConsumerGroupID(c.moduleName, c.verb)
-	logger.Debugf("Subscribing to %s from %s", c.kafkaTopicID(), fromOffsetStr)
-
-	group, err := sarama.NewConsumerGroup(c.verb.Runtime.Subscription.KafkaBrokers, groupID, config)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create consumer group for subscription %s: %w", c.verb.Name, err)
-	}
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	c.cancel = cancel
 
-	go c.watchErrors(ctx, group)
-	go c.subscribe(ctx, group)
+	go c.watchErrors(ctx)
+	go c.subscribe(ctx)
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (c *consumer) watchErrors(ctx context.Context, group sarama.ConsumerGroup) {
+func (c *consumer) watchErrors(ctx context.Context) {
 	logger := log.FromContext(ctx)
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			return
-		case err := <-group.Errors():
+		case err := <-c.group.Errors():
 			logger.Errorf(err, "Consumer group error")
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *consumer) subscribe(ctx context.Context, group sarama.ConsumerGroup) {
+func (c *consumer) subscribe(ctx context.Context) {
 	logger := log.FromContext(ctx)
-	defer group.Close()
 	// Iterate over consumer sessions.
 	//
 	// `Consume` should be called inside an infinite loop, when a server-side rebalance happens,
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@ func (c *consumer) subscribe(ctx context.Context, group sarama.ConsumerGroup) {
 		default:
 		}
 
-		err := group.Consume(ctx, []string{c.kafkaTopicID()}, c)
+		err := c.group.Consume(ctx, []string{c.kafkaTopicID()}, c)
 		if err != nil {
 			logger.Errorf(err, "Session failed for %s", c.verb.Name)
 		} else {
@@ -159,31 +160,49 @@ func (c *consumer) Cleanup(session sarama.ConsumerGroupSession) error {
 func (c *consumer) ConsumeClaim(session sarama.ConsumerGroupSession, claim sarama.ConsumerGroupClaim) error {
 	ctx := session.Context()
 	logger := log.FromContext(ctx)
-	for msg := range claim.Messages() {
-		logger.Debugf("Consuming message with partition %v and offset %v)", msg.Partition, msg.Offset)
-		remainingRetries := c.retryParams.Count
-		backoff := c.retryParams.MinBackoff
-		for {
-			err := c.call(ctx, msg.Value, int(msg.Partition), int(msg.Offset))
-			if err == nil {
-				logger.Errorf(err, "Error consuming message with partition %v and offset %v", msg.Partition, msg.Offset)
-				break
-			}
-			if remainingRetries == 0 {
-				logger.Errorf(err, "Failed to consume message with partition %v and offset %v", msg.Partition, msg.Offset)
-				break
+
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			// Rebalance or shutdown needed
+			return nil
+
+		case msg := <-claim.Messages():
+			if msg == nil {
+				// Channel closed, rebalance or shutdown needed
+				return nil
 			}
-			logger.Errorf(err, "Failed to consume message with partition %v and offset %v and will retry in %vs", msg.Partition, msg.Offset, int(backoff.Seconds()))
-			time.Sleep(backoff)
-			remainingRetries--
-			backoff *= 2
-			if backoff > c.retryParams.MaxBackoff {
-				backoff = c.retryParams.MaxBackoff
+			logger.Debugf("Consuming message with partition %v and offset %v", msg.Partition, msg.Offset)
+			remainingRetries := c.retryParams.Count
+			backoff := c.retryParams.MinBackoff
+			for {
+				err := c.call(ctx, msg.Value, int(msg.Partition), int(msg.Offset))
+				if err == nil {
+					break
+				}
+				select {
+				case <-ctx.Done():
+					// Do not commit the message if we did not succeed and the context is done.
+					// No need to retry message either.
+					logger.Errorf(err, "Failed to consume message with partition %v and offset %v", msg.Partition, msg.Offset)
+					return nil
+				default:
+				}
+				if remainingRetries == 0 {
+					logger.Errorf(err, "Failed to consume message with partition %v and offset %v", msg.Partition, msg.Offset)
+					break
+				}
+				logger.Errorf(err, "Failed to consume message with partition %v and offset %v and will retry in %vs", msg.Partition, msg.Offset, int(backoff.Seconds()))
+				time.Sleep(backoff)
+				remainingRetries--
+				backoff *= 2
+				if backoff > c.retryParams.MaxBackoff {
+					backoff = c.retryParams.MaxBackoff
+				}
 			}
+			session.MarkMessage(msg, "")
 		}
-		session.MarkMessage(msg, "")
 	}
-	return nil
 }
 
 func (c *consumer) call(ctx context.Context, body []byte, partition, offset int) error {
diff --git a/backend/runner/pubsub/publisher.go b/backend/runner/pubsub/publisher.go
index 800bbde32e..f0aacd4f7b 100644
--- a/backend/runner/pubsub/publisher.go
+++ b/backend/runner/pubsub/publisher.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ func newPublisher(module string, t *schema.Topic, deployment model.DeploymentKey
 }
 
 func (p *publisher) publish(ctx context.Context, data []byte, key string, caller schema.Ref) error {
-	logger := log.FromContext(ctx).Scope("topic:" + p.topic.Name)
+	logger := log.FromContext(ctx).AppendScope("topic:" + p.topic.Name)
 	requestKey, err := rpc.RequestKeyFromContext(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get request key: %w", err)
diff --git a/backend/runner/pubsub/testdata/go/publisher/publisher.go b/backend/runner/pubsub/testdata/go/publisher/publisher.go
index af51579338..8ec3213b5f 100644
--- a/backend/runner/pubsub/testdata/go/publisher/publisher.go
+++ b/backend/runner/pubsub/testdata/go/publisher/publisher.go
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func PublishOneToTopic2(ctx context.Context, req PublishOneToTopic2Request, topi
 }
 
 //ftl:verb
-//ftl:subscribe testTopic from=latest
+//ftl:subscribe localTopic from=latest
 func Local(ctx context.Context, event PubSubEvent) error {
 	ftl.LoggerFromContext(ctx).Infof("Consume local: %v", event.Time)
 	return nil
diff --git a/internal/log/logger.go b/internal/log/logger.go
index 241ce2df07..18429338bb 100644
--- a/internal/log/logger.go
+++ b/internal/log/logger.go
@@ -47,6 +47,17 @@ func New(level Level, sink Sink) *Logger {
 func (l Logger) Scope(scope string) *Logger {
 	return l.Attrs(map[string]string{scopeKey: scope})
 }
+
+func (l Logger) AppendScope(scope string) *Logger {
+	s, ok := l.attributes[scopeKey]
+	if ok {
+		s = s + ":" + scope
+	} else {
+		s = scope
+	}
+	return l.Attrs(map[string]string{scopeKey: s})
+}
+
 func (l Logger) Module(module string) *Logger {
 	return l.Attrs(map[string]string{moduleKey: module})
 }