diff --git a/lix/libstore/build/entry-points.cc b/lix/libstore/build/entry-points.cc
index 4dd471e40..065a23d59 100644
--- a/lix/libstore/build/entry-points.cc
+++ b/lix/libstore/build/entry-points.cc
@@ -76,11 +76,20 @@ kj::Promise<Result<BuildResult>> Store::buildDerivation(const StorePath & drvPat
 try {
     try {
         auto results = TRY_AWAIT(processGoals(*this, *this, [&](GoalFactory & gf) {
-            Worker::Targets goals;
-            goals.emplace_back(
-                gf.makeBasicDerivationGoal(drvPath, drv, OutputsSpec::All{}, buildMode)
-            );
-            return goals;
+            // sometimes clang lints are really annoying. this would be safe without
+            // the explicit coroutine param captures, but clang-tidy does not see it
+            return [](auto && gf, auto && drvPath, auto && drv, auto buildMode
+                   ) -> kj::Promise<Result<Worker::Targets>> {
+                try {
+                    Worker::Targets goals;
+                    goals.emplace_back(TRY_AWAIT(
+                        gf.makeBasicDerivationGoal(drvPath, drv, OutputsSpec::All{}, buildMode)
+                    ));
+                    co_return goals;
+                } catch (...) {
+                    co_return result::current_exception();
+                }
+            }(gf, drvPath, drv, buildMode);
         }));
         auto & result = results.goals.begin()->second;
         co_return result.result.restrictTo(DerivedPath::Built {
diff --git a/lix/libstore/build/worker.cc b/lix/libstore/build/worker.cc
index e3e9b7849..ff8ba2ab4 100644
--- a/lix/libstore/build/worker.cc
+++ b/lix/libstore/build/worker.cc
@@ -135,18 +135,20 @@ std::pair<std::shared_ptr<DerivationGoal>, kj::Promise<Result<Goal::WorkResult>>
 }
 
 
-std::pair<std::shared_ptr<DerivationGoal>, kj::Promise<Result<Goal::WorkResult>>> Worker::makeBasicDerivationGoal(
+kj::Promise<
+    Result<std::pair<std::shared_ptr<DerivationGoal>, kj::Promise<Result<Goal::WorkResult>>>>>
+Worker::makeBasicDerivationGoal(
     const StorePath & drvPath,
     const BasicDerivation & drv,
     const OutputsSpec & wantedOutputs,
     BuildMode buildMode
 )
-{
+try {
     /* Prevent the .chroot directory from being
        garbage-collected. (See isActiveTempFile() in gc.cc.) */
     store.addTempRoot(drvPath);
 
-    return makeGoalCommon(
+    co_return makeGoalCommon(
         derivationGoals,
         drvPath,
         [&]() -> std::unique_ptr<DerivationGoal> {
@@ -160,6 +162,8 @@ std::pair<std::shared_ptr<DerivationGoal>, kj::Promise<Result<Goal::WorkResult>>
         },
         [&](DerivationGoal & g) { return g.addWantedOutputs(wantedOutputs); }
     );
+} catch (...) {
+    co_return result::current_exception();
 }
 
 
@@ -232,10 +236,8 @@ try {
     co_return result::current_exception();
 }
 
-kj::Promise<Result<Worker::Results>> Worker::run(std::function<Targets (GoalFactory &)> req)
+kj::Promise<Result<Worker::Results>> Worker::run(Targets topGoals)
 try {
-    auto topGoals = req(goalFactory());
-
     assert(!running);
     running = true;
     Finally const _stop([&] { running = false; });
diff --git a/lix/libstore/build/worker.hh b/lix/libstore/build/worker.hh
index c742c80ed..7fc3d1fe9 100644
--- a/lix/libstore/build/worker.hh
+++ b/lix/libstore/build/worker.hh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "lix/libutil/async-semaphore.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/concepts.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/notifying-counter.hh"
+#include "lix/libutil/result.hh"
 #include "lix/libutil/types.hh"
 #include "lix/libstore/lock.hh"
 #include "lix/libstore/store-api.hh"
@@ -35,7 +36,8 @@ public:
     makeDerivationGoal(
         const StorePath & drvPath, const OutputsSpec & wantedOutputs, BuildMode buildMode = bmNormal
     ) = 0;
-    virtual std::pair<std::shared_ptr<DerivationGoal>, kj::Promise<Result<Goal::WorkResult>>>
+    virtual kj::Promise<
+        Result<std::pair<std::shared_ptr<DerivationGoal>, kj::Promise<Result<Goal::WorkResult>>>>>
     makeBasicDerivationGoal(
         const StorePath & drvPath,
         const BasicDerivation & drv,
@@ -245,9 +247,14 @@ private:
     std::pair<std::shared_ptr<DerivationGoal>, kj::Promise<Result<Goal::WorkResult>>> makeDerivationGoal(
         const StorePath & drvPath,
         const OutputsSpec & wantedOutputs, BuildMode buildMode = bmNormal) override;
-    std::pair<std::shared_ptr<DerivationGoal>, kj::Promise<Result<Goal::WorkResult>>> makeBasicDerivationGoal(
-        const StorePath & drvPath, const BasicDerivation & drv,
-        const OutputsSpec & wantedOutputs, BuildMode buildMode = bmNormal) override;
+    kj::Promise<
+        Result<std::pair<std::shared_ptr<DerivationGoal>, kj::Promise<Result<Goal::WorkResult>>>>>
+    makeBasicDerivationGoal(
+        const StorePath & drvPath,
+        const BasicDerivation & drv,
+        const OutputsSpec & wantedOutputs,
+        BuildMode buildMode = bmNormal
+    ) override;
 
     /**
      * @ref SubstitutionGoal "substitution goal"
@@ -274,11 +281,25 @@ private:
     std::pair<GoalPtr, kj::Promise<Result<Goal::WorkResult>>>
     makeGoal(const DerivedPath & req, BuildMode buildMode = bmNormal) override;
 
+    kj::Promise<Result<Results>> run(Targets topGoals);
+
 public:
     /**
      * Loop until the specified top-level goals have finished.
      */
-    kj::Promise<Result<Results>> run(std::function<Targets (GoalFactory &)> req);
+    kj::Promise<Result<Results>> run(std::function<kj::Promise<Result<Targets>>(GoalFactory &)> req)
+    try {
+        co_return co_await run(TRY_AWAIT(req(goalFactory())));
+    } catch (...) {
+        co_return result::current_exception();
+    }
+
+    kj::Promise<Result<Results>> run(std::function<Targets(GoalFactory &)> req)
+    try {
+        return run(req(goalFactory()));
+    } catch (...) {
+        return {result::current_exception()};
+    }
 
     /**
      * Check whether the given valid path exists and has the right