diff --git a/examples/default/main.tf b/examples/default/main.tf
index c2362c9cee..a85552489c 100644
--- a/examples/default/main.tf
+++ b/examples/default/main.tf
@@ -30,11 +30,11 @@ module "runners" {
     webhook_secret = random_password.random.result
   }
 
-  webhook_lambda_zip                = "lambdas-download/webhook.zip"
-  runner_binaries_syncer_lambda_zip = "lambdas-download/runner-binaries-syncer.zip"
-  runners_lambda_zip                = "lambdas-download/runners.zip"
-  enable_organization_runners       = false
-  runner_extra_labels               = "default,example"
+  # webhook_lambda_zip                = "lambdas-download/webhook.zip"
+  # runner_binaries_syncer_lambda_zip = "lambdas-download/runner-binaries-syncer.zip"
+  # runners_lambda_zip                = "lambdas-download/runners.zip"
+  enable_organization_runners = true
+  runner_extra_labels         = "default,example"
 
   # enable access to the runners via SSM
   enable_ssm_on_runners = true
@@ -61,8 +61,14 @@ module "runners" {
   instance_types = ["m5.large", "c5.large"]
 
   # override delay of events in seconds
-  delay_webhook_event = 0
+  delay_webhook_event = 10
+  //job_queue_retention_in_seconds = 600
+  //job_queue_retention_in_seconds = 60
+  runners_maximum_count = 1
 
   # override scaling down
   scale_down_schedule_expression = "cron(* * * * ? *)"
+
+  enable_ephemeral_runners         = true
+  disable_check_wokflow_job_labels = true
 }
diff --git a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/lambda.ts b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/lambda.ts
index a784c0d059..cd394f6ac2 100644
--- a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/lambda.ts
+++ b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/lambda.ts
@@ -2,21 +2,29 @@ import { scaleUp } from './scale-runners/scale-up';
 import { scaleDown } from './scale-runners/scale-down';
 import { SQSEvent, ScheduledEvent, Context, Callback } from 'aws-lambda';
 import { logger } from './scale-runners/logger';
+import ScaleError from './scale-runners/ScaleError';
 import 'source-map-support/register';
 
 export async function scaleUpHandler(event: SQSEvent, context: Context, callback: Callback): Promise<void> {
   logger.setSettings({ requestId: context.awsRequestId });
   logger.debug(JSON.stringify(event));
-  try {
-    for (const e of event.Records) {
-      await scaleUp(e.eventSource, JSON.parse(e.body));
-    }
-
-    callback(null);
-  } catch (e) {
-    logger.error(e);
-    callback('Failed handling SQS event');
+  // TODO find the a more elegant way :(
+  if (event.Records.length != 1) {
+    logger.warn('Event ignored, only on record at the time can be handled, ensure the lambda batch size is set to 1.');
+    return new Promise((resolve) => resolve());
   }
+
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    scaleUp(event.Records[0].eventSource, JSON.parse(event.Records[0].body))
+      .then(() => resolve())
+      .catch((e: Error) => {
+        if (e instanceof ScaleError) {
+          reject(e);
+        } else {
+          logger.warn('Ignoring error: ', e);
+        }
+      });
+  });
 }
 
 export async function scaleDownHandler(event: ScheduledEvent, context: Context, callback: Callback): Promise<void> {
diff --git a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/runners.ts b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/runners.ts
index 9d152d9007..c1be0adb0d 100644
--- a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/runners.ts
+++ b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/runners.ts
@@ -85,16 +85,19 @@ export async function createRunner(runnerParameters: RunnerInputParameters, laun
     .runInstances(getInstanceParams(launchTemplateName, runnerParameters))
     .promise();
   logger.info('Created instance(s): ', runInstancesResponse.Instances?.map((i) => i.InstanceId).join(','));
+
   const ssm = new SSM();
-  runInstancesResponse.Instances?.forEach(async (i: EC2.Instance) => {
-    await ssm
-      .putParameter({
-        Name: runnerParameters.environment + '-' + (i.InstanceId as string),
-        Value: runnerParameters.runnerServiceConfig,
-        Type: 'SecureString',
-      })
-      .promise();
-  });
+  if (runInstancesResponse.Instances != undefined) {
+    for (let i = 0; i < runInstancesResponse.Instances?.length; i++) {
+      await ssm
+        .putParameter({
+          Name: runnerParameters.environment + '-' + (runInstancesResponse.Instances[i].InstanceId as string),
+          Value: runnerParameters.runnerServiceConfig,
+          Type: 'SecureString',
+        })
+        .promise();
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 function getInstanceParams(
diff --git a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/scale-up.ts b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/scale-up.ts
index 7a71a5d5f8..5eaf9f0de1 100644
--- a/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/scale-up.ts
+++ b/modules/runners/lambdas/runners/src/scale-runners/scale-up.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { createOctoClient, createGithubAppAuth, createGithubInstallationAuth } f
 import yn from 'yn';
 import { Octokit } from '@octokit/rest';
 import { logger as rootLogger } from './logger';
+import ScaleError from './ScaleError';
 
 const logger = rootLogger.getChildLogger();
 
@@ -57,9 +58,7 @@ export async function scaleUp(eventSource: string, payload: ActionRequestMessage
   const runnerType = enableOrgLevel ? 'Org' : 'Repo';
   const runnerOwner = enableOrgLevel ? payload.repositoryOwner : `${payload.repositoryOwner}/${payload.repositoryName}`;
 
-  const isQueued = await getJobStatus(githubInstallationClient, payload);
-  // ephemeral runners should be created on every event, will only work with `workflow_job` events.
-  if (ephemeral || isQueued) {
+  if (ephemeral || (await getJobStatus(githubInstallationClient, payload))) {
     const currentRunners = await listEC2Runners({
       environment,
       runnerType,
@@ -67,7 +66,6 @@ export async function scaleUp(eventSource: string, payload: ActionRequestMessage
     });
     logger.info(`${runnerType} ${runnerOwner} has ${currentRunners.length}/${maximumRunners} runners`);
 
-    // TODO: how to handle the event if the max is reached in case of ephemeral runners
     if (currentRunners.length < maximumRunners) {
       console.info(`Attempting to launch a new runner`);
       // create token
@@ -94,7 +92,10 @@ export async function scaleUp(eventSource: string, payload: ActionRequestMessage
         runnerType,
       });
     } else {
-      logger.info('No runner will be created, maximum number of runners reached.');
+      logger.warn('No runner created: maximum number of runners reached.');
+      if (ephemeral) {
+        throw new ScaleError('No runners create: maximum of runners reached.');
+      }
     }
   }
 }
@@ -139,6 +140,6 @@ export async function createRunnerLoop(runnerParameters: RunnerInputParameters):
     }
   }
   if (launched == false) {
-    throw Error('All launch templates failed');
+    throw new ScaleError('All launch templates failed');
   }
 }
diff --git a/modules/runners/scale-up.tf b/modules/runners/scale-up.tf
index 77057dd400..e217cf4b74 100644
--- a/modules/runners/scale-up.tf
+++ b/modules/runners/scale-up.tf
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ resource "aws_cloudwatch_log_group" "scale_up" {
 resource "aws_lambda_event_source_mapping" "scale_up" {
   event_source_arn = var.sqs_build_queue.arn
   function_name    = aws_lambda_function.scale_up.arn
+  batch_size       = 1
 }
 
 resource "aws_lambda_permission" "scale_runners_lambda" {