diff --git a/src/ert/ensemble_evaluator/evaluator.py b/src/ert/ensemble_evaluator/evaluator.py
index b9ea3bfaa78..317957f7dca 100644
--- a/src/ert/ensemble_evaluator/evaluator.py
+++ b/src/ert/ensemble_evaluator/evaluator.py
@@ -313,7 +313,8 @@ async def _server(self) -> None:
         except zmq.error.ZMQError as e:
             logger.error(f"ZMQ error encountered {e} during evaluator initialization")
             self._server_started.set_exception(e)
-            raise
+            zmq_context.destroy(linger=0)
+            return
         try:
             await self._server_done.wait()
             try:
@@ -338,7 +339,7 @@ async def _server(self) -> None:
         finally:
             try:
                 self._router_socket.close()
-                zmq_context.destroy()
+                zmq_context.destroy(linger=0)
             except Exception as exc:
                 logger.warning(f"Failed to clean up zmq context {exc}")
             logger.info("ZMQ cleanup done!")
diff --git a/tests/ert/unit_tests/ensemble_evaluator/test_ensemble_evaluator.py b/tests/ert/unit_tests/ensemble_evaluator/test_ensemble_evaluator.py
index 17edb28fd69..e7c4a546d3f 100644
--- a/tests/ert/unit_tests/ensemble_evaluator/test_ensemble_evaluator.py
+++ b/tests/ert/unit_tests/ensemble_evaluator/test_ensemble_evaluator.py
@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@ async def test_evaluator_raises_on_start_with_address_in_use(make_ee_config):
         with pytest.raises(zmq.error.ZMQError, match="Address already in use"):
             await evaluator.run_and_get_successful_realizations()
     finally:
-        ctx.destroy()
+        socket.close()
+        ctx.destroy(linger=0)
 
 
 async def test_no_config_raises_valueerror_when_running():