diff --git a/runtime/lua/vim/lsp/_transport.lua b/runtime/lua/vim/lsp/_transport.lua
index 19ff2a8ab0..94691392f4 100644
--- a/runtime/lua/vim/lsp/_transport.lua
+++ b/runtime/lua/vim/lsp/_transport.lua
@@ -1,74 +1,76 @@
 local uv = vim.uv
 local log = require('vim.lsp.log')
 
-local is_win = vim.fn.has('win32') == 1
-
---- Checks whether a given path exists and is a directory.
----@param filename string path to check
----@return boolean
-local function is_dir(filename)
-  local stat = uv.fs_stat(filename)
-  return stat and stat.type == 'directory' or false
-end
-
+--- Interface for transport implementations.
+---
 --- @class (private) vim.lsp.rpc.Transport
+--- @field listen fun(self: vim.lsp.rpc.Transport, on_read: fun(err: any, data: string), on_exit: fun(code: integer, signal: integer))
 --- @field write fun(self: vim.lsp.rpc.Transport, msg: string)
 --- @field is_closing fun(self: vim.lsp.rpc.Transport): boolean
 --- @field terminate fun(self: vim.lsp.rpc.Transport)
 
---- @class (private,exact) vim.lsp.rpc.Transport.Run : vim.lsp.rpc.Transport
---- @field new fun(): vim.lsp.rpc.Transport.Run
+--- Transport backed by newly spawned process using `vim.system()`.
+---
+--- @class (private) vim.lsp.rpc.Transport.Run : vim.lsp.rpc.Transport
+--- @field cmd string[] Command to start the LSP server.
+--- @field extra_spawn_params? vim.lsp.rpc.ExtraSpawnParams
 --- @field sysobj? vim.SystemObj
 local TransportRun = {}
 
---- @return vim.lsp.rpc.Transport.Run
-function TransportRun.new()
-  return setmetatable({}, { __index = TransportRun })
-end
-
 --- @param cmd string[] Command to start the LSP server.
 --- @param extra_spawn_params? vim.lsp.rpc.ExtraSpawnParams
+--- @return vim.lsp.rpc.Transport.Run
+function TransportRun.new(cmd, extra_spawn_params)
+  return setmetatable({
+    cmd = cmd,
+    extra_spawn_params = extra_spawn_params,
+  }, { __index = TransportRun })
+end
+
 --- @param on_read fun(err: any, data: string)
 --- @param on_exit fun(code: integer, signal: integer)
-function TransportRun:run(cmd, extra_spawn_params, on_read, on_exit)
+function TransportRun:listen(on_read, on_exit)
   local function on_stderr(_, chunk)
     if chunk then
-      log.error('rpc', cmd[1], 'stderr', chunk)
+      log.error('rpc', self.cmd[1], 'stderr', chunk)
     end
   end
 
-  extra_spawn_params = extra_spawn_params or {}
+  self.extra_spawn_params = self.extra_spawn_params or {}
 
-  if extra_spawn_params.cwd then
-    assert(is_dir(extra_spawn_params.cwd), 'cwd must be a directory')
+  if self.extra_spawn_params.cwd then
+    local stat = uv.fs_stat(self.extra_spawn_params.cwd)
+    assert(stat and stat.type == 'directory' or false, 'cwd must be a directory')
   end
 
-  local detached = not is_win
-  if extra_spawn_params.detached ~= nil then
-    detached = extra_spawn_params.detached
+  -- Default to non-detached on Windows.
+  local detached = vim.fn.has('win32') ~= 1
+  if self.extra_spawn_params.detached ~= nil then
+    detached = self.extra_spawn_params.detached
   end
 
-  local ok, sysobj_or_err = pcall(vim.system, cmd, {
+  ---@type boolean, vim.SystemObj|string
+  local ok, sysobj_or_err = pcall(vim.system, self.cmd, {
     stdin = true,
     stdout = on_read,
     stderr = on_stderr,
-    cwd = extra_spawn_params.cwd,
-    env = extra_spawn_params.env,
+    cwd = self.extra_spawn_params.cwd,
+    env = self.extra_spawn_params.env,
     detach = detached,
   }, function(obj)
     on_exit(obj.code, obj.signal)
   end)
 
-  if not ok then
-    local err = sysobj_or_err --[[@as string]]
+  if not ok then ---@cast sysobj_or_err string
+    local err = sysobj_or_err
     local sfx = err:match('ENOENT')
         and '. The language server is either not installed, missing from PATH, or not executable.'
       or string.format(' with error message: %s', err)
 
-    error(('Spawning language server with cmd: `%s` failed%s'):format(vim.inspect(cmd), sfx))
-  end
+    error(('Spawning language server with cmd: `%s` failed%s'):format(vim.inspect(self.cmd), sfx))
+  end ---@cast sysobj_or_err vim.SystemObj
 
-  self.sysobj = sysobj_or_err --[[@as vim.SystemObj]]
+  self.sysobj = sysobj_or_err
 end
 
 function TransportRun:write(msg)
@@ -80,24 +82,35 @@ function TransportRun:is_closing()
 end
 
 function TransportRun:terminate()
-  assert(self.sysobj):kill(15)
+  local sysobj = assert(self.sysobj)
+  if sysobj:is_closing() then
+    return
+  end
+  sysobj:kill(15)
 end
 
---- @class (private,exact) vim.lsp.rpc.Transport.Connect : vim.lsp.rpc.Transport
---- @field new fun(): vim.lsp.rpc.Transport.Connect
+--- Transport backed by an existing `uv.uv_pipe_t` or `uv.uv_tcp_t` connection.
+---
+--- @class (private) vim.lsp.rpc.Transport.Connect : vim.lsp.rpc.Transport
+--- @field host_or_path string
+--- @field port? integer
 --- @field handle? uv.uv_pipe_t|uv.uv_tcp_t
 --- Connect returns a PublicClient synchronously so the caller
---- can immediately send messages before the connection is established
---- -> Need to buffer them until that happens
+--- can immediately send messages before the connection is established.
+--- These messages are buffered in `msgbuf`.
 --- @field connected boolean
 --- @field closing boolean
 --- @field msgbuf vim.Ringbuf
 --- @field on_exit? fun(code: integer, signal: integer)
 local TransportConnect = {}
 
+--- @param host_or_path string
+--- @param port? integer
 --- @return vim.lsp.rpc.Transport.Connect
-function TransportConnect.new()
+function TransportConnect.new(host_or_path, port)
   return setmetatable({
+    host_or_path = host_or_path,
+    port = port,
     connected = false,
     -- size should be enough because the client can't really do anything until initialization is done
     -- which required a response from the server - implying the connection got established
@@ -106,20 +119,18 @@ function TransportConnect.new()
   }, { __index = TransportConnect })
 end
 
---- @param host_or_path string
---- @param port? integer
 --- @param on_read fun(err: any, data: string)
 --- @param on_exit? fun(code: integer, signal: integer)
-function TransportConnect:connect(host_or_path, port, on_read, on_exit)
+function TransportConnect:listen(on_read, on_exit)
   self.on_exit = on_exit
   self.handle = (
-    port and assert(uv.new_tcp(), 'Could not create new TCP socket')
+    self.port and assert(uv.new_tcp(), 'Could not create new TCP socket')
     or assert(uv.new_pipe(false), 'Pipe could not be opened.')
   )
 
   local function on_connect(err)
     if err then
-      local address = not port and host_or_path or (host_or_path .. ':' .. port)
+      local address = not self.port and self.host_or_path or (self.host_or_path .. ':' .. self.port)
       vim.schedule(function()
         vim.notify(
           string.format('Could not connect to %s, reason: %s', address, vim.inspect(err)),
@@ -135,15 +146,14 @@ function TransportConnect:connect(host_or_path, port, on_read, on_exit)
     end
   end
 
-  if not port then
-    self.handle:connect(host_or_path, on_connect)
+  if not self.port then
+    self.handle:connect(self.host_or_path, on_connect)
     return
   end
 
-  --- @diagnostic disable-next-line:param-type-mismatch bad UV typing
-  local info = uv.getaddrinfo(host_or_path, nil)
-  local resolved_host = info and info[1] and info[1].addr or host_or_path
-  self.handle:connect(resolved_host, port, on_connect)
+  local info = uv.getaddrinfo(self.host_or_path, nil)
+  local resolved_host = info and info[1] and info[1].addr or self.host_or_path
+  self.handle:connect(resolved_host, self.port, on_connect)
 end
 
 function TransportConnect:write(msg)
diff --git a/runtime/lua/vim/lsp/rpc.lua b/runtime/lua/vim/lsp/rpc.lua
index 85613a264f..df5ba81ce5 100644
--- a/runtime/lua/vim/lsp/rpc.lua
+++ b/runtime/lua/vim/lsp/rpc.lua
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ local log = require('vim.lsp.log')
 local protocol = require('vim.lsp.protocol')
 local lsp_transport = require('vim.lsp._transport')
 local strbuffer = require('vim._core.stringbuffer')
-local validate, schedule_wrap = vim.validate, vim.schedule_wrap
+local validate = vim.validate
 
 --- Embeds the given string into a table and correctly computes `Content-Length`.
 ---
@@ -316,7 +316,30 @@ function Client.new(dispatchers, transport)
     return result:_notify(method, params)
   end
 
-  return setmetatable(result, { __index = Client })
+  ---@cast result vim.lsp.rpc.Client
+  local self = setmetatable(result, { __index = Client })
+  --- @param body string
+  local function handle_body(body)
+    self:handle_body(body)
+  end
+
+  local function on_exit()
+    ---@diagnostic disable-next-line: invisible
+    self.transport:terminate()
+  end
+
+  --- @param errkind vim.lsp.rpc.ClientErrors
+  local function on_error(err, errkind)
+    self:on_error(errkind, err)
+    if errkind == M.client_errors.INVALID_SERVER_MESSAGE then
+      ---@diagnostic disable-next-line: invisible
+      self.transport:terminate()
+    end
+  end
+
+  local on_read = M.create_read_loop(handle_body, on_exit, on_error)
+  transport:listen(on_read, dispatchers.on_exit)
+  return self
 end
 
 ---@private
@@ -380,47 +403,37 @@ function Client:_request(method, params, callback, notify_reply_callback)
     return false
   end
 
-  self.message_callbacks[message_id] = schedule_wrap(callback)
+  self.message_callbacks[message_id] = vim.schedule_wrap(callback)
   if notify_reply_callback then
-    self.notify_reply_callbacks[message_id] = schedule_wrap(notify_reply_callback)
+    self.notify_reply_callbacks[message_id] = vim.schedule_wrap(notify_reply_callback)
   end
   return result, message_id
 end
 
 ---@package
 ---@param errkind vim.lsp.rpc.ClientErrors
----@param ... any
-function Client:on_error(errkind, ...)
+---@param err any
+function Client:on_error(errkind, err)
   assert(M.client_errors[errkind])
   -- TODO what to do if this fails?
-  pcall(self.dispatchers.on_error, errkind, ...)
-end
-
----@private
----@param errkind integer
----@param status boolean
----@param head any
----@param ... any
----@return boolean status
----@return any head
----@return any? ...
-function Client:pcall_handler(errkind, status, head, ...)
-  if not status then
-    self:on_error(errkind, head, ...)
-    return status, head
-  end
-  return status, head, ...
+  pcall(self.dispatchers.on_error, errkind, err)
 end
 
 ---@private
 ---@param errkind integer
 ---@param fn function
 ---@param ... any
----@return boolean status
----@return any head
----@return any? ...
+---@return boolean success
+---@return any result
+---@return any ...
 function Client:try_call(errkind, fn, ...)
-  return self:pcall_handler(errkind, pcall(fn, ...))
+  local args = vim.F.pack_len(...)
+  return xpcall(function()
+    -- PUC Lua 5.1 xpcall() does not support forwarding extra arguments.
+    return fn(vim.F.unpack_len(args))
+  end, function(err)
+    self:on_error(errkind, err)
+  end)
 end
 
 -- TODO periodically check message_callbacks for old requests past a certain
@@ -434,25 +447,28 @@ function Client:handle_body(body)
   if not ok then
     self:on_error(M.client_errors.INVALID_SERVER_JSON, decoded)
     return
+  elseif type(decoded) ~= 'table' then
+    self:on_error(M.client_errors.INVALID_SERVER_MESSAGE, decoded)
+    return
   end
+
   log.debug('rpc.receive', decoded)
 
-  if type(decoded) ~= 'table' then
-    self:on_error(M.client_errors.INVALID_SERVER_MESSAGE, decoded)
-  elseif type(decoded.method) == 'string' and decoded.id then
-    local err --- @type lsp.ResponseError?
+  -- Received a request.
+  if type(decoded.method) == 'string' and decoded.id then
     -- Schedule here so that the users functions don't trigger an error and
     -- we can still use the result.
     vim.schedule(coroutine.wrap(function()
-      local status, result
-      status, result, err = self:try_call(
+      --- @type boolean, any, lsp.ResponseError?
+      local success, result, err = self:try_call(
         M.client_errors.SERVER_REQUEST_HANDLER_ERROR,
         self.dispatchers.server_request,
         decoded.method,
         decoded.params
       )
-      log.debug('server_request: callback result', { status = status, result = result, err = err })
-      if status then
+      log.debug('server_request: callback result', { status = success, result = result, err = err })
+      -- Dispatcher returns without an exception.
+      if success then
         if result == nil and err == nil then
           error(
             string.format(
@@ -480,10 +496,12 @@ function Client:handle_body(body)
       end
       self:send_response(decoded.id, err, result)
     end))
-  -- Proceed only if exactly one of 'result' or 'error' is present, as required by the LSP spec:
-  -- - If 'error' is nil, then 'result' must be present.
-  -- - If 'result' is nil, then 'error' must be present (and not vim.NIL).
   elseif
+    -- Received a response to a request we sent.
+    -- Proceed only if exactly one of 'result' or 'error' is present,
+    -- as required by the JSON-RPC spec:
+    -- * If 'error' is nil, then 'result' must be present.
+    -- * If 'result' is nil, then 'error' must be present (and not vim.NIL).
     decoded.id
     and (
       (decoded.error == nil and decoded.result ~= nil)
@@ -537,7 +555,7 @@ function Client:handle_body(body)
       log.error('No callback found for server response id ' .. result_id)
     end
   elseif type(decoded.method) == 'string' then
-    -- Notification
+    -- Received a notification.
     self:try_call(
       M.client_errors.NOTIFICATION_HANDLER_ERROR,
       self.dispatchers.notification,
@@ -565,11 +583,11 @@ local function merge_dispatchers(dispatchers)
   ---@type vim.lsp.rpc.Dispatchers
   local merged = {
     notification = (
-      dispatchers.notification and schedule_wrap(dispatchers.notification)
+      dispatchers.notification and vim.schedule_wrap(dispatchers.notification)
       or default_dispatchers.notification
     ),
     on_error = (
-      dispatchers.on_error and schedule_wrap(dispatchers.on_error)
+      dispatchers.on_error and vim.schedule_wrap(dispatchers.on_error)
       or default_dispatchers.on_error
     ),
     on_exit = dispatchers.on_exit or default_dispatchers.on_exit,
@@ -578,26 +596,6 @@ local function merge_dispatchers(dispatchers)
   return merged
 end
 
---- @param client vim.lsp.rpc.Client
---- @param on_exit? fun()
-local function create_client_read_loop(client, on_exit)
-  --- @param body string
-  local function handle_body(body)
-    client:handle_body(body)
-  end
-
-  --- @param errkind vim.lsp.rpc.ClientErrors
-  local function on_error(err, errkind)
-    client:on_error(errkind, err)
-    if errkind == M.client_errors.INVALID_SERVER_MESSAGE then
-      ---@diagnostic disable-next-line: invisible
-      client.transport:terminate()
-    end
-  end
-
-  return M.create_read_loop(handle_body, on_exit, on_error)
-end
-
 --- Create a LSP RPC client factory that connects to either:
 ---
 ---  - a named pipe (windows)
@@ -611,6 +609,8 @@ end
 ---@param port integer? TCP port to connect to. If absent the first argument must be a pipe
 ---@return fun(dispatchers: vim.lsp.rpc.Dispatchers): vim.lsp.rpc.Client
 function M.connect(host_or_path, port)
+  log.info('Connecting RPC client', { host_or_path = host_or_path, port = port })
+
   validate('host_or_path', host_or_path, 'string')
   validate('port', port, 'number', true)
 
@@ -619,14 +619,8 @@ function M.connect(host_or_path, port)
 
     dispatchers = merge_dispatchers(dispatchers)
 
-    local transport = lsp_transport.TransportConnect.new()
-    local client = Client.new(dispatchers, transport)
-    local on_read = create_client_read_loop(client, function()
-      transport:terminate()
-    end)
-    transport:connect(host_or_path, port, on_read, dispatchers.on_exit)
-
-    return client
+    local transport = lsp_transport.TransportConnect.new(host_or_path, port)
+    return Client.new(dispatchers, transport)
   end
 end
 
@@ -653,12 +647,8 @@ function M.start(cmd, dispatchers, extra_spawn_params)
 
   dispatchers = merge_dispatchers(dispatchers)
 
-  local transport = lsp_transport.TransportRun.new()
-  local client = Client.new(dispatchers, transport)
-  local on_read = create_client_read_loop(client)
-  transport:run(cmd, extra_spawn_params, on_read, dispatchers.on_exit)
-
-  return client
+  local transport = lsp_transport.TransportRun.new(cmd, extra_spawn_params)
+  return Client.new(dispatchers, transport)
 end
 
 return M