diff --git a/pkg/chipingress/batch/client.go b/pkg/chipingress/batch/client.go
index 691bb9117..db9f09e29 100644
--- a/pkg/chipingress/batch/client.go
+++ b/pkg/chipingress/batch/client.go
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ type Client struct {
 	shutdownTimeout    time.Duration
 	shutdownOnce       sync.Once
 	batcherDone        chan struct{}
-	cancelBatcher      context.CancelFunc
+	started            bool
 	counters           sync.Map // map[seqnumKey]*atomic.Uint64 for per-(source,type) seqnum, cleared on Stop()
 
 	metrics batchClientMetrics
@@ -97,21 +97,23 @@ func NewBatchClient(client chipingress.Client, opts ...Opt) (*Client, error) {
 	return c, nil
 }
 
-// Start begins processing messages from the queue and sending them in batches
+// Start begins processing messages from the queue and sending them in batches.
+// The context is used only for the initial metrics recording call and is NOT
+// retained after Start returns. The client manages its own internal lifecycle
+// context that is cancelled when Stop is called.
 func (b *Client) Start(ctx context.Context) {
 	b.metrics.recordConfig(ctx, b)
+	b.started = true
 
-	// Create a cancellable context for the batcher
-	batcherCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
-	b.cancelBatcher = cancel
+	// Detach from the caller's cancellation but keep its values (trace IDs, etc.).
+	// This avoids retaining a startup context whose cancellation we don't control.
+	batcherCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.WithoutCancel(ctx))
 
 	go func() {
 		defer close(b.batcherDone)
 
 		go func() {
 			select {
-			case <-ctx.Done():
-				b.Stop()
 			case <-b.stopCh:
 				cancel()
 			}
@@ -143,15 +145,11 @@ func (b *Client) Stop() {
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), b.shutdownTimeout)
 		defer cancel()
 
-		started := b.cancelBatcher != nil
-		if started {
-			b.cancelBatcher()
-		}
 		close(b.stopCh)
 
 		// Only wait for the batcher goroutine when Start() was called;
 		// otherwise batcherDone is never closed and we'd block until timeout.
-		if started {
+		if b.started {
 			done := make(chan struct{})
 			go func() {
 				<-b.batcherDone
diff --git a/pkg/chipingress/batch/client_test.go b/pkg/chipingress/batch/client_test.go
index 899cadd5c..fcf835b3c 100644
--- a/pkg/chipingress/batch/client_test.go
+++ b/pkg/chipingress/batch/client_test.go
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ func TestStart(t *testing.T) {
 		mockClient.AssertExpectations(t)
 	})
 
-	t.Run("context cancellation flushes pending batch", func(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("stop flushes pending batch before batch interval", func(t *testing.T) {
 		mockClient := mocks.NewClient(t)
 		mockClient.EXPECT().Close().Return(nil).Maybe()
 		done := make(chan struct{})
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ func TestStart(t *testing.T) {
 		mockClient.
 			On("PublishBatch",
 				mock.MatchedBy(func(ctx context.Context) bool {
-					// Regression guard: flush on cancellation must not use an already-canceled context.
+					// Regression guard: flush on stop must not use an already-canceled context.
 					return ctx != nil && ctx.Err() == nil
 				}),
 				mock.MatchedBy(func(batch *chipingress.CloudEventBatch) bool {
@@ -475,21 +475,19 @@ func TestStart(t *testing.T) {
 		client, err := NewBatchClient(mockClient, WithBatchSize(10), WithBatchInterval(5*time.Second))
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(t.Context())
-
-		client.Start(ctx)
+		client.Start(t.Context())
 
 		_ = client.QueueMessage(&chipingress.CloudEventPb{Id: "test-id-1", Source: "test-source", Type: "test.event.type"}, nil)
 		_ = client.QueueMessage(&chipingress.CloudEventPb{Id: "test-id-2", Source: "test-source", Type: "test.event.type"}, nil)
 
 		time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
 
-		cancel()
+		client.Stop()
 
 		select {
 		case <-done:
 		case <-time.After(time.Second):
-			t.Fatal("timeout waiting for flush on context cancellation")
+			t.Fatal("timeout waiting for flush on stop")
 		}
 
 		mockClient.AssertExpectations(t)
@@ -541,12 +539,11 @@ func TestStart(t *testing.T) {
 		client, err := NewBatchClient(mockClient, WithBatchSize(10), WithBatchInterval(5*time.Second))
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(t.Context())
-		client.Start(ctx)
+		client.Start(t.Context())
 
 		time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
 
-		cancel()
+		client.Stop()
 
 		time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
 
@@ -935,7 +932,7 @@ func TestCallbacks(t *testing.T) {
 		mockClient.AssertExpectations(t)
 	})
 
-	t.Run("callbacks invoked on context cancellation", func(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("callbacks invoked on stop", func(t *testing.T) {
 		mockClient := mocks.NewClient(t)
 		mockClient.EXPECT().Close().Return(nil).Maybe()
 		done := make(chan struct{})
@@ -944,7 +941,7 @@ func TestCallbacks(t *testing.T) {
 		mockClient.
 			On("PublishBatch",
 				mock.MatchedBy(func(ctx context.Context) bool {
-					// Regression guard: flush on cancellation must not use an already-canceled context.
+					// Regression guard: flush on stop must not use an already-canceled context.
 					return ctx != nil && ctx.Err() == nil
 				}),
 				mock.MatchedBy(func(batch *chipingress.CloudEventBatch) bool {
@@ -959,9 +956,7 @@ func TestCallbacks(t *testing.T) {
 		client, err := NewBatchClient(mockClient, WithBatchSize(10), WithBatchInterval(5*time.Second))
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
-		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(t.Context())
-
-		client.Start(ctx)
+		client.Start(t.Context())
 
 		_ = client.QueueMessage(&chipingress.CloudEventPb{
 			Id:     "test-id-1",
@@ -973,13 +968,13 @@ func TestCallbacks(t *testing.T) {
 
 		time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
 
-		// cancel context to trigger flush
-		cancel()
+		// stop to trigger flush
+		client.Stop()
 
 		select {
 		case <-done:
 		case <-time.After(time.Second):
-			t.Fatal("timeout waiting for flush on cancellation")
+			t.Fatal("timeout waiting for flush on stop")
 		}
 
 		select {