diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/machines/machines.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/machines/machines.py
index 34de00f8..f0173f2a 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/machines/machines.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/machines/machines.py
@@ -25,22 +25,18 @@ class VMAttr:
         # the symlink will be dangling.
         self._qmp_socket: Path = state_dir / "qmp.sock"
         self._qga_socket: Path = state_dir / "qga.sock"
-        self._qmp: QEMUMonitorProtocol | None = None
 
     @contextmanager
     def qmp_ctx(self) -> Generator[QEMUMonitorProtocol, None, None]:
-        if self._qmp is None:
-            rpath = self._qmp_socket.resolve()
-            if not rpath.exists():
-                raise ClanError(
-                    f"qmp socket {rpath} does not exist. Is the VM running?"
-                )
-            self._qmp = QEMUMonitorProtocol(str(rpath))
-        self._qmp.connect()
+        rpath = self._qmp_socket.resolve()
+        if not rpath.exists():
+            raise ClanError(f"qmp socket {rpath} does not exist. Is the VM running?")
+        qmp = QEMUMonitorProtocol(str(rpath))
+        qmp.connect()
         try:
-            yield self._qmp
+            yield qmp
         finally:
-            self._qmp.close()
+            qmp.close()
 
 
 class Machine:
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-vm-manager/clan_vm_manager/models/use_vms.py b/pkgs/clan-vm-manager/clan_vm_manager/models/use_vms.py
index 882927e0..6db2045c 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-vm-manager/clan_vm_manager/models/use_vms.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-vm-manager/clan_vm_manager/models/use_vms.py
@@ -286,12 +286,11 @@ class VM(GObject.Object):
             try:
                 with self.machine.vm.qmp_ctx() as qmp:
                     qmp.command("system_powerdown")
-            except (OSError, ClanError):
-                # log.debug(f"QMP command 'system_powerdown' ignored. Error: {e}")
-                pass
+            except (OSError, ClanError) as ex:
+                log.debug(f"QMP command 'system_powerdown' ignored. Error: {ex}")
 
-            # Try 2 times a second
-            time.sleep(0.5)
+            # Try 20 times to stop the VM
+            time.sleep(self.KILL_TIMEOUT / 20)
         GLib.idle_add(self.emit, "vm_status_changed", self)
         log.debug(f"VM {self.get_id()} has stopped")