diff --git a/examples/multi-task/code-assistant/code_worker.py b/examples/multi-task/code-assistant/code_worker.py
index 4e1d701e5..655043147 100644
--- a/examples/multi-task/code-assistant/code_worker.py
+++ b/examples/multi-task/code-assistant/code_worker.py
@@ -10,11 +10,7 @@ import asyncio
 
 from loguru import logger
 
-from pipecat.bus import (
-    BusCancelTaskMessage,
-    BusEndTaskMessage,
-    BusJobRequestMessage,
-)
+from pipecat.bus import BusJobRequestMessage
 from pipecat.pipeline.base_task import BaseTask
 from pipecat.pipeline.job_context import JobStatus
 
@@ -66,7 +62,7 @@ class CodeWorker(BaseTask):
     async def start(self) -> None:
         """Launch the Claude SDK worker loop alongside the standard task start."""
         await super().start()
-        self._worker_task = self.create_task(self._worker_loop(), f"{self.name}::worker")
+        self._worker_task = self.create_task(self._worker_loop(), "worker")
 
     async def stop(self) -> None:
         """Cancel the worker loop before tearing down the task."""
@@ -81,40 +77,42 @@ class CodeWorker(BaseTask):
         logger.info(f"Worker '{self.name}': queued '{message.payload['question']}'")
         self._queue.put_nowait(message)
 
-    async def _handle_task_end(self, message: BusEndTaskMessage) -> None:
-        """Signal the run loop to finish on a graceful end."""
-        await super()._handle_task_end(message)
-        self._finished_event.set()
-
-    async def _handle_task_cancel(self, message: BusCancelTaskMessage) -> None:
-        """Signal the run loop to finish on cancellation."""
-        await super()._handle_task_cancel(message)
-        self._finished_event.set()
-
     async def _worker_loop(self):
+        client = ClaudeSDKClient(options=self._claude_options)
         try:
-            async with ClaudeSDKClient(options=self._claude_options) as client:
-                while True:
-                    message = await self._queue.get()
-                    question = message.payload["question"]
-                    logger.info(f"Worker '{self.name}': researching '{question}'")
-
-                    try:
-                        answer = ""
-                        await client.query(prompt=question)
-                        async for msg in client.receive_response():
-                            if type(msg).__name__ == "AssistantMessage":
-                                for block in msg.content:
-                                    if type(block).__name__ == "TextBlock":
-                                        answer += block.text
-
-                        logger.info(f"Worker '{self.name}': completed ({len(answer)} chars)")
-                        await self.send_job_response(message.job_id, {"answer": answer})
-
-                    except Exception as e:
-                        logger.error(f"Worker '{self.name}': error: {e}")
-                        await self.send_job_response(
-                            message.job_id, {"error": str(e)}, status=JobStatus.ERROR
-                        )
+            await client.connect()
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"Worker '{self.name}': failed to start Claude SDK: {e}")
+            return
+
+        try:
+            while True:
+                message = await self._queue.get()
+                question = message.payload["question"]
+                logger.info(f"Worker '{self.name}': researching '{question}'")
+
+                try:
+                    answer = ""
+                    await client.query(prompt=question)
+                    async for msg in client.receive_response():
+                        if type(msg).__name__ == "AssistantMessage":
+                            for block in msg.content:
+                                if type(block).__name__ == "TextBlock":
+                                    answer += block.text
+
+                    logger.info(f"Worker '{self.name}': completed ({len(answer)} chars)")
+                    await self.send_job_response(message.job_id, {"answer": answer})
+
+                except Exception as e:
+                    logger.error(f"Worker '{self.name}': error: {e}")
+                    await self.send_job_response(
+                        message.job_id, {"error": str(e)}, status=JobStatus.ERROR
+                    )
+        finally:
+            # Bypass `async with ClaudeSDKClient` and call disconnect()
+            # ourselves: __aexit__ → Query.close() → _read_task.wait() uses
+            # `with suppress(asyncio.CancelledError)`, which would swallow the
+            # outer task's cancellation. By the time this finally runs, our
+            # CancelledError has already been raised once, so _must_cancel is
+            # cleared and disconnect()'s awaits proceed normally.
+            await client.disconnect()