diff --git a/scripts/gitea-microvm-guest-runner b/scripts/gitea-microvm-guest-runner
index cee427f..3b4d076 100755
--- a/scripts/gitea-microvm-guest-runner
+++ b/scripts/gitea-microvm-guest-runner
@@ -27,3 +27,4 @@ gitea-runner register \
     --token-file "$token_file"
 rm -f -- "$token_file"
 gitea-runner daemon --config "$config_file" --once
+echo gitea-runner-job-complete >/dev/ttyS0
diff --git a/scripts/microvm-runner-launch b/scripts/microvm-runner-launch
index 558f232..ff3865b 100755
--- a/scripts/microvm-runner-launch
+++ b/scripts/microvm-runner-launch
@@ -29,8 +29,13 @@ tap="mvr${instance_id%%-*}"
 overlay="$vm_dir/root.qcow2"
 seed="$vm_dir/seed.img"
 serial="$vm_dir/serial.log"
+log_dir="$state_root/logs"
 
 cleanup() {
+    if test -f "$serial"; then
+        install -d -m 0700 "$log_dir"
+        cp "$serial" "$log_dir/$instance_id.log"
+    fi
     ip link delete "$tap" 2>/dev/null || true
     rm -rf -- "$vm_dir"
 }
@@ -66,12 +71,16 @@ ip tuntap add dev "$tap" mode tap
 ip link set "$tap" master "$bridge"
 ip link set "$tap" up
 
-timeout --signal=TERM --kill-after=30s "$vm_timeout" "$cloud_hypervisor" \
-    --firmware "$firmware" \
-    --cpus "boot=$cpus" \
-    --memory "size=$memory" \
-    --disk "path=$overlay,image_type=qcow2" \
-    --disk "path=$seed,readonly=on,image_type=raw" \
-    --net "tap=$tap,mac=$mac" \
-    --serial "file=$serial" \
-    --console off
+if timeout --signal=TERM --kill-after=30s "$vm_timeout" "$cloud_hypervisor" \
+        --firmware "$firmware" \
+        --cpus "boot=$cpus" \
+        --memory "size=$memory" \
+        --disk "path=$overlay,image_type=qcow2" \
+        --disk "path=$seed,readonly=on,image_type=raw" \
+        --net "tap=$tap,mac=$mac" \
+        --serial "file=$serial" \
+        --console off; then
+    grep -Fq gitea-runner-job-complete "$serial"
+else
+    exit $?
+fi