diff --git a/subxt/src/backend/chain_head/follow_stream_driver.rs b/subxt/src/backend/chain_head/follow_stream_driver.rs
index 702ac5cdb0..8490c11799 100644
--- a/subxt/src/backend/chain_head/follow_stream_driver.rs
+++ b/subxt/src/backend/chain_head/follow_stream_driver.rs
@@ -196,6 +196,13 @@ impl<Hash: BlockHash> Shared<Hash> {
     pub fn done(&self) {
         let mut shared = self.0.lock().unwrap();
         shared.done = true;
+
+        // Wake up all subscribers so they get notified that the backend was closed
+        for details in shared.subscribers.values_mut() {
+            if let Some(waker) = details.waker.take() {
+                waker.wake();
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /// Cleanup a subscription.
diff --git a/subxt/src/backend/chain_head/mod.rs b/subxt/src/backend/chain_head/mod.rs
index 9c70df5bff..aacdb452f6 100644
--- a/subxt/src/backend/chain_head/mod.rs
+++ b/subxt/src/backend/chain_head/mod.rs
@@ -128,16 +128,16 @@ impl<T: Config> ChainHeadBackendBuilder<T> {
         }
 
         let (backend, mut driver) = self.build(client);
-
         spawn(async move {
+            // NOTE: we need to poll the driver until it's done i.e returns None
+            // to ensure that the backend is shutdown properly.
             while let Some(res) = driver.next().await {
-                if let Err(e) = res {
-                    if !e.is_disconnected_will_reconnect() {
-                        tracing::debug!(target: "subxt", "chainHead driver was closed: {e}");
-                        break;
-                    }
+                if let Err(err) = res {
+                    tracing::debug!(target: "subxt", "chainHead backend error={err}");
                 }
             }
+
+            tracing::debug!(target: "subxt", "chainHead backend was closed");
         });
 
         backend
diff --git a/subxt/src/backend/chain_head/rpc_methods.rs b/subxt/src/backend/chain_head/rpc_methods.rs
index 900efa361c..dff0a86503 100644
--- a/subxt/src/backend/chain_head/rpc_methods.rs
+++ b/subxt/src/backend/chain_head/rpc_methods.rs
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ impl<T: Config> ChainHeadRpcMethods<T> {
 /// The following events are related to operations:
 /// - OperationBodyDone: The response of the `chainHead_body`
 /// - OperationCallDone: The response of the `chainHead_call`
-/// - OperationStorageItems: Items produced by the `chianHead_storage`
+/// - OperationStorageItems: Items produced by the `chainHead_storage`
 /// - OperationWaitingForContinue: Generated after OperationStorageItems and requires the user to
 ///   call `chainHead_continue`
 /// - OperationStorageDone: The `chainHead_storage` method has produced all the results
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ impl<Hash: BlockHash> Stream for FollowSubscription<Hash> {
 
         if let Poll::Ready(Some(Ok(FollowEvent::Stop))) = &res {
             // No more events will occur after this one.
-            self.done = true
+            self.done = true;
         }
 
         res
diff --git a/subxt/src/backend/mod.rs b/subxt/src/backend/mod.rs
index eeb66eb85d..9fe15d0347 100644
--- a/subxt/src/backend/mod.rs
+++ b/subxt/src/backend/mod.rs
@@ -893,15 +893,7 @@ mod test {
         }
 
         fn build_backend_spawn_background(rpc_client: impl RpcClientT) -> ChainHeadBackend<Conf> {
-            let (backend, mut driver) = build_backend(rpc_client);
-            tokio::spawn(async move {
-                while let Some(val) = driver.next().await {
-                    if let Err(e) = val {
-                        eprintln!("Error driving unstable backend: {e}; terminating client");
-                    }
-                }
-            });
-            backend
+            ChainHeadBackend::builder().build_with_background_driver(rpc_client)
         }
 
         fn runtime_spec() -> RuntimeSpec {