diff --git a/internal/session/query.go b/internal/session/query.go
index da18eef887..4aad9c2d4f 100644
--- a/internal/session/query.go
+++ b/internal/session/query.go
@@ -329,38 +329,17 @@ where
 		and closed_reason is null
 	returning public_id;
 `
-	orphanedConnectionsCte = `
--- Find connections that are not closed so we can reference those IDs
-with
-  unclosed_connections as (
-    select public_id
-      from session_connection
-    where
-      -- It's not closed
-      upper(connected_time_range) > now() or
-      connected_time_range is null
-      -- It's not in limbo between when it moved into this state and when
-      -- it started being reported by the worker, which is roughly every
-      -- 2-3 seconds
-      and update_time < wt_sub_seconds_from_now(@worker_state_delay_seconds)
-  ),
-  connections_to_close as (
-	select public_id
-	  from session_connection
-	 where
-		   -- Related to the worker that just reported to us
-		   worker_id = @worker_id
-		   -- Only unclosed ones
-		   and public_id in (select public_id from unclosed_connections)
-		   -- These are connection IDs that just got reported to us by the given
-		   -- worker, so they should not be considered closed.
-		   %s
-  )
+	closeOrphanedConnections = `
 update session_connection
-   set
-	  closed_reason = 'system error'
- where
-	public_id in (select public_id from connections_to_close)
+   set closed_reason = 'system error'
+ where worker_id = @worker_id
+   and update_time < wt_sub_seconds_from_now(@worker_state_delay_seconds)
+   and (
+        connected_time_range is null
+        or
+        upper(connected_time_range) > now() 
+       )
+   %s
 returning public_id;
 `
 	deleteTerminated = `
diff --git a/internal/session/repository_connection.go b/internal/session/repository_connection.go
index 9c6f830e6b..339e36dde0 100644
--- a/internal/session/repository_connection.go
+++ b/internal/session/repository_connection.go
@@ -399,12 +399,13 @@ func (r *ConnectionRepository) closeOrphanedConnections(ctx context.Context, wor
 		notInClause = fmt.Sprintf(notInClause, strings.Join(params, ","))
 	}
 
+	query := fmt.Sprintf(closeOrphanedConnections, notInClause)
 	_, err := r.writer.DoTx(
 		ctx,
 		db.StdRetryCnt,
 		db.ExpBackoff{},
 		func(_ db.Reader, w db.Writer) error {
-			rows, err := w.Query(ctx, fmt.Sprintf(orphanedConnectionsCte, notInClause), args)
+			rows, err := w.Query(ctx, query, args)
 			if err != nil {
 				return errors.Wrap(ctx, err, op)
 			}