diff --git a/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc b/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc
index 01ddadad8d1..f45083c0d19 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc
+++ b/CHANGELOG.next.asciidoc
@@ -94,8 +94,7 @@ https://github.com/elastic/beats/compare/v8.8.1\...main[Check the HEAD diff]
 
 *Auditbeat*
 - Set field types to correctly match ECS in sessionmd processor {issue}38955[38955] {pull}38994[38994]
-- Keep process info on exited processes, to avoid failing to enrich events in sessionmd processor {pull}39173[39173]
-
+- Fix failing to enrich process events in sessionmd processor {issue}38955[38955] {pull}39173[39173] {pull}39243[39243]
 - Prevent scenario of losing children-related file events in a directory for recursive fsnotify backend of auditbeat file integrity module {pull}39133[39133]
 
 
diff --git a/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/add_session_metadata.go b/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/add_session_metadata.go
index ff9fa54e556..766e9623b9e 100644
--- a/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/add_session_metadata.go
+++ b/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/add_session_metadata.go
@@ -96,13 +96,24 @@ func New(cfg *cfg.C) (beat.Processor, error) {
 }
 
 func (p *addSessionMetadata) Run(ev *beat.Event) (*beat.Event, error) {
-	_, err := ev.GetValue(p.config.PIDField)
+	pi, err := ev.GetValue(p.config.PIDField)
 	if err != nil {
 		// Do not attempt to enrich events without PID; it's not a supported event
 		return ev, nil //nolint:nilerr // Running on events without PID is expected
 	}
 
-	err = p.provider.UpdateDB(ev)
+	// Do not enrich failed syscalls, as there was no actual process change related to it
+	v, err := ev.GetValue("auditd.result")
+	if err == nil && v == "fail" {
+		return ev, nil
+	}
+
+	pid, err := pidToUInt32(pi)
+	if err != nil {
+		return ev, nil //nolint:nilerr // Running on events with a different PID type is not a processor error
+	}
+
+	err = p.provider.UpdateDB(ev, pid)
 	if err != nil {
 		return ev, err
 	}
@@ -136,7 +147,9 @@ func (p *addSessionMetadata) enrich(ev *beat.Event) (*beat.Event, error) {
 
 	fullProcess, err := p.db.GetProcess(pid)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("pid %v not found in db: %w", pid, err)
+		e := fmt.Errorf("pid %v not found in db: %w", pid, err)
+		p.logger.Errorf("%v", e)
+		return nil, e
 	}
 
 	processMap := fullProcess.ToMap()
diff --git a/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/processdb/db.go b/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/processdb/db.go
index 2c7c228e2c1..b8c624abe00 100644
--- a/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/processdb/db.go
+++ b/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/processdb/db.go
@@ -238,7 +238,6 @@ func (db *DB) InsertFork(fork types.ProcessForkEvent) {
 
 	pid := fork.ChildPIDs.Tgid
 	ppid := fork.ParentPIDs.Tgid
-	db.scrapeAncestors(db.processes[pid])
 
 	if entry, ok := db.processes[ppid]; ok {
 		entry.PIDs = pidInfoFromProto(fork.ChildPIDs)
@@ -282,7 +281,6 @@ func (db *DB) InsertExec(exec types.ProcessExecEvent) {
 	}
 
 	db.processes[exec.PIDs.Tgid] = proc
-	db.scrapeAncestors(proc)
 	entryLeaderPID := db.evaluateEntryLeader(proc)
 	if entryLeaderPID != nil {
 		db.entryLeaderRelationships[exec.PIDs.Tgid] = *entryLeaderPID
@@ -568,6 +566,14 @@ func setSameAsProcess(process *types.Process) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (db *DB) HasProcess(pid uint32) bool {
+	db.mutex.RLock()
+	defer db.mutex.RUnlock()
+
+	_, ok := db.processes[pid]
+	return ok
+}
+
 func (db *DB) GetProcess(pid uint32) (types.Process, error) {
 	db.mutex.RLock()
 	defer db.mutex.RUnlock()
@@ -585,8 +591,6 @@ func (db *DB) GetProcess(pid uint32) (types.Process, error) {
 				fillParent(&ret, parent)
 				break
 			}
-			db.logger.Debugf("failed to find %d in DB (parent of %d), attempting to scrape", process.PIDs.Ppid, pid)
-			db.scrapeAncestors(process)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -596,8 +600,6 @@ func (db *DB) GetProcess(pid uint32) (types.Process, error) {
 				fillGroupLeader(&ret, groupLeader)
 				break
 			}
-			db.logger.Debugf("failed to find %d in DB (group leader of %d), attempting to scrape", process.PIDs.Pgid, pid)
-			db.scrapeAncestors(process)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -607,8 +609,6 @@ func (db *DB) GetProcess(pid uint32) (types.Process, error) {
 				fillSessionLeader(&ret, sessionLeader)
 				break
 			}
-			db.logger.Debugf("failed to find %d in DB (session leader of %d), attempting to scrape", process.PIDs.Sid, pid)
-			db.scrapeAncestors(process)
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -712,29 +712,6 @@ func getTTYType(major uint16, minor uint16) TTYType {
 	return TTYUnknown
 }
 
-func (db *DB) scrapeAncestors(proc Process) {
-	for _, pid := range []uint32{proc.PIDs.Pgid, proc.PIDs.Ppid, proc.PIDs.Sid} {
-		if _, exists := db.processes[pid]; pid == 0 || exists {
-			continue
-		}
-		procInfo, err := db.procfs.GetProcess(pid)
-		if err != nil {
-			db.logger.Debugf("couldn't get %v from procfs: %w", pid, err)
-			continue
-		}
-		p := Process{
-			PIDs:     pidInfoFromProto(procInfo.PIDs),
-			Creds:    credInfoFromProto(procInfo.Creds),
-			CTTY:     ttyDevFromProto(procInfo.CTTY),
-			Argv:     procInfo.Argv,
-			Cwd:      procInfo.Cwd,
-			Env:      procInfo.Env,
-			Filename: procInfo.Filename,
-		}
-		db.insertProcess(p)
-	}
-}
-
 func (db *DB) Close() {
 	close(db.stopChan)
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/ebpf_provider/ebpf_provider.go b/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/ebpf_provider/ebpf_provider.go
index 2b9b540e037..f1b8bae0b67 100644
--- a/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/ebpf_provider/ebpf_provider.go
+++ b/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/ebpf_provider/ebpf_provider.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ package ebpf_provider
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/libbeat/beat"
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/v7/libbeat/ebpf"
@@ -151,7 +152,80 @@ func NewProvider(ctx context.Context, logger *logp.Logger, db *processdb.DB) (pr
 	return &p, nil
 }
 
-func (s prvdr) UpdateDB(ev *beat.Event) error {
-	// no-op for ebpf, DB is updated from pushed ebpf events
-	return nil
+const (
+	maxWaitLimit      = 200 * time.Millisecond // Maximum time UpdateDB will wait for process
+	combinedWaitLimit = 2 * time.Second        // Multiple UpdateDB calls will wait up to this amount within resetDuration
+	backoffDuration   = 10 * time.Second       // UpdateDB will stop waiting for processes for this time
+	resetDuration     = 5 * time.Second        // After this amount of times with no backoffs, the combinedWait will be reset
+)
+
+var (
+	combinedWait   = 0 * time.Millisecond
+	inBackoff      = false
+	backoffStart   = time.Now()
+	since          = time.Now()
+	backoffSkipped = 0
+)
+
+// With ebpf, process events are pushed to the DB by the above goroutine, so this doesn't actually update the DB.
+// It does to try sync the processor and ebpf events, so that the process is in the process db before continuing.
+//
+// It's possible that the event to enrich arrives before the process is inserted into the DB. In that case, this
+// will block continuing the enrichment until the process is seen (or the timeout is reached).
+//
+// If for some reason a lot of time has been spent waiting for missing processes, this also has a backoff timer during
+// which it will continue without waiting for missing events to arrive, so the processor doesn't become overly backed-up
+// waiting for these processes, at the cost of possibly not enriching some processes.
+func (s prvdr) UpdateDB(ev *beat.Event, pid uint32) error {
+	if s.db.HasProcess(pid) {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	now := time.Now()
+	if inBackoff {
+		if now.Sub(backoffStart) > backoffDuration {
+			s.logger.Warnf("ended backoff, skipped %d processes", backoffSkipped)
+			inBackoff = false
+			combinedWait = 0 * time.Millisecond
+		} else {
+			backoffSkipped += 1
+			return nil
+		}
+	} else {
+		if combinedWait > combinedWaitLimit {
+			s.logger.Warn("starting backoff")
+			inBackoff = true
+			backoffStart = now
+			backoffSkipped = 0
+			return nil
+		}
+		// maintain a moving window of time for the delays we track
+		if now.Sub(since) > resetDuration {
+			since = now
+			combinedWait = 0 * time.Millisecond
+		}
+	}
+
+	start := now
+	nextWait := 5 * time.Millisecond
+	for {
+		waited := time.Since(start)
+		if s.db.HasProcess(pid) {
+			s.logger.Debugf("got process that was missing after %v", waited)
+			combinedWait = combinedWait + waited
+			return nil
+		}
+		if waited >= maxWaitLimit {
+			e := fmt.Errorf("process %v was not seen after %v", pid, waited)
+			s.logger.Warnf("%w", e)
+			combinedWait = combinedWait + waited
+			return e
+		}
+		time.Sleep(nextWait)
+		if nextWait*2+waited > maxWaitLimit {
+			nextWait = maxWaitLimit - waited
+		} else {
+			nextWait = nextWait * 2
+		}
+	}
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/procfs_provider/procfs_provider.go b/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/procfs_provider/procfs_provider.go
index 2f99dd72b1f..6525b860b6d 100644
--- a/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/procfs_provider/procfs_provider.go
+++ b/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/procfs_provider/procfs_provider.go
@@ -41,16 +41,7 @@ func NewProvider(ctx context.Context, logger *logp.Logger, db *processdb.DB, rea
 }
 
 // UpdateDB will update the process DB with process info from procfs or the event itself
-func (s prvdr) UpdateDB(ev *beat.Event) error {
-	pi, err := ev.Fields.GetValue(s.pidField)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("event not supported, no pid")
-	}
-	pid, ok := pi.(int)
-	if !ok {
-		return fmt.Errorf("pid field not int")
-	}
-
+func (s prvdr) UpdateDB(ev *beat.Event, pid uint32) error {
 	syscall, err := ev.GetValue(syscallField)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("event not supported, no syscall data")
@@ -59,7 +50,7 @@ func (s prvdr) UpdateDB(ev *beat.Event) error {
 	switch syscall {
 	case "execveat", "execve":
 		pe := types.ProcessExecEvent{}
-		proc_info, err := s.reader.GetProcess(uint32(pid))
+		proc_info, err := s.reader.GetProcess(pid)
 		if err == nil {
 			pe.PIDs = proc_info.PIDs
 			pe.Creds = proc_info.Creds
@@ -72,7 +63,7 @@ func (s prvdr) UpdateDB(ev *beat.Event) error {
 			s.logger.Warnf("couldn't get process info from proc for pid %v: %w", pid, err)
 			// If process info couldn't be taken from procfs, populate with as much info as
 			// possible from the event
-			pe.PIDs.Tgid = uint32(pid)
+			pe.PIDs.Tgid = pid
 			var intr interface{}
 			var i int
 			var ok bool
@@ -106,7 +97,7 @@ func (s prvdr) UpdateDB(ev *beat.Event) error {
 	case "exit_group":
 		pe := types.ProcessExitEvent{
 			PIDs: types.PIDInfo{
-				Tgid: uint32(pid),
+				Tgid: pid,
 			},
 		}
 		s.db.InsertExit(pe)
@@ -122,8 +113,8 @@ func (s prvdr) UpdateDB(ev *beat.Event) error {
 		if result == "success" {
 			setsid_ev := types.ProcessSetsidEvent{
 				PIDs: types.PIDInfo{
-					Tgid: uint32(pid),
-					Sid:  uint32(pid),
+					Tgid: pid,
+					Sid:  pid,
 				},
 			}
 			s.db.InsertSetsid(setsid_ev)
diff --git a/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/procfs_provider/procfs_provider_test.go b/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/procfs_provider/procfs_provider_test.go
index 6fd333c4711..c438efcfe1a 100644
--- a/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/procfs_provider/procfs_provider_test.go
+++ b/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/procfs_provider/procfs_provider_test.go
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ func TestExecveEvent(t *testing.T) {
 	provider, err := NewProvider(context.TODO(), &logger, db, reader, "process.pid")
 	require.Nil(t, err, "error creating provider")
 
-	err = provider.UpdateDB(&event)
+	err = provider.UpdateDB(&event, expected.PIDs.Tgid)
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 
 	actual, err := db.GetProcess(pid)
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ func TestExecveatEvent(t *testing.T) {
 	provider, err := NewProvider(context.TODO(), &logger, db, reader, "process.pid")
 	require.Nil(t, err, "error creating provider")
 
-	err = provider.UpdateDB(&event)
+	err = provider.UpdateDB(&event, expected.PIDs.Tgid)
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 
 	actual, err := db.GetProcess(pid)
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ func TestSetSidEvent(t *testing.T) {
 	provider, err := NewProvider(context.TODO(), &logger, db, reader, "process.pid")
 	require.Nil(t, err, "error creating provider")
 
-	err = provider.UpdateDB(&event)
+	err = provider.UpdateDB(&event, expected.PIDs.Tgid)
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 
 	actual, err := db.GetProcess(pid)
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ func TestSetSidEventFailed(t *testing.T) {
 	provider, err := NewProvider(context.TODO(), &logger, db, reader, "process.pid")
 	require.Nil(t, err, "error creating provider")
 
-	err = provider.UpdateDB(&event)
+	err = provider.UpdateDB(&event, expected.PIDs.Tgid)
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 
 	actual, err := db.GetProcess(pid)
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ func TestSetSidSessionLeaderNotScraped(t *testing.T) {
 	provider, err := NewProvider(context.TODO(), &logger, db, reader, "process.pid")
 	require.Nil(t, err, "error creating provider")
 
-	err = provider.UpdateDB(&event)
+	err = provider.UpdateDB(&event, expected.PIDs.Tgid)
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 
 	actual, err := db.GetProcess(pid)
diff --git a/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/provider.go b/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/provider.go
index e3fa1547806..6452eb9e2bf 100644
--- a/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/provider.go
+++ b/x-pack/auditbeat/processors/sessionmd/provider/provider.go
@@ -11,5 +11,5 @@ import (
 )
 
 type Provider interface {
-	UpdateDB(*beat.Event) error
+	UpdateDB(*beat.Event, uint32) error
 }