diff --git a/backend/media/ffmpeg_reader.go b/backend/media/ffmpeg_reader.go
index 6ca05ca..71ad10b 100644
--- a/backend/media/ffmpeg_reader.go
+++ b/backend/media/ffmpeg_reader.go
@@ -33,6 +33,13 @@ func newFfmpegReader(ctx context.Context, input io.Reader, arg ...string) (*ffmp
 	return &ffmpegReader{ReadCloser: r, cmd: cmd}, nil
 }
 
+func (r *ffmpegReader) Cancel() error {
+	if err := r.cmd.Process.Kill(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error killing ffmpeg process: %v", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (r *ffmpegReader) Close() error {
 	state, err := r.cmd.Process.Wait()
 
diff --git a/backend/media/service.go b/backend/media/service.go
index a58aecf..0c0bb93 100644
--- a/backend/media/service.go
+++ b/backend/media/service.go
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ func (s *MediaSetService) getAudioFromYoutube(ctx context.Context, mediaSet stor
 type getAudioFromYoutubeState struct {
 	*fetchAudioProgressReader
 
-	ffmpegReader    io.ReadCloser
+	ffmpegReader    *ffmpegReader
 	uploader        *multipartUploadWriter
 	s3Bucket, s3Key string
 	store           Store
@@ -404,6 +404,12 @@ outer:
 		}
 	}
 
+	if err != nil {
+		if cancelErr := s.ffmpegReader.Cancel(); cancelErr != nil {
+			log.Printf("error cancelling ffmpegreader: %v", cancelErr)
+		}
+	}
+
 	if readerErr := s.ffmpegReader.Close(); readerErr != nil {
 		if err == nil {
 			err = readerErr
diff --git a/backend/server/server.go b/backend/server/server.go
index 02d0291..ba6626a 100644
--- a/backend/server/server.go
+++ b/backend/server/server.go
@@ -17,25 +17,43 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/grpclog"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/durationpb"
 )
 
-type ResponseError struct {
-	error
+func init() {
+	grpclog.SetLogger(log.New(os.Stdout, "server: ", log.LstdFlags))
+}
 
-	ResponseCode codes.Code
+const (
+	// ts-proto generates code that automatically retries for a subset of gRPC
+	// response codes. To avoid invoking this behaviour, default to returning a
+	// Cancelled code. Later,
+	// See https://github.com/stephenh/ts-proto/blob/459b94f5b2988d58d186461332e888c3e511603a/src/generate-grpc-web.ts#L293
+	// and https://github.com/stephenh/ts-proto/pull/131.
+	defaultResponseCode    = codes.Canceled
+	defaultResponseMessage = "An unexpected error occurred"
+)
+
+type ResponseError struct {
+	err error
+	s   string
 }
 
 func (r *ResponseError) Error() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("An unexpected error occurred: %v (error code = %d).", r.error.Error(), r.ResponseCode)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("unexpected error: %v", r.err.Error())
 }
 
 func (r *ResponseError) Unwrap() error {
-	return r.error
+	return r.err
 }
 
-func newResponseError(err error, code codes.Code) *ResponseError {
-	return &ResponseError{error: err, ResponseCode: code}
+func (r *ResponseError) GRPCStatus() *status.Status {
+	return status.New(defaultResponseCode, r.s)
+}
+
+func newResponseError(err error) *ResponseError {
+	return &ResponseError{err: err, s: defaultResponseMessage}
 }
 
 type Options struct {
@@ -61,7 +79,7 @@ type mediaSetServiceController struct {
 func (c *mediaSetServiceController) Get(ctx context.Context, request *pbMediaSet.GetRequest) (*pbMediaSet.MediaSet, error) {
 	mediaSet, err := c.mediaSetService.Get(ctx, request.GetYoutubeId())
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, newResponseError(err, codes.Unknown)
+		return nil, newResponseError(err)
 	}
 
 	result := pbMediaSet.MediaSet{
@@ -88,12 +106,12 @@ func (c *mediaSetServiceController) GetAudio(request *pbMediaSet.GetAudioRequest
 
 	id, err := uuid.Parse(request.GetId())
 	if err != nil {
-		return newResponseError(err, codes.Unknown)
+		return newResponseError(err)
 	}
 
 	reader, err := c.mediaSetService.GetAudio(ctx, id, int(request.GetNumBins()))
 	if err != nil {
-		return newResponseError(err, codes.Unknown)
+		return newResponseError(err)
 	}
 
 	for {
@@ -102,7 +120,7 @@ func (c *mediaSetServiceController) GetAudio(request *pbMediaSet.GetAudioRequest
 			if err == io.EOF {
 				break
 			}
-			return newResponseError(err, codes.Unknown)
+			return newResponseError(err)
 		}
 
 		// TODO: consider using int32 throughout the backend flow to avoid this.
@@ -128,7 +146,6 @@ func Start(options Options) error {
 	fetchMediaSetService := media.NewMediaSetService(options.Store, options.YoutubeClient, options.S3Client)
 
 	pbMediaSet.RegisterMediaSetServiceServer(grpcServer, &mediaSetServiceController{mediaSetService: fetchMediaSetService})
-	grpclog.SetLogger(log.New(os.Stdout, "server: ", log.LstdFlags))
 
 	// TODO: proper CORS support
 	grpcWebServer := grpcweb.WrapServer(grpcServer, grpcweb.WithOriginFunc(func(string) bool { return true }))