diff --git a/src/modules/job-info/guest_watch.c b/src/modules/job-info/guest_watch.c
index 782abe8591e0..f007d47d8dbc 100644
--- a/src/modules/job-info/guest_watch.c
+++ b/src/modules/job-info/guest_watch.c
@@ -639,24 +639,20 @@ static void guest_namespace_watch_continuation (flux_future_t *f, void *arg)
     if (flux_respond_pack (ctx->h, gw->msg, "{s:s}", "event", event) < 0) {
         flux_log_error (ctx->h, "%s: flux_respond_pack",
                         __FUNCTION__);
-        goto error_cancel;
+
+        /* If we haven't sent a cancellation yet, must do so so that
+         * the future's matchtag will eventually be freed */
+        if (!gw->eventlog_watch_canceled)
+            (void) send_eventlog_watch_cancel (gw,
+                                               gw->guest_namespace_watch_f,
+                                               false);
+        goto cleanup;
     }
 
     gw->offset += strlen (event);
     flux_future_reset (f);
     return;
 
-error_cancel:
-    /* If we haven't sent a cancellation yet, must do so so that
-     * the future's matchtag will eventually be freed */
-    if (!gw->eventlog_watch_canceled) {
-        int save_errno = errno;
-        (void) send_eventlog_watch_cancel (gw,
-                                           gw->guest_namespace_watch_f,
-                                           false);
-        errno = save_errno;
-    }
-
 error:
     if (flux_respond_error (ctx->h, gw->msg, errno, NULL) < 0)
         flux_log_error (ctx->h, "%s: flux_respond_error", __FUNCTION__);
@@ -706,9 +702,9 @@ static int main_namespace_lookup (struct guest_watch_ctx *gw)
         goto error;
 
     if (!(gw->main_namespace_lookup_f = flux_rpc_message (gw->ctx->h,
-                                                         msg,
-                                                         FLUX_NODEID_ANY,
-                                                         0))) {
+                                                          msg,
+                                                          FLUX_NODEID_ANY,
+                                                          0))) {
         flux_log_error (gw->ctx->h, "%s: flux_rpc_message", __FUNCTION__);
         goto error;
     }
@@ -763,7 +759,7 @@ static void main_namespace_lookup_continuation (flux_future_t *f, void *arg)
                                "event", tok, toklen) < 0) {
             flux_log_error (ctx->h, "%s: flux_respond_pack",
                             __FUNCTION__);
-            goto error;
+            goto cleanup;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/modules/job-info/update.c b/src/modules/job-info/update.c
index a607791d21e9..cb2a3d4557eb 100644
--- a/src/modules/job-info/update.c
+++ b/src/modules/job-info/update.c
@@ -157,17 +157,20 @@ static void eventlog_continuation (flux_future_t *f, void *arg)
 
     if (flux_job_event_watch_get (f, &s) < 0) {
         flux_log_error (ctx->h, "%s: flux_job_event_watch_get", __FUNCTION__);
-        goto error_cancel;
+        eventlog_watch_cancel (uc);
+        goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (!(event = eventlog_entry_decode (s))) {
         flux_log_error (uc->ctx->h, "%s: eventlog_entry_decode", __FUNCTION__);
-        goto error_cancel;
+        eventlog_watch_cancel (uc);
+        goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (eventlog_entry_parse (event, NULL, &name, &context) < 0) {
         flux_log_error (uc->ctx->h, "%s: eventlog_entry_decode", __FUNCTION__);
-        goto error_cancel;
+        eventlog_watch_cancel (uc);
+        goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (context && streq (name, uc->update_name)) {
@@ -196,7 +199,8 @@ static void eventlog_continuation (flux_future_t *f, void *arg)
                                        "{s:O}",
                                        uc->key, uc->update_object) < 0) {
                     flux_log_error (ctx->h, "%s: flux_respond", __FUNCTION__);
-                    goto error_cancel;
+                    eventlog_watch_cancel (uc);
+                    goto cleanup;
                 }
                 msg = flux_msglist_next (uc->msglist);
             }
@@ -207,11 +211,6 @@ static void eventlog_continuation (flux_future_t *f, void *arg)
     json_decref (event);
     return;
 
-error_cancel:
-    /* Must do so so that the future's matchtag will eventually be
-     * freed */
-    eventlog_watch_cancel (uc);
-
 error:
     msg = flux_msglist_first (uc->msglist);
     while (msg) {
@@ -360,7 +359,7 @@ static void lookup_continuation (flux_future_t *f, void *arg)
         if (flux_respond_pack (uc->ctx->h, msg, "{s:O}",
                                uc->key, uc->update_object) < 0) {
             flux_log_error (ctx->h, "%s: flux_respond", __FUNCTION__);
-            goto error;
+            goto cleanup;
         }
 
     next:
@@ -520,7 +519,7 @@ void update_watch_cb (flux_t *h,
                                    "{s:O}",
                                    uc->key, uc->update_object) < 0) {
                 flux_log_error (ctx->h, "%s: flux_respond", __FUNCTION__);
-                goto error;
+                goto cleanup;
             }
         }
         /* if uc->update_object has not been set, the initial lookup
@@ -536,6 +535,7 @@ void update_watch_cb (flux_t *h,
 error:
     if (flux_respond_error (h, msg, errno, errmsg) < 0)
         flux_log_error (h, "%s: flux_respond_error", __FUNCTION__);
+cleanup:
     free (index_key);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/modules/job-info/watch.c b/src/modules/job-info/watch.c
index e0ccf3966bd9..36877a8a9111 100644
--- a/src/modules/job-info/watch.c
+++ b/src/modules/job-info/watch.c
@@ -252,8 +252,15 @@ static void watch_continuation (flux_future_t *f, void *arg)
     }
 
     if (!w->allow) {
-        if (eventlog_allow (ctx, w->msg, w->id, s) < 0)
-            goto error_cancel;
+        if (eventlog_allow (ctx, w->msg, w->id, s) < 0) {
+            if (!w->kvs_watch_canceled) {
+                if (flux_kvs_lookup_cancel (w->watch_f) < 0)
+                    flux_log_error (ctx->h,
+                                    "%s: flux_kvs_lookup_cancel",
+                                    __FUNCTION__);
+            }
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
         w->allow = true;
     }
 
@@ -266,7 +273,13 @@ static void watch_continuation (flux_future_t *f, void *arg)
             flux_log_error (ctx->h,
                             "%s: flux_respond_pack",
                             __FUNCTION__);
-            goto error_cancel;
+            if (!w->kvs_watch_canceled) {
+                if (flux_kvs_lookup_cancel (w->watch_f) < 0)
+                    flux_log_error (ctx->h,
+                                    "%s: flux_kvs_lookup_cancel",
+                                    __FUNCTION__);
+            }
+            goto cleanup;
         }
 
         /* When watching the main job eventlog, we return ENODATA back
@@ -294,18 +307,6 @@ static void watch_continuation (flux_future_t *f, void *arg)
     flux_future_reset (f);
     return;
 
-error_cancel:
-    /* If we haven't sent a cancellation yet, must do so so that
-     * the future's matchtag will eventually be freed */
-    if (!w->kvs_watch_canceled) {
-        int save_errno = errno;
-        if (flux_kvs_lookup_cancel (w->watch_f) < 0)
-            flux_log_error (ctx->h,
-                            "%s: flux_kvs_lookup_cancel",
-                            __FUNCTION__);
-        errno = save_errno;
-    }
-
 error:
     if (flux_respond_error (ctx->h, w->msg, errno, errmsg) < 0)
         flux_log_error (ctx->h, "%s: flux_respond_error", __FUNCTION__);