diff --git a/docker-compose-junit-jupiter/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeExtension.java b/docker-compose-junit-jupiter/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeExtension.java
index 01ebddcd7..2b8834a2c 100644
--- a/docker-compose-junit-jupiter/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeExtension.java
+++ b/docker-compose-junit-jupiter/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeExtension.java
@@ -30,24 +30,14 @@
 public abstract class DockerComposeExtension extends DockerComposeManager
         implements BeforeAllCallback, AfterAllCallback {
 
-    private boolean hasCalledAfterMethod;
-
     @Override
     public void beforeAll(ExtensionContext unused) throws IOException, InterruptedException {
-        try {
-            before();
-        } catch (RuntimeException e) {
-            after();
-            hasCalledAfterMethod = true;
-            throw e;
-        }
+        before();
     }
 
     @Override
     public void afterAll(ExtensionContext unused) {
-        if (!hasCalledAfterMethod) {
-            after();
-        }
+        after();
     }
 
     public static Builder builder() {
diff --git a/docker-compose-junit-jupiter/src/test/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeExtensionTest.java b/docker-compose-junit-jupiter/src/test/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeExtensionTest.java
index d859df9cd..2e10486b7 100644
--- a/docker-compose-junit-jupiter/src/test/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeExtensionTest.java
+++ b/docker-compose-junit-jupiter/src/test/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeExtensionTest.java
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 import com.palantir.docker.compose.configuration.DockerComposeFiles;
 import com.palantir.docker.compose.connection.waiting.ClusterWait;
 import com.palantir.docker.compose.events.EventConsumer;
-import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
@@ -32,7 +31,7 @@
 public class DockerComposeExtensionTest {
 
     @Test
-    public void calls_after_only_once() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
+    public void calls_after_only_once() {
         AtomicInteger count = new AtomicInteger();
         DockerComposeExtension dockerComposeExtension = new DockerComposeExtension() {
             @Override
diff --git a/docker-compose-rule-core/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeManager.java b/docker-compose-rule-core/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeManager.java
index d6d746078..589d70f54 100644
--- a/docker-compose-rule-core/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeManager.java
+++ b/docker-compose-rule-core/src/main/java/com/palantir/docker/compose/DockerComposeManager.java
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ public abstract class DockerComposeManager {
     public static final int DEFAULT_RETRY_ATTEMPTS = 2;
 
     private final RunRecorder runRecorder = RunRecorder.defaults();
+    private boolean hasCalledAfterMethod;
 
     public DockerPort hostNetworkedPort(int port) {
         return new DockerPort(machine().getIp(), port, port);
@@ -177,13 +178,19 @@ protected void setDescription(TestDescription testDescription) {
     }
 
     public void before() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
-        log.debug("Starting docker-compose cluster");
+        try {
+            log.debug("Starting docker-compose cluster");
 
-        runRecorder.before(() -> dockerCompose().config());
+            runRecorder.before(() -> dockerCompose().config());
 
-        pullBuildAndUp();
+            pullBuildAndUp();
 
-        emitEventsFor().waitingForServices(this::waitForServices);
+            emitEventsFor().waitingForServices(this::waitForServices);
+        } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+            after();
+            hasCalledAfterMethod = true;
+            throw e;
+        }
     }
 
     private void pullBuildAndUp() throws IOException, InterruptedException {
@@ -254,6 +261,10 @@ private void waitForAllClusterWaits(List<InterruptableClusterWait> allClusterWai
     }
 
     public void after() {
+        if (hasCalledAfterMethod) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         try {
             emitEventsFor().shutdownStop(() ->
                     shutdownStrategy().stop(this.dockerCompose()));