diff --git a/runtime/v2/runc/v2/service.go b/runtime/v2/runc/v2/service.go
index 39970b313..d3ea1e8ff 100644
--- a/runtime/v2/runc/v2/service.go
+++ b/runtime/v2/runc/v2/service.go
@@ -769,9 +769,7 @@ func (s *service) forward(ctx context.Context, publisher shim.Publisher) {
 	ns, _ := namespaces.Namespace(ctx)
 	ctx = namespaces.WithNamespace(context.Background(), ns)
 	for e := range s.events {
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 5*time.Second)
 		err := publisher.Publish(ctx, runc.GetTopic(e), e)
-		cancel()
 		if err != nil {
 			logrus.WithError(err).Error("post event")
 		}
diff --git a/runtime/v2/shim/publisher.go b/runtime/v2/shim/publisher.go
index c5c4ecc15..cf27a6bc7 100644
--- a/runtime/v2/shim/publisher.go
+++ b/runtime/v2/shim/publisher.go
@@ -130,7 +130,9 @@ func (l *RemoteEventsPublisher) Publish(ctx context.Context, topic string, event
 func (l *RemoteEventsPublisher) forwardRequest(ctx context.Context, req *v1.ForwardRequest) error {
 	service, err := l.client.EventsService()
 	if err == nil {
-		_, err = service.Forward(ctx, req)
+		fCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 5*time.Second)
+		_, err = service.Forward(fCtx, req)
+		cancel()
 		if err == nil {
 			return nil
 		}
@@ -149,7 +151,12 @@ func (l *RemoteEventsPublisher) forwardRequest(ctx context.Context, req *v1.Forw
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if _, err = service.Forward(ctx, req); err != nil {
+
+	// try again with a fresh context, otherwise we may get a context timeout unexpectedly.
+	fCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 5*time.Second)
+	_, err = service.Forward(fCtx, req)
+	cancel()
+	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}