diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d27df08..3ca1b9e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -245,7 +245,9 @@ backend later without further handler changes.
   upstream fan-out; the rest wait for it and share the result. That fan-out runs
   on its own context, bounded by `timeout`, so a client that disconnects can
   neither cancel nor fail the requests sharing its flight; a waiter whose own
-  client goes away leaves the flight running for the others.
+  client goes away leaves the flight running for the others. The flight is
+  cancelled once its last participant leaves, so a lone client disconnecting
+  releases the upstream connections straight away.
 - **Response headers** — every response on a cached path carries `X-Cache`
   (`hit` served from a fresh entry, `miss` built by this request, `stale` the
   expired-entry fallback) and `Age` in whole seconds since the served copy was
diff --git a/cache.go b/cache.go
index 65307cd..50dea96 100644
--- a/cache.go
+++ b/cache.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"container/list"
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
 	"runtime/debug"
@@ -191,8 +192,18 @@ type flightCall struct {
 	done chan struct{}
 	resp cachedResponse
 	err  error
+
+	cancel context.CancelFunc
+	// participants is the number of callers still waiting on this flight,
+	// guarded by flightGroup.mu.
+	participants int
 }
 
+// errFlightAbandoned reports that this caller stopped waiting because its own
+// context ended. It says nothing about the flight, which may still be running
+// for other participants.
+var errFlightAbandoned = errors.New("abandoned the shared flight")
+
 // flightPanic is a panic from a flight's fn, reported to the leader and to every
 // waiter as an error so callers keep their error handling (stale fallback, 502)
 // instead of seeing a zero-value success.
@@ -207,43 +218,80 @@ func (p *flightPanic) Error() string {
 
 // Do returns fn's result and whether this caller shared another's in-flight run.
 //
-// ctx belongs to the caller alone. A waiter that gives up returns ctx.Err() and
-// leaves the flight running for everyone else; the leader ignores ctx entirely
-// and always runs fn to completion, so one participant walking away can neither
-// cancel nor fail the others. fn is therefore responsible for its own deadline.
-func (g *flightGroup) Do(ctx context.Context, key string, fn func() (cachedResponse, error)) (resp cachedResponse, err error, shared bool) {
+// fn runs on a context of the flight's own: detached from every caller's,
+// bounded by timeout, and cancelled once the last participant leaves. A caller
+// that gives up returns errFlightAbandoned and leaves the flight running for
+// whoever is still waiting, so one participant walking away can neither cancel
+// nor fail the others, while a flight nobody waits on any more is dropped at
+// once rather than holding upstream sockets until the timeout.
+func (g *flightGroup) Do(ctx context.Context, key string, timeout time.Duration, fn func(context.Context) (cachedResponse, error)) (resp cachedResponse, err error, shared bool) {
 	g.mu.Lock()
 	if g.calls == nil {
 		g.calls = make(map[string]*flightCall)
 	}
-	if c, ok := g.calls[key]; ok {
+	c, shared := g.calls[key]
+	if shared {
+		c.participants++
 		g.mu.Unlock()
-		select {
-		case <-c.done:
-			return c.resp, c.err, true
-		case <-ctx.Done():
-			return cachedResponse{}, ctx.Err(), true
-		}
+	} else {
+		flightCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.WithoutCancel(ctx), timeout)
+		c = &flightCall{done: make(chan struct{}), cancel: cancel, participants: 1}
+		g.calls[key] = c
+		g.mu.Unlock()
+		go g.run(flightCtx, key, c, fn)
 	}
-	c := &flightCall{done: make(chan struct{})}
-	g.calls[key] = c
-	g.mu.Unlock()
+	defer g.leave(key, c)
 
+	select {
+	case <-c.done:
+		return c.resp, c.err, shared
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return cachedResponse{}, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", errFlightAbandoned, ctx.Err()), shared
+	}
+}
+
+func (g *flightGroup) run(ctx context.Context, key string, c *flightCall, fn func(context.Context) (cachedResponse, error)) {
 	defer func() {
 		if r := recover(); r != nil {
 			c.resp, c.err = cachedResponse{}, &flightPanic{value: r, stack: debug.Stack()}
-			resp, err = c.resp, c.err
 		}
 		// The key is released before the results are published, so a caller that
 		// arrives late leads a new flight instead of joining a finished one.
-		g.mu.Lock()
-		delete(g.calls, key)
-		g.mu.Unlock()
+		g.forget(key, c)
 		close(c.done)
 	}()
 
-	c.resp, c.err = fn()
-	return c.resp, c.err, false
+	c.resp, c.err = fn(ctx)
+}
+
+// leave drops one participant and, when it was the last, unregisters the key and
+// cancels the flight so a lone requester disconnecting aborts the fan-out
+// instead of pinning a socket per backend for the whole timeout. Unregistering
+// under the same lock that admits joiners keeps anyone from joining a flight
+// that is about to be cancelled.
+func (g *flightGroup) leave(key string, c *flightCall) {
+	g.mu.Lock()
+	c.participants--
+	last := c.participants == 0
+	if last {
+		g.unregister(key, c)
+	}
+	g.mu.Unlock()
+	if last {
+		c.cancel()
+	}
+}
+
+func (g *flightGroup) forget(key string, c *flightCall) {
+	g.mu.Lock()
+	g.unregister(key, c)
+	g.mu.Unlock()
+}
+
+func (g *flightGroup) unregister(key string, c *flightCall) {
+	if cur, ok := g.calls[key]; ok && cur == c {
+		delete(g.calls, key)
+	}
 }
 
 // staleTracker records stale fallbacks for /healthz. serving flips back to false
diff --git a/cache_test.go b/cache_test.go
index bb23c89..5ba0d5b 100644
--- a/cache_test.go
+++ b/cache_test.go
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"io"
+	"math/rand/v2"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"slices"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -19,6 +21,16 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
+const (
+	// testFlightTimeout is long enough that a flight ending early can only be the
+	// refcount, never the deadline.
+	testFlightTimeout = 30 * time.Second
+
+	// disconnectAfter is long enough for the fan-out to reach the backends and
+	// short enough to leave the whole abort well inside cfg.Timeout.
+	disconnectAfter = 25 * time.Millisecond
+)
+
 // fakeClock drives the cache's TTL without sleeping.
 type fakeClock struct {
 	mu sync.Mutex
@@ -111,6 +123,7 @@ func newCachedServer(t *testing.T, cfg Config) (*Server, *fakeClock) {
 	}
 	clk := newFakeClock()
 	mc.now = clk.now
+	srv.now = clk.now
 	return srv, clk
 }
 
@@ -389,7 +402,7 @@ func TestFlightGroup_LeaderRunsOnce(t *testing.T) {
 	entered := make(chan struct{})
 	release := make(chan struct{})
 
-	run := func() (cachedResponse, error) {
+	run := func(context.Context) (cachedResponse, error) {
 		if calls.Add(1) == 1 {
 			close(entered)
 		}
@@ -402,7 +415,7 @@ func TestFlightGroup_LeaderRunsOnce(t *testing.T) {
 		wg.Add(1)
 		go func() {
 			defer wg.Done()
-			if _, _, s := g.Do(context.Background(), "k", run); s {
+			if _, _, s := g.Do(context.Background(), "k", testFlightTimeout, run); s {
 				shared.Add(1)
 			}
 		}()
@@ -419,7 +432,9 @@ func TestFlightGroup_LeaderRunsOnce(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("%d callers shared the flight, want 15", shared.Load())
 	}
 	// The key is released once the flight finishes.
-	if _, _, s := g.Do(context.Background(), "k", func() (cachedResponse, error) { return cachedResponse{Records: -1}, nil }); s {
+	if _, _, s := g.Do(context.Background(), "k", testFlightTimeout, func(context.Context) (cachedResponse, error) {
+		return cachedResponse{Records: -1}, nil
+	}); s {
 		t.Error("a later call must start its own flight")
 	}
 }
@@ -441,7 +456,7 @@ func TestFlightGroup_LeaderPanicFailsLeaderAndWaiters(t *testing.T) {
 	wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
 		defer wg.Done()
-		leader.resp, leader.err, leader.shared = g.Do(context.Background(), "k", func() (cachedResponse, error) {
+		leader.resp, leader.err, leader.shared = g.Do(context.Background(), "k", testFlightTimeout, func(context.Context) (cachedResponse, error) {
 			close(entered)
 			<-release
 			panic("build exploded")
@@ -453,7 +468,7 @@ func TestFlightGroup_LeaderPanicFailsLeaderAndWaiters(t *testing.T) {
 		wg.Add(1)
 		go func(i int) {
 			defer wg.Done()
-			waiters[i].resp, waiters[i].err, waiters[i].shared = g.Do(context.Background(), "k", func() (cachedResponse, error) {
+			waiters[i].resp, waiters[i].err, waiters[i].shared = g.Do(context.Background(), "k", testFlightTimeout, func(context.Context) (cachedResponse, error) {
 				t.Error("a waiter must not run its own fn")
 				return cachedResponse{}, nil
 			})
@@ -480,7 +495,7 @@ func TestFlightGroup_LeaderPanicFailsLeaderAndWaiters(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// The key is released on the panic path, so a later call leads its own flight.
-	resp, err, shared := g.Do(context.Background(), "k", func() (cachedResponse, error) {
+	resp, err, shared := g.Do(context.Background(), "k", testFlightTimeout, func(context.Context) (cachedResponse, error) {
 		return cachedResponse{Body: json.RawMessage(`[]`), Records: 0}, nil
 	})
 	if shared {
@@ -639,6 +654,117 @@ func TestHandler_LeaderDisconnectDoesNotFailFollowers(t *testing.T) {
 	if got := a.hitCount(nodesPath); got != 1 {
 		t.Errorf("backend a saw %d requests, want 1", got)
 	}
+
+	// The flight the leader started still populated the cache.
+	warmed := doGet(t, h, nodesPath, "")
+	if got := warmed.Header().Get(cacheStatusHeader); got != "hit" {
+		t.Errorf("%s = %q, want hit: the abandoned leader's flight must still warm the cache", cacheStatusHeader, got)
+	}
+	if got := a.hitCount(nodesPath); got != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("backend a saw %d requests after the cached read, want 1", got)
+	}
+	assertNoFlights(t, &srv.flights)
+}
+
+// blockingBackend parks every request until its own context ends, reporting when
+// that happened, so an abandoned fan-out is observable from upstream.
+func blockingBackend(t *testing.T, aborted chan<- time.Time) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		select {
+		case <-r.Context().Done():
+			aborted <- time.Now()
+		case <-time.After(10 * time.Second):
+		}
+	}))
+	t.Cleanup(srv.Close)
+	return srv.URL
+}
+
+// A requester with nobody else on its flight must take the fan-out down with it
+// rather than leave a socket per backend held open until cfg.Timeout.
+func TestHandler_SoloDisconnectAbortsFanOutPromptly(t *testing.T) {
+	aborted := make(chan time.Time, 4)
+	cfg := cacheTestConfig(blockingBackend(t, aborted), blockingBackend(t, aborted))
+	cfg.Timeout = 400 * time.Millisecond
+	srv, _ := newCachedServer(t, cfg)
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+	go func() {
+		time.Sleep(disconnectAfter)
+		cancel()
+	}()
+
+	start := time.Now()
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, factsPath, nil).WithContext(ctx)
+	srv.Handler().ServeHTTP(httptest.NewRecorder(), req)
+	if elapsed := time.Since(start); elapsed >= cfg.Timeout/2 {
+		t.Errorf("handler returned after %s, want well under cfg.Timeout %s", elapsed, cfg.Timeout)
+	}
+
+	waitForReleases(t, aborted, len(cfg.Backends), start.Add(cfg.Timeout/2))
+	assertNoFlights(t, &srv.flights)
+}
+
+// Distinct cache keys do not collapse into one flight, so disconnecting clients
+// must not each hold len(backends) sockets for the whole timeout.
+func TestHandler_DisconnectedRequestsDoNotPinBackends(t *testing.T) {
+	aborted := make(chan time.Time, 128)
+	cfg := cacheTestConfig(blockingBackend(t, aborted), blockingBackend(t, aborted))
+	cfg.Timeout = 400 * time.Millisecond
+	srv, _ := newCachedServer(t, cfg)
+	h := srv.Handler()
+
+	// Keep-alive plumbing outlives the requests, so the transport is ours to shut
+	// down before counting goroutines.
+	transport := &http.Transport{}
+	srv.client.Transport = transport
+
+	baseline := runtime.NumGoroutine()
+	const callers = 25
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	start := time.Now()
+	for i := range callers {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func(i int) {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+			defer cancel()
+			go func() {
+				time.Sleep(disconnectAfter)
+				cancel()
+			}()
+			target := factsPath + "?query=" + url.QueryEscape(strconv.Itoa(i))
+			req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, target, nil).WithContext(ctx)
+			h.ServeHTTP(httptest.NewRecorder(), req)
+		}(i)
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+	if elapsed := time.Since(start); elapsed >= cfg.Timeout/2 {
+		t.Errorf("%d disconnecting callers took %s, want well under cfg.Timeout %s", callers, elapsed, cfg.Timeout)
+	}
+
+	// A caller cancelled before its fan-out was dispatched leaves the backend
+	// nothing to release, so one release per caller is the floor.
+	waitForReleases(t, aborted, callers, start.Add(cfg.Timeout/2))
+	assertNoFlights(t, &srv.flights)
+	transport.CloseIdleConnections()
+	assertGoroutinesSettle(t, baseline, 2)
+}
+
+// waitForReleases fails unless at least want backend requests were released by
+// cutoff, which is set well inside cfg.Timeout so only the flight going away can
+// have freed them.
+func waitForReleases(t *testing.T, aborted <-chan time.Time, want int, cutoff time.Time) {
+	t.Helper()
+	for got := 0; got < want; got++ {
+		select {
+		case <-aborted:
+		case <-time.After(time.Until(cutoff)):
+			t.Fatalf("%d of %d backend requests released before the cutoff, want all of them", got, want)
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 // A follower whose own client goes away must unpark rather than wait out the
@@ -654,7 +780,7 @@ func TestFlightGroup_WaiterAbandonsOnContextCancel(t *testing.T) {
 	wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
 		defer wg.Done()
-		leaderResp, leaderErr, _ = g.Do(context.Background(), "k", func() (cachedResponse, error) {
+		leaderResp, leaderErr, _ = g.Do(context.Background(), "k", testFlightTimeout, func(context.Context) (cachedResponse, error) {
 			close(entered)
 			<-release
 			return cachedResponse{Body: json.RawMessage(`[1]`), Records: 1}, nil
@@ -668,10 +794,7 @@ func TestFlightGroup_WaiterAbandonsOnContextCancel(t *testing.T) {
 	wg.Add(1)
 	go func() {
 		defer wg.Done()
-		patientResp, patientErr, _ = g.Do(context.Background(), "k", func() (cachedResponse, error) {
-			t.Error("a waiter must not run its own fn")
-			return cachedResponse{}, nil
-		})
+		patientResp, patientErr, _ = g.Do(context.Background(), "k", testFlightTimeout, waiterMustNotBuild(t))
 	}()
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
@@ -680,10 +803,7 @@ func TestFlightGroup_WaiterAbandonsOnContextCancel(t *testing.T) {
 	var abandonedShared bool
 	go func() {
 		defer close(done)
-		_, abandoned, abandonedShared = g.Do(ctx, "k", func() (cachedResponse, error) {
-			t.Error("a waiter must not run its own fn")
-			return cachedResponse{}, nil
-		})
+		_, abandoned, abandonedShared = g.Do(ctx, "k", testFlightTimeout, waiterMustNotBuild(t))
 	}()
 
 	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
@@ -693,8 +813,11 @@ func TestFlightGroup_WaiterAbandonsOnContextCancel(t *testing.T) {
 	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
 		t.Fatal("a waiter whose context was cancelled stayed parked on the leader")
 	}
+	if !errors.Is(abandoned, errFlightAbandoned) {
+		t.Errorf("abandoning waiter err = %v, want errFlightAbandoned", abandoned)
+	}
 	if !errors.Is(abandoned, context.Canceled) {
-		t.Errorf("abandoning waiter err = %v, want context.Canceled", abandoned)
+		t.Errorf("abandoning waiter err = %v, want it to carry context.Canceled", abandoned)
 	}
 	if !abandonedShared {
 		t.Error("the abandoning waiter did share the flight")
@@ -718,21 +841,22 @@ func TestFlightGroup_WaiterAbandonsOnContextCancel(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// Every participant walking away must still leave the flight bounded and the
-// group empty: nothing parked, nothing registered.
-func TestFlightGroup_AllCallersAbandon(t *testing.T) {
+// The last participant leaving must cancel the flight's context rather than let
+// it burn the whole timeout, and must leave the group empty.
+func TestFlightGroup_LastParticipantLeavingCancelsFlight(t *testing.T) {
 	var g flightGroup
 	entered := make(chan struct{})
-	release := make(chan struct{})
+	flightCancelled := make(chan struct{})
 
 	leaderCtx, cancelLeader := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	leaderDone := make(chan struct{})
 	go func() {
 		defer close(leaderDone)
-		_, _, _ = g.Do(leaderCtx, "k", func() (cachedResponse, error) {
+		_, _, _ = g.Do(leaderCtx, "k", testFlightTimeout, func(ctx context.Context) (cachedResponse, error) {
 			close(entered)
-			<-release
-			return cachedResponse{Records: -1}, nil
+			<-ctx.Done()
+			close(flightCancelled)
+			return cachedResponse{}, ctx.Err()
 		})
 	}()
 	<-entered
@@ -744,10 +868,7 @@ func TestFlightGroup_AllCallersAbandon(t *testing.T) {
 		wg.Add(1)
 		go func() {
 			defer wg.Done()
-			_, _, _ = g.Do(ctx, "k", func() (cachedResponse, error) {
-				t.Error("a waiter must not run its own fn")
-				return cachedResponse{}, nil
-			})
+			_, _, _ = g.Do(ctx, "k", testFlightTimeout, waiterMustNotBuild(t))
 		}()
 	}
 
@@ -762,13 +883,123 @@ func TestFlightGroup_AllCallersAbandon(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("waiters stayed parked after their contexts were cancelled")
 	}
 
-	close(release)
+	// testFlightTimeout is far longer, so only the refcount can have cancelled it.
+	select {
+	case <-flightCancelled:
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("the flight ran on after its last participant left")
+	}
 	select {
 	case <-leaderDone:
 	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
 		t.Fatal("the leader goroutine leaked")
 	}
 
+	assertNoFlights(t, &g)
+}
+
+// A leader walking away while a waiter is still parked must leave the flight's
+// context untouched, so the waiter gets a real result.
+func TestFlightGroup_LeaderLeavingKeepsFlightAliveForWaiter(t *testing.T) {
+	var g flightGroup
+	entered := make(chan struct{})
+	release := make(chan struct{})
+
+	leaderCtx, cancelLeader := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	leaderDone := make(chan struct{})
+	var leaderErr error
+	go func() {
+		defer close(leaderDone)
+		_, leaderErr, _ = g.Do(leaderCtx, "k", testFlightTimeout, func(ctx context.Context) (cachedResponse, error) {
+			close(entered)
+			<-release
+			if err := ctx.Err(); err != nil {
+				return cachedResponse{}, err
+			}
+			return cachedResponse{Body: json.RawMessage(`[1]`), Records: 1}, nil
+		})
+	}()
+	<-entered
+
+	waiterDone := make(chan struct{})
+	var waiterResp cachedResponse
+	var waiterErr error
+	go func() {
+		defer close(waiterDone)
+		waiterResp, waiterErr, _ = g.Do(context.Background(), "k", testFlightTimeout, waiterMustNotBuild(t))
+	}()
+
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+	cancelLeader()
+	select {
+	case <-leaderDone:
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("the leader stayed parked after its context was cancelled")
+	}
+	if !errors.Is(leaderErr, errFlightAbandoned) {
+		t.Errorf("leader err = %v, want errFlightAbandoned", leaderErr)
+	}
+
+	close(release)
+	select {
+	case <-waiterDone:
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("the waiter never got a result")
+	}
+	if waiterErr != nil || waiterResp.Records != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("waiter = (%+v, %v), want the flight's result", waiterResp, waiterErr)
+	}
+
+	assertNoFlights(t, &g)
+}
+
+// Random cancellations across many keys must leave nothing registered and no
+// goroutines behind.
+func TestFlightGroup_HammerRandomCancellations(t *testing.T) {
+	var g flightGroup
+	baseline := runtime.NumGoroutine()
+
+	const callers = 400
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	for i := range callers {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func(i int) {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+			defer cancel()
+			if i%3 == 0 {
+				go func() {
+					time.Sleep(time.Duration(rand.IntN(3000)) * time.Microsecond)
+					cancel()
+				}()
+			}
+			key := strconv.Itoa(i % 17)
+			_, _, _ = g.Do(ctx, key, testFlightTimeout, func(ctx context.Context) (cachedResponse, error) {
+				select {
+				case <-ctx.Done():
+					return cachedResponse{}, ctx.Err()
+				case <-time.After(time.Duration(rand.IntN(3000)) * time.Microsecond):
+					return cachedResponse{Records: -1}, nil
+				}
+			})
+		}(i)
+	}
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	assertNoFlights(t, &g)
+	assertGoroutinesSettle(t, baseline, 2)
+}
+
+func waiterMustNotBuild(t *testing.T) func(context.Context) (cachedResponse, error) {
+	t.Helper()
+	return func(context.Context) (cachedResponse, error) {
+		t.Error("a waiter must not run its own fn")
+		return cachedResponse{}, nil
+	}
+}
+
+func assertNoFlights(t *testing.T, g *flightGroup) {
+	t.Helper()
 	g.mu.Lock()
 	remaining := len(g.calls)
 	g.mu.Unlock()
@@ -777,6 +1008,24 @@ func TestFlightGroup_AllCallersAbandon(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// Goroutines unwind after their caller returns, so settling is polled rather
+// than sampled once.
+func assertGoroutinesSettle(t *testing.T, baseline, slack int) {
+	t.Helper()
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(5 * time.Second)
+	for {
+		got := runtime.NumGoroutine()
+		if got <= baseline+slack {
+			return
+		}
+		if time.Now().After(deadline) {
+			t.Errorf("goroutines = %d, want back near the baseline of %d", got, baseline)
+			return
+		}
+		time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestServeCached_CacheStatusHeaders(t *testing.T) {
 	stored := `[` + fact("h1", "role", "web", "") + `]`
 	a := newCountingBackend(t, map[string]string{factsPath: stored})
@@ -792,16 +1041,17 @@ func TestServeCached_CacheStatusHeaders(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("first request %s = %q, want 0", ageHeader, got)
 	}
 
+	clk.advance(7 * time.Second)
 	rec = doGet(t, h, factsPath, "")
 	if got := rec.Header().Get(cacheStatusHeader); got != "hit" {
 		t.Errorf("cached request %s = %q, want hit", cacheStatusHeader, got)
 	}
-	if _, err := strconv.Atoi(rec.Header().Get(ageHeader)); err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("cached request %s = %q, want whole seconds", ageHeader, rec.Header().Get(ageHeader))
+	if got := rec.Header().Get(ageHeader); got != "7" {
+		t.Errorf("cached request %s = %q, want 7", ageHeader, got)
 	}
 
 	// Past the TTL with every backend down, the stale fallback must say so.
-	clk.advance(31 * time.Second)
+	clk.advance(24 * time.Second)
 	a.setFail(true)
 	b.setFail(true)
 	rec = doGet(t, h, factsPath, "")
@@ -811,8 +1061,8 @@ func TestServeCached_CacheStatusHeaders(t *testing.T) {
 	if got := rec.Header().Get(cacheStatusHeader); got != "stale" {
 		t.Errorf("stale fallback %s = %q, want stale", cacheStatusHeader, got)
 	}
-	if got := rec.Header().Get(ageHeader); got == "" {
-		t.Errorf("stale fallback must carry an %s header", ageHeader)
+	if got := rec.Header().Get(ageHeader); got != "31" {
+		t.Errorf("stale fallback %s = %q, want 31 seconds since the entry was stored", ageHeader, got)
 	}
 	if got := strings.TrimSpace(rec.Body.String()); got != stored {
 		t.Errorf("stale body = %s, want %s", got, stored)
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index b94db43..c670b8f 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ type Server struct {
 	flights    flightGroup
 	stale      staleTracker
 
+	// now is shared with the cache's clock so Age matches the stored timestamp.
+	now func() time.Time
+
 	// freshness cache (freshness merge only).
 	mu        sync.Mutex
 	freshData freshness
@@ -65,6 +68,7 @@ func NewServer(cfg Config, logger *log.Logger) *Server {
 		cfg:    cfg,
 		client: &http.Client{Timeout: cfg.Timeout},
 		log:    logger,
+		now:    time.Now,
 	}
 	if cfg.cacheEnabled() {
 		s.factsCache = newMemoryCache(cfg.FactsTTL, cfg.CacheBytes)
@@ -316,13 +320,11 @@ func (s *Server) serveCached(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, path string
 		stale = &ent
 	}
 
-	// The flight is shared, so it runs on a context detached from whichever
-	// request happened to lead it: one client disconnecting must not cancel the
-	// fan-out its followers are waiting on. cfg.Timeout keeps it bounded.
-	resp, err, _ := s.flights.Do(r.Context(), key, func() (cachedResponse, error) {
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.WithoutCancel(r.Context()), s.flightTimeout())
-		defer cancel()
-
+	// The flight is shared, so it runs on its own context rather than the leading
+	// request's: one client disconnecting must not cancel the fan-out its
+	// followers are waiting on, and the flight ends as soon as the last of them
+	// goes. cfg.Timeout keeps it bounded.
+	resp, err, _ := s.flights.Do(r.Context(), key, s.flightTimeout(), func(ctx context.Context) (cachedResponse, error) {
 		built, buildErr := build(ctx)
 		if buildErr != nil {
 			return cachedResponse{}, buildErr
@@ -338,14 +340,13 @@ func (s *Server) serveCached(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, path string
 		return built, nil
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		// This caller abandoned the flight because its own client went away; the
-		// flight itself is still running for everyone else and there is nobody
-		// left to write to.
-		if rerr := r.Context().Err(); rerr != nil && errors.Is(err, rerr) {
+		// This caller left the flight because its own client went away, so there
+		// is nobody to write to.
+		if errors.Is(err, errFlightAbandoned) {
 			return
 		}
 		if stale != nil {
-			s.stale.markStale(time.Now())
+			s.stale.markStale(s.now())
 			s.log.Printf("warning: serving stale %s from cache (stored %s): %v",
 				path, stale.StoredAt.UTC().Format(time.RFC3339), err)
 			s.writeStored(w, *stale, CacheStale)
@@ -355,7 +356,7 @@ func (s *Server) serveCached(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, path string
 		return
 	}
 	s.stale.markFresh()
-	setCacheHeaders(w, CacheMiss, time.Time{})
+	s.setCacheHeaders(w, CacheMiss, time.Time{})
 	writeCached(w, resp)
 }
 
@@ -375,14 +376,15 @@ func (s *Server) writeStored(w http.ResponseWriter, ent CacheEntry, status Cache
 		http.Error(w, "unreadable cache entry", http.StatusBadGateway)
 		return
 	}
-	setCacheHeaders(w, status, ent.StoredAt)
+	s.setCacheHeaders(w, status, ent.StoredAt)
 	writeCached(w, resp)
 }
 
 // setCacheHeaders labels a response from a cache-backed path: X-Cache is
 // hit/stale/miss and Age is whole seconds since the served copy was stored (0
-// for a response built by this request).
-func setCacheHeaders(w http.ResponseWriter, status CacheStatus, storedAt time.Time) {
+// for a response built by this request). It reads the same clock the cache
+// stamps entries with, so the two never disagree.
+func (s *Server) setCacheHeaders(w http.ResponseWriter, status CacheStatus, storedAt time.Time) {
 	label := "miss"
 	switch status {
 	case CacheFresh:
@@ -392,7 +394,7 @@ func setCacheHeaders(w http.ResponseWriter, status CacheStatus, storedAt time.Ti
 	}
 	age := 0
 	if !storedAt.IsZero() {
-		if secs := int(time.Since(storedAt).Seconds()); secs > 0 {
+		if secs := int(s.now().Sub(storedAt).Seconds()); secs > 0 {
 			age = secs
 		}
 	}