diff --git a/plugboard/component/component.py b/plugboard/component/component.py
index bb2ec58e..be750b2d 100644
--- a/plugboard/component/component.py
+++ b/plugboard/component/component.py
@@ -395,13 +395,16 @@ async def _io_read_with_status_check(self) -> None:
         otherwise another read attempt is made.
         """
         read_timeout = 1e-3 if self._has_outputs and not self._has_inputs else None
-        done, pending = await asyncio.wait(
-            (
-                asyncio.create_task(self._periodic_status_check()),
-                asyncio.create_task(self.io.read(timeout=read_timeout)),
-            ),
-            return_when=asyncio.FIRST_COMPLETED,
-        )
+        status_task = asyncio.create_task(self._periodic_status_check())
+        io_task = asyncio.create_task(self.io.read(timeout=read_timeout))
+        try:
+            done, pending = await asyncio.wait(
+                (status_task, io_task),
+                return_when=asyncio.FIRST_COMPLETED,
+            )
+        except BaseException:
+            status_task.cancel()
+            raise
         for task in pending:
             task.cancel()
         for task in done:
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_process_with_components_run.py b/tests/integration/test_process_with_components_run.py
index b941cccf..fe047ae8 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_process_with_components_run.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_process_with_components_run.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile
 import typing as _t
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
 from aiofile import async_open
 from pydantic import BaseModel
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@
     RayConnector,
 )
 from plugboard.events import Event
-from plugboard.exceptions import NotInitialisedError, ProcessStatusError
+from plugboard.exceptions import ConstraintError, NotInitialisedError, ProcessStatusError
 from plugboard.process import LocalProcess, Process, RayProcess
 from plugboard.schemas import ConnectorSpec, Status
 from tests.conftest import ComponentTestHelper, zmq_connector_cls
@@ -456,3 +457,82 @@ async def test_event_driven_process_shutdown(
     assert actuator.actions == [f"do_{i}" for i in range(ticks)]
 
     await process.destroy()
+
+
+_SHORT_TIMEOUT = 0.1
+
+
+class ConstraintErrorComponent(ComponentTestHelper):
+    """Component that raises a ConstraintError on the first step."""
+
+    io = IO(outputs=["out_1"])
+
+    async def step(self) -> None:
+        raise ConstraintError("Constraint violated")
+
+
+class BackgroundTaskTracker(ComponentTestHelper):
+    """Component that counts how many times _periodic_status_check loops after process ends.
+
+    Overrides _periodic_status_check without calling super() to avoid early termination
+    via ProcessStatusError, so we can detect if the task leaks after process failure.
+    """
+
+    io = IO(inputs=["in_1"])
+    exports = ["background_run_count"]
+
+    def __init__(self, *args: _t.Any, **kwargs: _t.Any) -> None:
+        super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
+        self.background_run_count: int = 0
+
+    async def step(self) -> None:
+        await super().step()
+
+    async def _periodic_status_check(self) -> None:
+        while True:
+            await asyncio.sleep(_SHORT_TIMEOUT)
+            self.background_run_count += 1
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_constraint_error_stops_background_status_check() -> None:
+    """Test that background status check tasks are cancelled when ConstraintError is raised.
+
+    Regression test for: a bug where the periodic status check task was not cancelled
+    when the process was cancelled due to a ConstraintError raised by another component.
+    """
+    with patch("plugboard.component.component.IO_READ_TIMEOUT_SECONDS", _SHORT_TIMEOUT):
+        producer = ConstraintErrorComponent(name="producer")
+        consumer = BackgroundTaskTracker(name="consumer")
+
+        connector = AsyncioConnector(
+            spec=ConnectorSpec(source="producer.out_1", target="consumer.in_1")
+        )
+        process = LocalProcess(
+            components=[producer, consumer],
+            connectors=[connector],
+        )
+
+        await process.init()
+
+        with pytest.raises(ExceptionGroup) as exc_info:
+            await process.run()
+
+        # Verify the ConstraintError propagated
+        exceptions = exc_info.value.exceptions
+        assert any(isinstance(e, ConstraintError) for e in exceptions)
+
+        # Record background task count immediately after the process ends
+        count_after_failure = consumer.background_run_count
+
+        # Wait longer than the patched IO_READ_TIMEOUT_SECONDS to ensure any leaked
+        # background tasks would have had time to run
+        await asyncio.sleep(_SHORT_TIMEOUT * 5)
+
+        # Background tasks should NOT have run again after the process ended
+        assert consumer.background_run_count == count_after_failure, (
+            f"Background status check ran {consumer.background_run_count - count_after_failure} "
+            f"extra time(s) after process ended, indicating a task leak"
+        )
+
+        await process.destroy()