diff --git a/server/service/campaigns.go b/server/service/campaigns.go
index efa82fbf8902..cba57bd04eaf 100644
--- a/server/service/campaigns.go
+++ b/server/service/campaigns.go
@@ -156,17 +156,17 @@ func (svc *Service) NewDistributedQueryCampaign(ctx context.Context, queryString
 		}
 	}
 
-	err = svc.liveQueryStore.RunQuery(strconv.Itoa(int(campaign.ID)), queryString, hostIDs)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, ctxerr.Wrap(ctx, err, "run query")
-	}
-
 	// Metrics are used for total hosts targeted for the activity feed.
 	campaign.Metrics, err = svc.ds.CountHostsInTargets(ctx, filter, targets, time.Now())
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, ctxerr.Wrap(ctx, err, "counting hosts")
 	}
 
+	err = svc.liveQueryStore.RunQuery(strconv.Itoa(int(campaign.ID)), queryString, hostIDs)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, ctxerr.Wrap(ctx, err, "run query")
+	}
+
 	return campaign, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/server/service/live_queries.go b/server/service/live_queries.go
index 7bbe6a79b18a..11c46457b56e 100644
--- a/server/service/live_queries.go
+++ b/server/service/live_queries.go
@@ -263,27 +263,30 @@ func (svc *Service) RunLiveQueryDeadline(
 				queryIDPtr = nil
 				queryString = query
 			}
+
 			campaign, err := svc.NewDistributedQueryCampaign(ctx, queryString, queryIDPtr, fleet.HostTargets{HostIDs: hostIDs})
 			if err != nil {
+				level.Error(svc.logger).Log(
+					"msg", "new distributed query campaign",
+					"queryString", queryString,
+					"queryID", queryID,
+					"err", err,
+				)
 				resultsCh <- fleet.QueryCampaignResult{QueryID: queryID, Error: ptr.String(err.Error()), Err: err}
 				return
 			}
 			queryID = campaign.QueryID
 
-			readChan, cancelFunc, err := svc.GetCampaignReader(ctx, campaign)
-			if err != nil {
-				resultsCh <- fleet.QueryCampaignResult{QueryID: queryID, Error: ptr.String(err.Error()), Err: err}
-				return
-			}
-			defer cancelFunc()
-
+			// We do not want to use the outer `ctx` directly because we want to cleanup the campaign
+			// even if the outer `ctx` is canceled (e.g. a client terminating the connection).
+			// Also, we make sure stats and activity DB operations don't get killed after we return results.
+			ctxWithoutCancel := context.WithoutCancel(ctx)
 			defer func() {
-				// We do not want to use the outer `ctx` directly because we want to cleanup the campaign
-				// even if the outer `ctx` is canceled (e.g. a client terminating the connection).
-				ctx := context.WithoutCancel(ctx)
-				err := svc.CompleteCampaign(ctx, campaign)
+				err := svc.CompleteCampaign(ctxWithoutCancel, campaign)
 				if err != nil {
-					level.Error(svc.logger).Log("msg", "completing campaign (sync)", "query.id", campaign.QueryID, "err", err)
+					level.Error(svc.logger).Log(
+						"msg", "completing campaign (sync)", "query.id", campaign.QueryID, "campaign.id", campaign.ID, "err", err,
+					)
 					resultsCh <- fleet.QueryCampaignResult{
 						QueryID: queryID,
 						Error:   ptr.String(err.Error()),
@@ -292,6 +295,16 @@ func (svc *Service) RunLiveQueryDeadline(
 				}
 			}()
 
+			readChan, cancelFunc, err := svc.GetCampaignReader(ctx, campaign)
+			if err != nil {
+				level.Error(svc.logger).Log(
+					"msg", "get campaign reader", "query.id", campaign.QueryID, "campaign.id", campaign.ID, "err", err,
+				)
+				resultsCh <- fleet.QueryCampaignResult{QueryID: queryID, Error: ptr.String(err.Error()), Err: err}
+				return
+			}
+			defer cancelFunc()
+
 			var results []fleet.QueryResult
 			timeout := time.After(deadline)
 
@@ -305,8 +318,6 @@ func (svc *Service) RunLiveQueryDeadline(
 				level.Error(svc.logger).Log("msg", "error checking saved query", "query.id", campaign.QueryID, "err", err)
 				perfStatsTracker.saveStats = false
 			}
-			// to make sure stats and activity DB operations don't get killed after we return results.
-			ctxWithoutCancel := context.WithoutCancel(ctx)
 			totalHosts := campaign.Metrics.TotalHosts
 			// We update aggregated stats and activity at the end asynchronously.
 			defer func() {