diff --git a/components/ws-manager-bridge/src/bridge.ts b/components/ws-manager-bridge/src/bridge.ts
index 39273922595d25..0b9f4e66cc2154 100644
--- a/components/ws-manager-bridge/src/bridge.ts
+++ b/components/ws-manager-bridge/src/bridge.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import {
     GetWorkspacesRequest,
     WorkspaceConditionBool,
     PortVisibility as WsManPortVisibility,
-    PromisifiedWorkspaceManagerClient,
 } from "@gitpod/ws-manager/lib";
 import { WorkspaceDB } from "@gitpod/gitpod-db/lib/workspace-db";
 import { UserDB } from "@gitpod/gitpod-db/lib/user-db";
@@ -99,12 +98,14 @@ export class WorkspaceManagerBridge implements Disposable {
             startStatusUpdateHandler(true);
 
             // the actual "governing" part
-            const controllerInterval = this.config.controllerIntervalSeconds;
-            if (controllerInterval <= 0) {
-                throw new Error("controllerInterval <= 0!");
+            const controllerIntervalSeconds = this.config.controllerIntervalSeconds;
+            if (controllerIntervalSeconds <= 0) {
+                throw new Error("controllerIntervalSeconds <= 0!");
             }
+
             log.debug(`Starting controller: ${cluster.name}`, logPayload);
-            this.startController(clientProvider, controllerInterval, this.config.controllerMaxDisconnectSeconds);
+            // Control all workspace instances, either against ws-manager or configured timeouts
+            this.startController(clientProvider, controllerIntervalSeconds, this.config.controllerMaxDisconnectSeconds);
         } else {
             // _DO NOT_ update the DB (another bridge is responsible for that)
             // Still, listen to all updates, generate/derive new state and distribute it locally!
@@ -408,69 +409,109 @@ export class WorkspaceManagerBridge implements Disposable {
         let disconnectStarted = Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER;
         this.disposables.push(
             repeat(async () => {
+                const span = TraceContext.startSpan("controlInstances");
+                const ctx = { span };
                 try {
-                    const client = await clientProvider();
-                    await this.controlInstallationInstances(client, maxTimeToRunningPhaseSeconds);
-
-                    disconnectStarted = Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER; // Reset disconnect period
-                } catch (e) {
-                    if (durationLongerThanSeconds(disconnectStarted, controllerMaxDisconnectSeconds)) {
-                        log.warn("Error while controlling installation's workspaces", e, {
-                            installation: this.cluster.name,
-                        });
-                    } else if (disconnectStarted > Date.now()) {
-                        disconnectStarted = Date.now();
+                    const installation = this.cluster.name;
+                    log.debug("Controlling instances...", { installation });
+
+                    const runningInstances = await this.workspaceDB
+                        .trace(ctx)
+                        .findRunningInstancesWithWorkspaces(installation, undefined, true);
+
+                    // Control running workspace instances against ws-manager
+                    try {
+                        await this.controlRunningInstances(
+                            ctx,
+                            runningInstances,
+                            clientProvider,
+                            maxTimeToRunningPhaseSeconds,
+                        );
+
+                        disconnectStarted = Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER; // Reset disconnect period
+                    } catch (err) {
+                        if (durationLongerThanSeconds(disconnectStarted, controllerMaxDisconnectSeconds)) {
+                            log.warn("Error while controlling installation's workspaces", err, {
+                                installation: this.cluster.name,
+                            });
+                        } else if (disconnectStarted > Date.now()) {
+                            disconnectStarted = Date.now();
+                        }
                     }
+
+                    log.debug("Done controlling instances.", { installation });
+                } catch (err) {
+                    TraceContext.setError(ctx, err);
+                    log.error("Error while controlling installation's workspaces", err, {
+                        installation: this.cluster.name,
+                    });
+                } finally {
+                    span.finish();
                 }
             }, controllerIntervalSeconds * 1000),
         );
     }
 
-    protected async controlInstallationInstances(
-        client: PromisifiedWorkspaceManagerClient,
+    protected async controlRunningInstances(
+        parentCtx: TraceContext,
+        runningInstances: RunningWorkspaceInfo[],
+        clientProvider: ClientProvider,
         maxTimeToRunningPhaseSeconds: number,
     ) {
-        const installation = this.cluster.name;
-        log.debug("controlling instances", { installation });
-        let ctx: TraceContext = {};
+        const installation = this.config.installation;
 
-        const runningInstances = await this.workspaceDB.trace(ctx).findRunningInstancesWithWorkspaces(installation);
-        const runningInstancesIdx = new Map<string, RunningWorkspaceInfo>();
-        runningInstances.forEach((i) => runningInstancesIdx.set(i.latestInstance.id, i));
-
-        const actuallyRunningInstances = await client.getWorkspaces(ctx, new GetWorkspacesRequest());
-        actuallyRunningInstances.getStatusList().forEach((s) => runningInstancesIdx.delete(s.getId()));
+        const span = TraceContext.startSpan("controlRunningInstances", parentCtx);
+        const ctx = { span };
+        try {
+            log.debug("Controlling running instances...", { installation });
+
+            const runningInstancesIdx = new Map<string, RunningWorkspaceInfo>();
+            runningInstances.forEach((i) => runningInstancesIdx.set(i.latestInstance.id, i));
+
+            const client = await clientProvider();
+            const actuallyRunningInstances = await client.getWorkspaces(ctx, new GetWorkspacesRequest());
+            actuallyRunningInstances.getStatusList().forEach((s) => runningInstancesIdx.delete(s.getId()));
+
+            for (const [instanceId, ri] of runningInstancesIdx.entries()) {
+                const instance = ri.latestInstance;
+                if (
+                    !(
+                        instance.status.phase === "running" ||
+                        durationLongerThanSeconds(Date.parse(instance.creationTime), maxTimeToRunningPhaseSeconds)
+                    )
+                ) {
+                    log.debug({ instanceId }, "Skipping instance", {
+                        phase: instance.status.phase,
+                        creationTime: instance.creationTime,
+                        region: instance.region,
+                    });
+                    continue;
+                }
 
-        const promises: Promise<any>[] = [];
-        for (const [instanceId, ri] of runningInstancesIdx.entries()) {
-            const instance = ri.latestInstance;
-            if (
-                !(
-                    instance.status.phase === "running" ||
-                    durationLongerThanSeconds(Date.parse(instance.creationTime), maxTimeToRunningPhaseSeconds)
-                )
-            ) {
-                log.debug({ instanceId }, "Skipping instance", {
-                    phase: instance.status.phase,
-                    creationTime: instance.creationTime,
-                    region: instance.region,
-                });
-                continue;
+                log.info(
+                    { instanceId, workspaceId: instance.workspaceId },
+                    "Database says the instance is running, but wsman does not know about it. Marking as stopped in database.",
+                    { installation },
+                );
+                await this.markWorkspaceInstanceAsStopped(ctx, ri, new Date());
             }
 
-            log.info(
-                { instanceId, workspaceId: instance.workspaceId },
-                "Database says the instance is starting for too long or running, but wsman does not know about it. Marking as stopped in database.",
-                { installation },
-            );
-            instance.status.phase = "stopped";
-            instance.stoppingTime = new Date().toISOString();
-            instance.stoppedTime = new Date().toISOString();
-            promises.push(this.workspaceDB.trace({}).storeInstance(instance));
-            promises.push(this.onInstanceStopped({}, ri.workspace.ownerId, instance));
-            promises.push(this.prebuildUpdater.stopPrebuildInstance(ctx, instance));
+            log.debug("Done controlling running instances.", { installation });
+        } catch (err) {
+            TraceContext.setError(ctx, err);
+            throw err; // required by caller
         }
-        await Promise.all(promises);
+    }
+
+    protected async markWorkspaceInstanceAsStopped(ctx: TraceContext, info: RunningWorkspaceInfo, now: Date) {
+        const nowISO = now.toISOString();
+        info.latestInstance.stoppingTime = nowISO;
+        info.latestInstance.stoppedTime = nowISO;
+        info.latestInstance.status.phase = "stopped";
+        await this.workspaceDB.trace(ctx).storeInstance(info.latestInstance);
+
+        await this.messagebus.notifyOnInstanceUpdate(ctx, info.workspace.ownerId, info.latestInstance);
+        await this.prebuildUpdater.stopPrebuildInstance(ctx, info.latestInstance);
     }
 
     protected async onInstanceStopped(