diff --git a/client_ttrpc_test.go b/client_ttrpc_test.go
index 85b7aa383..41715d7f6 100644
--- a/client_ttrpc_test.go
+++ b/client_ttrpc_test.go
@@ -44,8 +44,11 @@ func TestClientTTRPC_Reconnect(t *testing.T) {
 	err = client.Reconnect()
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 
+	service, err := client.EventsService()
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+
 	// Send test request to make sure its alive after reconnect
-	_, err = client.EventsService().Forward(context.Background(), &v1.ForwardRequest{
+	_, err = service.Forward(context.Background(), &v1.ForwardRequest{
 		Envelope: &v1.Envelope{
 			Timestamp: time.Now(),
 			Namespace: namespaces.Default,
@@ -63,10 +66,13 @@ func TestClientTTRPC_Close(t *testing.T) {
 	client, err := ttrpcutil.NewClient(address + ".ttrpc")
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 
+	service, err := client.EventsService()
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+
 	err = client.Close()
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 
-	_, err = client.EventsService().Forward(context.Background(), &v1.ForwardRequest{Envelope: &v1.Envelope{}})
+	_, err = service.Forward(context.Background(), &v1.ForwardRequest{Envelope: &v1.Envelope{}})
 	assert.Equal(t, err, ttrpc.ErrClosed)
 
 	err = client.Close()
diff --git a/pkg/ttrpcutil/client.go b/pkg/ttrpcutil/client.go
index 5edb19dc3..8b4d925d2 100644
--- a/pkg/ttrpcutil/client.go
+++ b/pkg/ttrpcutil/client.go
@@ -50,14 +50,8 @@ func NewClient(address string, opts ...ttrpc.ClientOpts) (*Client, error) {
 		return client, nil
 	}
 
-	client, err := connector()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
 	return &Client{
 		connector: connector,
-		client:    client,
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -74,6 +68,12 @@ func (c *Client) Reconnect() error {
 		return errors.New("client is closed")
 	}
 
+	if c.client != nil {
+		if err := c.client.Close(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	client, err := c.connector()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -84,16 +84,26 @@ func (c *Client) Reconnect() error {
 }
 
 // EventsService creates an EventsService client
-func (c *Client) EventsService() v1.EventsService {
-	return v1.NewEventsClient(c.Client())
+func (c *Client) EventsService() (v1.EventsService, error) {
+	client, err := c.Client()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return v1.NewEventsClient(client), nil
 }
 
 // Client returns the underlying TTRPC client object
-func (c *Client) Client() *ttrpc.Client {
+func (c *Client) Client() (*ttrpc.Client, error) {
 	c.mu.Lock()
 	defer c.mu.Unlock()
-
-	return c.client
+	if c.client == nil {
+		client, err := c.connector()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		c.client = client
+	}
+	return c.client, nil
 }
 
 // Close closes the clients TTRPC connection to containerd
@@ -102,5 +112,8 @@ func (c *Client) Close() error {
 	defer c.mu.Unlock()
 
 	c.closed = true
-	return c.client.Close()
+	if c.client != nil {
+		return c.client.Close()
+	}
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/runtime/v2/shim/publisher.go b/runtime/v2/shim/publisher.go
index 3dbd0e045..c5c4ecc15 100644
--- a/runtime/v2/shim/publisher.go
+++ b/runtime/v2/shim/publisher.go
@@ -128,9 +128,12 @@ func (l *RemoteEventsPublisher) Publish(ctx context.Context, topic string, event
 }
 
 func (l *RemoteEventsPublisher) forwardRequest(ctx context.Context, req *v1.ForwardRequest) error {
-	_, err := l.client.EventsService().Forward(ctx, req)
+	service, err := l.client.EventsService()
 	if err == nil {
-		return nil
+		_, err = service.Forward(ctx, req)
+		if err == nil {
+			return nil
+		}
 	}
 
 	if err != ttrpc.ErrClosed {
@@ -138,11 +141,15 @@ func (l *RemoteEventsPublisher) forwardRequest(ctx context.Context, req *v1.Forw
 	}
 
 	// Reconnect and retry request
-	if err := l.client.Reconnect(); err != nil {
+	if err = l.client.Reconnect(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if _, err := l.client.EventsService().Forward(ctx, req); err != nil {
+	service, err = l.client.EventsService()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if _, err = service.Forward(ctx, req); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}