diff --git a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/internal/CordaRPCOpsImpl.kt b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/internal/CordaRPCOpsImpl.kt
index 402d6ee368..571c97b82c 100644
--- a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/internal/CordaRPCOpsImpl.kt
+++ b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/internal/CordaRPCOpsImpl.kt
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ internal class CordaRPCOpsImpl(
         return snapshot
     }
 
-    override fun killFlow(id: StateMachineRunId): Boolean = if (smm.killFlow(id)) true else smm.flowHospital.dropSessionInit(id)
+    override fun killFlow(id: StateMachineRunId): Boolean = smm.killFlow(id)
 
     override fun stateMachinesFeed(): DataFeed<List<StateMachineInfo>, StateMachineUpdate> {
 
diff --git a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/statemachine/SingleThreadedStateMachineManager.kt b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/statemachine/SingleThreadedStateMachineManager.kt
index 34c9b77582..637400b128 100644
--- a/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/statemachine/SingleThreadedStateMachineManager.kt
+++ b/node/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/node/services/statemachine/SingleThreadedStateMachineManager.kt
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ class SingleThreadedStateMachineManager(
     }
 
     override fun killFlow(id: StateMachineRunId): Boolean {
-        return mutex.locked {
+        val killFlowResult = mutex.locked {
             cancelTimeoutIfScheduled(id)
             val flow = flows.remove(id)
             if (flow != null) {
@@ -257,6 +257,11 @@ class SingleThreadedStateMachineManager(
                 }
             }
         }
+        return if(killFlowResult) {
+            true
+        } else {
+            flowHospital.dropSessionInit(id)
+        }
     }
 
     override fun addSessionBinding(flowId: StateMachineRunId, sessionId: SessionId) {