diff --git a/deltachat-rpc-client/examples/echobot.py b/deltachat-rpc-client/examples/echobot.py
index d5b95f3a2..18ec47d8a 100755
--- a/deltachat-rpc-client/examples/echobot.py
+++ b/deltachat-rpc-client/examples/echobot.py
@@ -7,46 +7,46 @@ import deltachat_rpc_client as dc
 
 
 async def main():
-    rpc = await dc.start_rpc_server()
-    deltachat = dc.Deltachat(rpc)
-    system_info = await deltachat.get_system_info()
-    logging.info("Running deltachat core %s", system_info["deltachat_core_version"])
+    async with dc.start_rpc_server() as rpc:
+        deltachat = dc.Deltachat(rpc)
+        system_info = await deltachat.get_system_info()
+        logging.info("Running deltachat core %s", system_info["deltachat_core_version"])
 
-    accounts = await deltachat.get_all_accounts()
-    account = accounts[0] if accounts else await deltachat.add_account()
+        accounts = await deltachat.get_all_accounts()
+        account = accounts[0] if accounts else await deltachat.add_account()
 
-    await account.set_config("bot", "1")
-    if not await account.is_configured():
-        logging.info("Account is not configured, configuring")
-        await account.set_config("addr", sys.argv[1])
-        await account.set_config("mail_pw", sys.argv[2])
-        await account.configure()
-        logging.info("Configured")
-    else:
-        logging.info("Account is already configured")
-        await deltachat.start_io()
+        await account.set_config("bot", "1")
+        if not await account.is_configured():
+            logging.info("Account is not configured, configuring")
+            await account.set_config("addr", sys.argv[1])
+            await account.set_config("mail_pw", sys.argv[2])
+            await account.configure()
+            logging.info("Configured")
+        else:
+            logging.info("Account is already configured")
+            await deltachat.start_io()
 
-    async def process_messages():
-        for message in await account.get_fresh_messages_in_arrival_order():
-            snapshot = await message.get_snapshot()
-            if not snapshot.is_info:
-                await snapshot.chat.send_text(snapshot.text)
-            await snapshot.message.mark_seen()
+        async def process_messages():
+            for message in await account.get_fresh_messages_in_arrival_order():
+                snapshot = await message.get_snapshot()
+                if not snapshot.is_info:
+                    await snapshot.chat.send_text(snapshot.text)
+                await snapshot.message.mark_seen()
 
-    # Process old messages.
-    await process_messages()
+        # Process old messages.
+        await process_messages()
 
-    while True:
-        event = await account.wait_for_event()
-        if event["type"] == "Info":
-            logging.info("%s", event["msg"])
-        elif event["type"] == "Warning":
-            logging.warning("%s", event["msg"])
-        elif event["type"] == "Error":
-            logging.error("%s", event["msg"])
-        elif event["type"] == "IncomingMsg":
-            logging.info("Got an incoming message")
-            await process_messages()
+        while True:
+            event = await account.wait_for_event()
+            if event["type"] == "Info":
+                logging.info("%s", event["msg"])
+            elif event["type"] == "Warning":
+                logging.warning("%s", event["msg"])
+            elif event["type"] == "Error":
+                logging.error("%s", event["msg"])
+            elif event["type"] == "IncomingMsg":
+                logging.info("Got an incoming message")
+                await process_messages()
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/pytestplugin.py b/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/pytestplugin.py
index bddccb0de..b8929ed29 100644
--- a/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/pytestplugin.py
+++ b/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/pytestplugin.py
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
+import asyncio
 import json
 import os
-from typing import List
+from typing import AsyncGenerator, List
 
 import aiohttp
 import pytest_asyncio
 
 from .account import Account
 from .deltachat import Deltachat
-from .rpc import Rpc, start_rpc_server
+from .rpc import start_rpc_server
 
 
 async def get_temp_credentials() -> dict:
@@ -39,12 +40,13 @@ class ACFactory:
 
 
 @pytest_asyncio.fixture
-async def rpc(tmp_path) -> Rpc:
-    return await start_rpc_server(
-        env={**os.environ, "DC_ACCOUNTS_PATH": str(tmp_path / "accounts")}
-    )
+async def rpc(tmp_path) -> AsyncGenerator:
+    env = {**os.environ, "DC_ACCOUNTS_PATH": str(tmp_path / "accounts")}
+    async with start_rpc_server(env=env) as rpc:
+        yield rpc
+    await asyncio.sleep(0.1)  # avoid RuntimeError: Event loop is closed
 
 
 @pytest_asyncio.fixture
-async def acfactory(rpc) -> ACFactory:
-    return ACFactory(Deltachat(rpc))
+async def acfactory(rpc) -> AsyncGenerator:
+    yield ACFactory(Deltachat(rpc))
diff --git a/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/rpc.py b/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/rpc.py
index 4be830ff5..b0cc36528 100644
--- a/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/rpc.py
+++ b/deltachat-rpc-client/src/deltachat_rpc_client/rpc.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import asyncio
 import json
-from typing import Any, Dict, Optional
+from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
+from typing import Any, AsyncGenerator, Dict, Optional
 
 
 class JsonRpcError(Exception):
@@ -20,6 +21,8 @@ class Rpc:
     async def reader_loop(self) -> None:
         while True:
             line = await self.process.stdout.readline()
+            if not line:  # EOF
+                break
             response = json.loads(line)
             if "id" in response:
                 fut = self.request_events.pop(response["id"])
@@ -67,7 +70,8 @@ class Rpc:
         return method
 
 
-async def start_rpc_server(*args, **kwargs) -> Rpc:
+@asynccontextmanager
+async def start_rpc_server(*args, **kwargs) -> AsyncGenerator:
     """The given arguments will be passed to asyncio.create_subprocess_exec()"""
     proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
         "deltachat-rpc-server",
@@ -77,4 +81,7 @@ async def start_rpc_server(*args, **kwargs) -> Rpc:
         **kwargs
     )
     rpc = Rpc(proc)
-    return rpc
+    try:
+        yield rpc
+    finally:
+        proc.terminate()