diff --git a/node-src/runBuild.ts b/node-src/runBuild.ts
index 4c0da2074..dad72a9c6 100644
--- a/node-src/runBuild.ts
+++ b/node-src/runBuild.ts
@@ -67,8 +67,7 @@ export async function runBuild(ctx: Context) {
         throw rewriteErrorMessage(err, missingStories(ctx));
       }
       if (ctx.extraOptions.experimental_abortSignal?.aborted) {
-        ctx.userError = true;
-        setExitCode(ctx, exitCodes.BUILD_WAS_CANCELED);
+        setExitCode(ctx, exitCodes.BUILD_WAS_CANCELED, true);
         throw rewriteErrorMessage(err, buildCanceled());
       }
       throw rewriteErrorMessage(err, taskError(ctx, err));
@@ -84,14 +83,17 @@ export async function runBuild(ctx: Context) {
     }
   } catch (error) {
     const errors = [].concat(error); // GraphQLClient might throw an array of errors
-    ctx.options.experimental_onTaskError?.(ctx, {
-      formattedError: fatalError(ctx, errors),
-      originalError: error,
-    });
 
-    if (errors.length && !ctx.userError) {
-      ctx.log.info('');
-      ctx.log.error(fatalError(ctx, errors));
+    if (errors.length) {
+      const formattedError = fatalError(ctx, errors);
+      ctx.options.experimental_onTaskError?.(ctx, {
+        formattedError,
+        originalError: errors[0],
+      });
+      if (!ctx.userError) {
+        ctx.log.info('');
+        ctx.log.error(formattedError);
+      }
     }
 
     if (!ctx.exitCode) {
diff --git a/node-src/tasks/build.ts b/node-src/tasks/build.ts
index 74862a854..e8cf1cbbe 100644
--- a/node-src/tasks/build.ts
+++ b/node-src/tasks/build.ts
@@ -69,14 +69,24 @@ export const buildStorybook = async (ctx: Context) => {
     logFile.on('error', reject);
   });
 
+  const { experimental_abortSignal: abortSignal } = ctx.extraOptions;
+
   try {
     const { command } = ctx.spawnParams;
     ctx.log.debug('Using spawnParams:', JSON.stringify(ctx.spawnParams, null, 2));
-    await Promise.race([
-      execa.command(command, { stdio: [null, logFile, logFile] }),
-      timeoutAfter(ctx.env.STORYBOOK_BUILD_TIMEOUT),
-    ]);
+
+    let subprocess;
+    if (abortSignal) {
+      abortSignal.onabort = () => {
+        subprocess?.kill('SIGTERM', { forceKillAfterTimeout: 2000 });
+      };
+    }
+    subprocess = execa.command(command, { stdio: [null, logFile, logFile] });
+    await Promise.race([subprocess, timeoutAfter(ctx.env.STORYBOOK_BUILD_TIMEOUT)]);
   } catch (e) {
+    endActivity(ctx);
+    abortSignal?.throwIfAborted();
+
     const buildLog = fs.readFileSync(ctx.buildLogFile, 'utf8');
     ctx.log.error(buildFailed(ctx, e, buildLog));
     setExitCode(ctx, exitCodes.NPM_BUILD_STORYBOOK_FAILED, true);
diff --git a/node-src/ui/components/activity.ts b/node-src/ui/components/activity.ts
index 6149b43a4..9e60ef63c 100644
--- a/node-src/ui/components/activity.ts
+++ b/node-src/ui/components/activity.ts
@@ -4,18 +4,18 @@ import { Context, Task } from '../../types';
 const renderLoop = (ctx: Context, render: (frame: number) => void) => {
   const interval = ctx.options.interactive ? 100 : ctx.env.CHROMATIC_OUTPUT_INTERVAL;
   const maxFrames = ctx.env.CHROMATIC_TIMEOUT / interval;
-  let done = false;
+
+  let timeout: NodeJS.Timeout;
   const tick = (frame = 0) => {
     render(frame);
-    if (!done && frame < maxFrames) {
-      setTimeout(() => tick(frame + 1), interval);
+    if (frame < maxFrames) {
+      timeout = setTimeout(() => tick(frame + 1), interval);
     }
   };
+
   tick();
   return {
-    end() {
-      done = true;
-    },
+    end: () => clearTimeout(timeout),
   };
 };