diff --git a/src/livepeer_gateway/trickle_publisher.py b/src/livepeer_gateway/trickle_publisher.py
index 179de50..2327e45 100644
--- a/src/livepeer_gateway/trickle_publisher.py
+++ b/src/livepeer_gateway/trickle_publisher.py
@@ -120,6 +120,10 @@ def __init__(
         # Preconnected writer state for the next segment.
         self._next_state: Optional[_SegmentPostState] = None
 
+        # Set to True when close() is called so that expected 404s during
+        # teardown are logged at DEBUG level instead of ERROR.
+        self._closing: bool = False
+
         # Terminal failure for the whole publisher. Once set, no new segments
         # should be opened or written.
         self._terminal_error: Optional[TricklePublisherTerminalError] = None
@@ -243,14 +247,27 @@ async def _run_post(self, url: str, seg_state: _SegmentPostState) -> None:
                 continue
             break
 
-        if final_status is not None:
-            _LOG.error("Trickle POST failed url=%s status=%s body=%r", url, final_status, final_body)
-        else:
-            _LOG.error("Trickle POST exception url=%s error=%s", url, final_exc)
         assert final_exc is not None
+        # A 404 during teardown is expected — the orchestrator already closed the
+        # channel before the publisher drained. Downgrade to DEBUG to avoid
+        # noise in logs when this is part of a normal disconnect sequence.
+        is_teardown_404 = (final_status == 404 and self._closing)
+        if is_teardown_404:
+            if final_status is not None:
+                _LOG.debug("Trickle POST 404 during teardown (expected) url=%s", url)
+            else:
+                _LOG.debug("Trickle POST exception during teardown url=%s error=%s", url, final_exc)
+        else:
+            if final_status is not None:
+                _LOG.error("Trickle POST failed url=%s status=%s body=%r", url, final_status, final_body)
+            else:
+                _LOG.error("Trickle POST exception url=%s error=%s", url, final_exc)
         self._record_segment_failure(final_exc, seg_state)
         if final_status == 404 and self._terminal_error is None:
-            _LOG.error("Trickle publisher channel does not exist url=%s", self.url)
+            if is_teardown_404:
+                _LOG.debug("Trickle publisher channel gone during teardown url=%s", self.url)
+            else:
+                _LOG.error("Trickle publisher channel does not exist url=%s", self.url)
             terminal_exc = TricklePublisherTerminalError(
                 "Trickle publisher channel does not exist",
                 consecutive_failures=self._consecutive_failures,
@@ -389,6 +406,10 @@ async def close(self) -> None:
         if self._session is None and self._lock is None and self._next_state is None:
             return
 
+        # Signal that we are in teardown so in-flight POSTs can downgrade 404
+        # log levels — the orchestrator may have already closed the channel.
+        self._closing = True
+
         try:
             await self._ensure_runtime()
         # Close is best-effort; suppress cancellation/runtime-init failures.