diff --git a/rivetkit-typescript/packages/effect/src/internal/ActionDispatcher.test.ts b/rivetkit-typescript/packages/effect/src/internal/ActionDispatcher.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f2b1c4573a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rivetkit-typescript/packages/effect/src/internal/ActionDispatcher.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import { assert, describe, it } from "@effect/vitest";
+import { Action, Actor } from "@rivetkit/effect";
+import * as Rivetkit from "rivetkit";
+import * as ActionDispatcher from "./ActionDispatcher.ts";
+
+const Ping = Action.make("Ping");
+
+const dispatchWithoutInstance = (abortSignal: AbortSignal) => {
+	const handlers = ActionDispatcher.make({
+		actor: Actor.make("Probe", { actions: [Ping] }),
+		getInstance: () => undefined,
+	});
+	const c = {
+		actorId: "probe",
+		abortSignal,
+	} as Rivetkit.ActionContextOf<Rivetkit.AnyActorDefinition>;
+	return handlers.Ping(c, undefined);
+};
+
+const assertActorAborted = async (dispatch: Promise<unknown>) => {
+	const error = await dispatch.then(
+		() => assert.fail("expected the action to be rejected"),
+		(error: unknown) => error,
+	);
+	assert.instanceOf(error, Rivetkit.RivetError);
+	assert.strictEqual(error.group, "actor");
+	assert.strictEqual(error.code, "aborted");
+};
+
+describe("internal/ActionDispatcher", () => {
+	it("rejects an action that reaches a torn-down instance before its signal aborts", async () => {
+		await assertActorAborted(
+			dispatchWithoutInstance(new AbortController().signal),
+		);
+	});
+
+	it("rejects an action that reaches a torn-down instance after its signal aborts", async () => {
+		await assertActorAborted(dispatchWithoutInstance(AbortSignal.abort()));
+	});
+});
diff --git a/rivetkit-typescript/packages/effect/src/internal/ActionDispatcher.ts b/rivetkit-typescript/packages/effect/src/internal/ActionDispatcher.ts
index eae860841c..db7ae811e6 100644
--- a/rivetkit-typescript/packages/effect/src/internal/ActionDispatcher.ts
+++ b/rivetkit-typescript/packages/effect/src/internal/ActionDispatcher.ts
@@ -66,10 +66,7 @@ export const make = <
 				const traceMeta = readTraceMeta(meta);
 
 				const instance = getInstance(c.actorId);
-				if (!instance) {
-					if (c.abortSignal.aborted) throw makeActorAbortedError();
-					throw new Error("actor instance missing");
-				}
+				if (!instance) throw makeActorAbortedError();
 
 				const actionEffect = Effect.gen(function* () {
 					// The handler map is keyed by the same action