diff --git a/server/matchmaker.go b/server/matchmaker.go
index 05942fbabdb41a3814e537a63f2e74d31616607c..bd34c6a772590ba69a403015d30461376e5bbd33 100644
--- a/server/matchmaker.go
+++ b/server/matchmaker.go
@@ -314,17 +314,6 @@ func (m *LocalMatchmaker) Process() {
 
 	m.Unlock()
 
-	indexReader, err := m.indexWriter.Reader()
-	if err != nil {
-		m.logger.Error("error accessing index reader", zap.Error(err))
-		return
-	}
-	defer func() {
-		if err := indexReader.Close(); err != nil {
-			m.logger.Error("error closing index reader", zap.Error(err))
-		}
-	}()
-
 	var threshold bool
 	var timer *time.Timer
 	if m.active.Load() == 1 && m.revThresholdFn != nil {
@@ -386,14 +375,22 @@ func (m *LocalMatchmaker) Process() {
 		// matches are equivalent, the longest waiting tickets first.
 		searchRequest.SortBy([]string{"-_score", "created_at"})
 
+		indexReader, err := m.indexWriter.Reader()
+		if err != nil {
+			m.logger.Error("error accessing index reader", zap.Error(err))
+			continue
+		}
+
 		result, err := indexReader.Search(m.ctx, searchRequest)
 		if err != nil {
+			_ = indexReader.Close()
 			m.logger.Error("error searching index", zap.Error(err))
 			continue
 		}
 
 		blugeMatches, err := IterateBlugeMatches(result, map[string]struct{}{}, m.logger)
 		if err != nil {
+			_ = indexReader.Close()
 			m.logger.Error("error iterating search results", zap.Error(err))
 			continue
 		}
@@ -592,22 +589,33 @@ func (m *LocalMatchmaker) Process() {
 
 				matchedEntries = append(matchedEntries, currentMatchedEntries)
 
+				var batchSize int
+				batch := bluge.NewBatch()
 				// Mark tickets as unavailable for further use in this process iteration.
 				for _, currentMatchedEntry := range currentMatchedEntries {
 					if _, found := selectedTickets[currentMatchedEntry.Ticket]; found {
 						continue
 					}
 					selectedTickets[currentMatchedEntry.Ticket] = struct{}{}
+					batchSize++
+					batch.Delete(bluge.Identifier(currentMatchedEntry.Ticket))
+				}
+				if batchSize > 0 {
+					if err := m.indexWriter.Batch(batch); err != nil {
+						m.logger.Error("error deleting matchmaker process entries batch", zap.Error(err))
+					}
 				}
 
 				break
 			}
 		}
+		err = indexReader.Close()
+		if err != nil {
+			m.logger.Error("error closing index reader", zap.Error(err))
+			continue
+		}
 	}
 
-	var batchSize int
-	batch := bluge.NewBatch()
-
 	m.Lock()
 
 	for _, ticket := range expiredActiveIndexes {
@@ -636,8 +644,6 @@ func (m *LocalMatchmaker) Process() {
 		ticketsToDelete := make(map[string]struct{}, len(currentMatchedEntries))
 		for _, entry := range currentMatchedEntries {
 			if _, ok := ticketsToDelete[entry.Ticket]; !ok {
-				batchSize++
-				batch.Delete(bluge.Identifier(entry.Ticket))
 				ticketsToDelete[entry.Ticket] = struct{}{}
 			}
 			delete(m.indexes, entry.Ticket)
@@ -662,12 +668,6 @@ func (m *LocalMatchmaker) Process() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if batchSize > 0 {
-		if err := m.indexWriter.Batch(batch); err != nil {
-			m.logger.Error("error deleting matchmaker process entries batch", zap.Error(err))
-		}
-	}
-
 	m.Unlock()
 
 	if matchedEntriesCount := len(matchedEntries); matchedEntriesCount > 0 {