diff --git a/capnp-rpc/src/rpc.rs b/capnp-rpc/src/rpc.rs
index 85637309d..86d39af67 100644
--- a/capnp-rpc/src/rpc.rs
+++ b/capnp-rpc/src/rpc.rs
@@ -154,6 +154,9 @@ where
 
     /// The local QuestionRef, set to None when it is destroyed.
     self_ref: Option<Weak<RefCell<QuestionRef<VatId>>>>,
+
+    /// If true, don't send a Finish message.
+    skip_finish: bool,
 }
 
 impl<VatId> Question<VatId> {
@@ -163,6 +166,7 @@ impl<VatId> Question<VatId> {
             param_exports: Vec::new(),
             is_tail_call: false,
             self_ref: None,
+            skip_finish: false,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -210,20 +214,22 @@ impl<VatId> Drop for QuestionRef<VatId> {
             unreachable!()
         };
         if let Ok(ref mut c) = *self.connection_state.connection.borrow_mut() {
-            let mut message = c.new_outgoing_message(5);
-            {
-                let root: message::Builder = message.get_body().unwrap().init_as();
-                let mut builder = root.init_finish();
-                builder.set_question_id(self.id);
-
-                // If we're still awaiting a return, then this request is being
-                // canceled, and we're going to ignore any capabilities in the return
-                // message, so set releaseResultCaps true. If we already received the
-                // return, then we've already built local proxies for the caps and will
-                // send Release messages when those are destroyed.
-                builder.set_release_result_caps(q.is_awaiting_return);
+            if !q.skip_finish {
+                let mut message = c.new_outgoing_message(5);
+                {
+                    let root: message::Builder = message.get_body().unwrap().init_as();
+                    let mut builder = root.init_finish();
+                    builder.set_question_id(self.id);
+
+                    // If we're still awaiting a return, then this request is being
+                    // canceled, and we're going to ignore any capabilities in the return
+                    // message, so set releaseResultCaps true. If we already received the
+                    // return, then we've already built local proxies for the caps and will
+                    // send Release messages when those are destroyed.
+                    builder.set_release_result_caps(q.is_awaiting_return);
+                }
+                let _ = message.send();
             }
-            let _ = message.send();
         }
 
         if q.is_awaiting_return {
@@ -774,9 +780,10 @@ impl<VatId> ConnectionState<VatId> {
         let answers_slots = &mut connection_state.answers.borrow_mut().slots;
         match answers_slots.entry(answer_id) {
             hash_map::Entry::Vacant(_) => {
-                return Err(Error::failed(format!(
-                    "Invalid question ID {answer_id} in Finish message."
-                )));
+                // The `Finish` message targets a question ID that isn't present in our answer table.
+                // Probably, we sent a `Return` with `noFinishNeeded = true`, but the other side didn't
+                // recognize this hint and sent a `Finish` anyway, or the `Finish` was already in-flight at
+                // the time we sent the `Return`. We can silently ignore this.
             }
             hash_map::Entry::Occupied(mut entry) => {
                 let answer = entry.get_mut();
@@ -1008,6 +1015,9 @@ impl<VatId> ConnectionState<VatId> {
                 match questions.slots[question_id as usize] {
                     Some(ref mut question) => {
                         question.is_awaiting_return = false;
+                        if ret.get_no_finish_needed() {
+                            question.skip_finish = true;
+                        }
                         match question.self_ref {
                             Some(ref question_ref) => match ret.which()? {
                                 return_::Results(results) => {
@@ -1215,23 +1225,23 @@ impl<VatId> ConnectionState<VatId> {
                 let promised_answer = promised_answer?;
                 let question_id = promised_answer.get_question_id();
 
-                match self.answers.borrow().slots.get(&question_id) {
-                    None => Err(Error::failed(
-                        "PromisedAnswer.questionId is not a current question.".to_string(),
-                    )),
+                let pipeline = match self.answers.borrow().slots.get(&question_id) {
+                    None => Box::new(broken::Pipeline::new(Error::failed(
+                        "Pipeline call on a request that returned no capabilities or was already closed.".to_string(),
+                    ))) as Box<dyn PipelineHook>,
                     Some(base) => {
-                        let pipeline = match base.pipeline {
+                        match base.pipeline {
                             Some(ref pipeline) => pipeline.add_ref(),
                             None => Box::new(broken::Pipeline::new(Error::failed(
                                 "Pipeline call on a request that returned not capabilities or was \
                                  already closed."
                                     .to_string(),
                             ))) as Box<dyn PipelineHook>,
-                        };
-                        let ops = to_pipeline_ops(promised_answer.get_transform()?)?;
-                        Ok(pipeline.get_pipelined_cap(&ops))
+                        }
                     }
-                }
+                };
+                let ops = to_pipeline_ops(promised_answer.get_transform()?)?;
+                Ok(pipeline.get_pipelined_cap(&ops))
             }
         }
     }
@@ -2356,11 +2366,15 @@ impl ResultsDone {
                             (false, Ok(())) => {
                                 let exports = {
                                     let root: message::Builder = message.get_body()?.get_as()?;
-                                    let message::Return(ret) = root.which()? else {
+                                    let message::Return(Ok(mut ret)) = root.which()? else {
                                         unreachable!()
                                     };
+                                    if cap_table.is_empty() {
+                                        ret.set_no_finish_needed(true);
+                                        finish_received.set(true);
+                                    }
                                     let crate::rpc_capnp::return_::Results(Ok(payload)) =
-                                        ret?.which()?
+                                        ret.which()?
                                     else {
                                         unreachable!()
                                     };
diff --git a/capnp-rpc/test/test.rs b/capnp-rpc/test/test.rs
index f6990ccab..e4e4376b9 100644
--- a/capnp-rpc/test/test.rs
+++ b/capnp-rpc/test/test.rs
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ fn pipelining_return_null() {
         let cap = request.send().pipeline.get_cap();
         match cap.foo_request().send().promise.await {
             Err(ref e) => {
-                if e.extra.contains("Message contains null capability pointer") {
+                if e.extra.contains("Pipeline call on a request that returned no capabilities") {
                     Ok(())
                 } else {
                     Err(Error::failed(format!(