diff --color -ruNp a/srclimit.c b/srclimit.c
--- a/srclimit.c	2024-09-20 00:20:48.000000000 +0200
+++ b/srclimit.c	2026-03-06 13:30:48.408309619 +0100
@@ -427,7 +427,9 @@ srclimit_penalise(struct xaddr *addr, in
 			penalty->active = 1;
 		if (RB_INSERT(penalties_by_expiry, by_expiry, penalty) != NULL)
 			fatal_f("internal error: %s penalty tables corrupt", t);
-		verbose_f("%s: new %s %s penalty of %d seconds for %s", t,
+		do_log2_f(penalty->active ?
+		    SYSLOG_LEVEL_INFO : SYSLOG_LEVEL_VERBOSE,
+		    "%s: new %s %s penalty of %d seconds for %s", t,
 		    addrnetmask, penalty->active ? "active" : "deferred",
 		    penalty_secs, reason);
 		if (++(*npenaltiesp) > (size_t)max_sources)
@@ -446,7 +448,7 @@ srclimit_penalise(struct xaddr *addr, in
 		existing->expiry = now + penalty_cfg.penalty_max;
 	if (existing->expiry - now > penalty_cfg.penalty_min &&
 	    !existing->active) {
-		verbose_f("%s: activating %s penalty of %lld seconds for %s",
+		logit_f("%s: activating %s penalty of %lld seconds for %s",
 		    addrnetmask, t, (long long)(existing->expiry - now),
 		    reason);
 		existing->active = 1;
diff --color -ruNp a/sshd.c b/sshd.c
--- a/sshd.c	2026-03-06 13:10:52.653617548 +0100
+++ b/sshd.c	2026-03-06 13:24:50.865079998 +0100
@@ -291,8 +291,10 @@ child_finish(struct early_child *child)
 {
 	if (children_active == 0)
 		fatal_f("internal error: children_active underflow");
-	if (child->pipefd != -1)
+	if (child->pipefd != -1) {
+		srclimit_done(child->pipefd);
 		close(child->pipefd);
+	}
 	free(child->id);
 	memset(child, '\0', sizeof(*child));
 	child->pipefd = -1;
@@ -311,6 +313,7 @@ child_close(struct early_child *child, i
 	if (!quiet)
 		debug_f("enter%s", force_final ? " (forcing)" : "");
 	if (child->pipefd != -1) {
+		srclimit_done(child->pipefd);
 		close(child->pipefd);
 		child->pipefd = -1;
 	}
@@ -978,10 +981,11 @@ server_accept_loop(int *sock_in, int *so
 				}
 				/* FALLTHROUGH */
 			case 0:
-				/* child exited preauth */
+				/* child closed pipe */
 				if (children[i].early)
 					listening--;
-				srclimit_done(children[i].pipefd);
+				debug3_f("child %lu for %s closed pipe",
+				    (long)children[i].pid, children[i].id);
 				child_close(&(children[i]), 0, 0);
 				break;
 			case 1:
@@ -1003,6 +1007,12 @@ server_accept_loop(int *sock_in, int *so
 					    "child %ld for %s in state %d",
 					    (int)c, (long)children[i].pid,
 					    children[i].id, children[i].early);
+
+					if (children[i].early)
+						listening--;
+					if (children[i].pid > 0)
+						kill(children[i].pid, SIGTERM);
+					child_close(&(children[i]), 0, 0);
 				}
 				break;
 			}