diff --git a/linera-core/src/worker.rs b/linera-core/src/worker.rs
index c9fadf0ff6c..6af11195436 100644
--- a/linera-core/src/worker.rs
+++ b/linera-core/src/worker.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ use linera_base::{
     doc_scalar,
     hashed::Hashed,
     identifiers::{AccountOwner, ApplicationId, BlobId, ChainId, EventId, StreamId},
-    time::timer::{sleep, timeout},
 };
 #[cfg(with_testing)]
 use linera_chain::ChainExecutionContext;
@@ -231,8 +230,6 @@ pub enum WorkerError {
     },
     #[error("The block proposal is invalid: {0}")]
     InvalidBlockProposal(String),
-    #[error("The worker is too busy to handle new chains")]
-    FullChainWorkerCache,
     #[error("Failed to join spawned worker task")]
     JoinError,
     #[error("Blob was not required by any pending block")]
@@ -241,6 +238,16 @@ pub enum WorkerError {
     TooManyPublishedBlobs(u64),
     #[error("Missing network description")]
     MissingNetworkDescription,
+    #[error("ChainWorkerActor for chain {chain_id} stopped executing unexpectedly: {error}")]
+    ChainActorSendError {
+        chain_id: ChainId,
+        error: Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>,
+    },
+    #[error("ChainWorkerActor for chain {chain_id} stopped executing without responding: {error}")]
+    ChainActorRecvError {
+        chain_id: ChainId,
+        error: Box<dyn std::error::Error + Send + Sync>,
+    },
 }
 
 impl From<ChainError> for WorkerError {
@@ -749,11 +756,11 @@ where
         .await
     }
 
+    /// Sends a request to the [`ChainWorker`] for a [`ChainId`] and waits for the `Response`.
     #[instrument(level = "trace", target = "telemetry_only", skip(self, request_builder), fields(
         nickname = %self.nickname,
         chain_id = %chain_id
     ))]
-    /// Sends a request to the [`ChainWorker`] for a [`ChainId`] and waits for the `Response`.
     async fn query_chain_worker<Response>(
         &self,
         chain_id: ChainId,
@@ -761,39 +768,14 @@ where
             oneshot::Sender<Result<Response, WorkerError>>,
         ) -> ChainWorkerRequest<StorageClient::Context>,
     ) -> Result<Response, WorkerError> {
-        let chain_actor = self.get_chain_worker_endpoint(chain_id).await?;
+        // Build the request.
         let (callback, response) = oneshot::channel();
+        let request = request_builder(callback);
 
-        chain_actor
-            .send((request_builder(callback), tracing::Span::current()))
-            .expect("`ChainWorkerActor` stopped executing unexpectedly");
-
-        response
-            .await
-            .expect("`ChainWorkerActor` stopped executing without responding")
-    }
-
-    /// Retrieves an endpoint to a [`ChainWorkerActor`] from the cache, creating one and adding it
-    /// to the cache if needed.
-    #[instrument(level = "trace", target = "telemetry_only", skip(self), fields(
-        nickname = %self.nickname,
-        chain_id = %chain_id
-    ))]
-    async fn get_chain_worker_endpoint(
-        &self,
-        chain_id: ChainId,
-    ) -> Result<ChainActorEndpoint<StorageClient>, WorkerError> {
-        let (sender, new_receiver) = timeout(Duration::from_secs(3), async move {
-            loop {
-                match self.try_get_chain_worker_endpoint(chain_id) {
-                    Some(endpoint) => break endpoint,
-                    None => sleep(Duration::from_millis(250)).await,
-                }
-            }
-        })
-        .await
-        .map_err(|_| WorkerError::FullChainWorkerCache)?;
+        // Call the endpoint, possibly a new one.
+        let new_receiver = self.call_and_maybe_create_chain_worker_endpoint(chain_id, request)?;
 
+        // We just created an endpoint: spawn the actor.
         if let Some(receiver) = new_receiver {
             let delivery_notifier = self
                 .delivery_notifiers
@@ -826,36 +808,56 @@ where
                 .spawn_task(actor_task);
         }
 
-        Ok(sender)
+        // Finally, wait a response.
+        match response.await {
+            Err(e) => {
+                // The actor endpoint was dropped. Better luck next time!
+                Err(WorkerError::ChainActorRecvError {
+                    chain_id,
+                    error: Box::new(e),
+                })
+            }
+            Ok(response) => response,
+        }
     }
 
-    /// Retrieves an endpoint to a [`ChainWorkerActor`] from the cache, attempting to create one
-    /// and add it to the cache if needed.
-    ///
-    /// Returns [`None`] if the cache is full and no candidate for eviction was found.
+    /// Find an endpoint and call it. Create the endpoint if necessary.
     #[instrument(level = "trace", target = "telemetry_only", skip(self), fields(
         nickname = %self.nickname,
         chain_id = %chain_id
     ))]
     #[expect(clippy::type_complexity)]
-    fn try_get_chain_worker_endpoint(
+    fn call_and_maybe_create_chain_worker_endpoint(
         &self,
         chain_id: ChainId,
-    ) -> Option<(
-        ChainActorEndpoint<StorageClient>,
+        request: ChainWorkerRequest<StorageClient::Context>,
+    ) -> Result<
         Option<
             mpsc::UnboundedReceiver<(ChainWorkerRequest<StorageClient::Context>, tracing::Span)>,
         >,
-    )> {
+        WorkerError,
+    > {
         let mut chain_workers = self.chain_workers.lock().unwrap();
 
-        if let Some(endpoint) = chain_workers.get(&chain_id) {
-            Some((endpoint.clone(), None))
+        let (sender, new_receiver) = if let Some(endpoint) = chain_workers.remove(&chain_id) {
+            (endpoint, None)
         } else {
             let (sender, receiver) = mpsc::unbounded_channel();
-            chain_workers.insert(chain_id, sender.clone());
-            Some((sender, Some(receiver)))
+            (sender, Some(receiver))
+        };
+
+        if let Err(e) = sender.send((request, tracing::Span::current())) {
+            // The actor was dropped. Give up without (re-)inserting the endpoint in the cache.
+            return Err(WorkerError::ChainActorSendError {
+                chain_id,
+                error: Box::new(e),
+            });
         }
+
+        // Put back the sender in the cache for next time.
+        chain_workers.insert(chain_id, sender);
+
+        Ok(new_receiver)
     }
 
     #[instrument(skip_all, fields(