diff --git a/src/hydra-queue-runner/builder.cc b/src/hydra-queue-runner/builder.cc
index f89aee72..a230d25a 100644
--- a/src/hydra-queue-runner/builder.cc
+++ b/src/hydra-queue-runner/builder.cc
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include "state.hh"
 #include "build-result.hh"
+#include "finally.hh"
 
 using namespace nix;
 
@@ -100,6 +101,14 @@ State::StepResult State::doBuildStep(nix::ref<Store> destStore, Step::ptr step,
     RemoteResult result;
     BuildOutput res;
     int stepNr = 0;
+    bool stepFinished = false;
+
+    Finally clearStep([&]() {
+        if (stepNr && !stepFinished) {
+            auto orphanedSteps_(orphanedSteps.lock());
+            orphanedSteps_->emplace(build->id, stepNr);
+        }
+    });
 
     time_t stepStartTime = result.startTime = time(0);
 
@@ -170,10 +179,13 @@ State::StepResult State::doBuildStep(nix::ref<Store> destStore, Step::ptr step,
         }
         if (retry) {
             auto mc = startDbUpdate();
+            {
             pqxx::work txn(*conn);
             finishBuildStep(txn, result.startTime, result.stopTime, result.overhead, build->id,
                 stepNr, machine->sshName, result.stepStatus, result.errorMsg);
             txn.commit();
+            }
+            stepFinished = true;
             if (quit) exit(1);
             return sRetry;
         }
@@ -234,6 +246,8 @@ State::StepResult State::doBuildStep(nix::ref<Store> destStore, Step::ptr step,
                 txn.commit();
             }
 
+            stepFinished = true;
+
             if (direct.empty()) break;
 
             /* Remove the direct dependencies from ‘builds’. This will
@@ -357,6 +371,8 @@ State::StepResult State::doBuildStep(nix::ref<Store> destStore, Step::ptr step,
                 txn.commit();
             }
 
+            stepFinished = true;
+
             /* Remove the indirect dependencies from ‘builds’. This
                will cause them to be destroyed. */
             for (auto & b : indirect) {
diff --git a/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc b/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc
index a87c10eb..a79b0942 100644
--- a/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc
+++ b/src/hydra-queue-runner/hydra-queue-runner.cc
@@ -825,6 +825,39 @@ void State::run(BuildID buildOne)
     /* Idem for notification sending. */
     std::thread(&State::notificationSender, this).detach();
 
+    /* Periodically clean up orphaned busy steps in the database. */
+    std::thread([&]() {
+        while (true) {
+            sleep(180);
+
+            std::set<std::pair<BuildID, int>> steps;
+            {
+                auto orphanedSteps_(orphanedSteps.lock());
+                if (orphanedSteps_->empty()) continue;
+                steps = *orphanedSteps_;
+                orphanedSteps_->clear();
+            }
+
+            try {
+                auto conn(dbPool.get());
+                pqxx::work txn(*conn);
+                for (auto & step : steps) {
+                    printMsg(lvlError, format("cleaning orphaned step %d of build %d") % step.second % step.first);
+                    txn.parameterized
+                        ("update BuildSteps set busy = 0, status = $1 where build = $2 and stepnr = $3 and busy = 1")
+                        ((int) bsAborted)
+                        (step.first)
+                        (step.second).exec();
+                }
+                txn.commit();
+            } catch (std::exception & e) {
+                printMsg(lvlError, format("cleanup thread: %1%") % e.what());
+                auto orphanedSteps_(orphanedSteps.lock());
+                orphanedSteps_->insert(steps.begin(), steps.end());
+            }
+        }
+    }).detach();
+
     /* Monitor the database for status dump requests (e.g. from
        ‘hydra-queue-runner --status’). */
     while (true) {
diff --git a/src/hydra-queue-runner/state.hh b/src/hydra-queue-runner/state.hh
index 061d5657..3f46f5bd 100644
--- a/src/hydra-queue-runner/state.hh
+++ b/src/hydra-queue-runner/state.hh
@@ -362,6 +362,11 @@ private:
     time_t lastStatusLogged = 0;
     const int statusLogInterval = 300;
 
+    /* Steps that were busy while we encounted a PostgreSQL
+       error. These need to be cleared at a later time to prevent them
+       from showing up as busy until the queue runner is restarted. */
+    nix::Sync<std::set<std::pair<BuildID, int>>> orphanedSteps;
+
 public:
     State();