diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/client.cpp b/src/plugins/languageclient/client.cpp
index 296cb9b2ad5..221264c6a39 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/client.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/client.cpp
@@ -861,9 +861,12 @@ QList<Diagnostic> Client::diagnosticsAt(const DocumentUri &uri, const QTextCurso
     return m_diagnosticManager.diagnosticsAt(uri, cursor);
 }
 
-bool Client::start()
+void Client::start()
 {
-    return m_clientInterface->start();
+    if (m_clientInterface->start())
+        LanguageClientManager::clientStarted(this);
+    else
+        LanguageClientManager::clientFinished(this);
 }
 
 bool Client::reset()
diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/client.h b/src/plugins/languageclient/client.h
index 2eac8ee2c03..8cafaaae900 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/client.h
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/client.h
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ public:
         const LanguageServerProtocol::DocumentUri &uri,
         const QTextCursor &cursor) const;
 
-    bool start();
+    void start();
     bool reset();
 
     void log(const QString &message);
diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.cpp b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.cpp
index 52dcf1133c9..54f46cd83d4 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.cpp
@@ -98,28 +98,46 @@ void LanguageClientManager::init()
     managerInstance = new LanguageClientManager(LanguageClientPlugin::instance());
 }
 
-void LanguageClientManager::startClient(Client *client)
+void LanguageClientManager::clientStarted(Client *client)
 {
     QTC_ASSERT(managerInstance, return);
     QTC_ASSERT(client, return);
     if (managerInstance->m_shuttingDown) {
-        managerInstance->clientFinished(client);
+        clientFinished(client);
         return;
     }
-    if (!managerInstance->m_clients.contains(client))
-        managerInstance->m_clients.append(client);
     connect(client, &Client::finished, managerInstance, [client](){
-        managerInstance->clientFinished(client);
+        clientFinished(client);
     });
-    if (client->start())
-        client->initialize();
-    else
-        managerInstance->clientFinished(client);
-
     connect(client,
             &Client::initialized,
             &managerInstance->m_currentDocumentLocatorFilter,
             &DocumentLocatorFilter::updateCurrentClient);
+
+    client->initialize();
+}
+
+void LanguageClientManager::clientFinished(Client *client)
+{
+    QTC_ASSERT(managerInstance, return);
+    constexpr int restartTimeoutS = 5;
+    const bool unexpectedFinish = client->state() != Client::Shutdown
+                                  && client->state() != Client::ShutdownRequested;
+    if (unexpectedFinish && !managerInstance->m_shuttingDown && client->reset()) {
+        client->disconnect(managerInstance);
+        client->log(tr("Unexpectedly finished. Restarting in %1 seconds.").arg(restartTimeoutS));
+        QTimer::singleShot(restartTimeoutS * 1000, client, [client]() { client->start(); });
+        for (TextEditor::TextDocument *document : managerInstance->m_clientForDocument.keys(client))
+            client->deactivateDocument(document);
+    } else {
+        if (unexpectedFinish && !managerInstance->m_shuttingDown)
+            client->log(tr("Unexpectedly finished."));
+        for (TextEditor::TextDocument *document : managerInstance->m_clientForDocument.keys(client))
+            managerInstance->m_clientForDocument.remove(document);
+        deleteClient(client);
+        if (managerInstance->m_shuttingDown && managerInstance->m_clients.isEmpty())
+            emit managerInstance->shutdownFinished();
+    }
 }
 
 Client *LanguageClientManager::startClient(BaseSettings *setting, ProjectExplorer::Project *project)
@@ -130,7 +148,7 @@ Client *LanguageClientManager::startClient(BaseSettings *setting, ProjectExplore
     Client *client = setting->createClient();
     QTC_ASSERT(client, return nullptr);
     client->setCurrentProject(project);
-    startClient(client);
+    client->start();
     managerInstance->m_clientsForSetting[setting->m_id].append(client);
     return client;
 }
@@ -380,28 +398,6 @@ QVector<Client *> LanguageClientManager::reachableClients()
     return Utils::filtered(m_clients, &Client::reachable);
 }
 
-void LanguageClientManager::clientFinished(Client *client)
-{
-    constexpr int restartTimeoutS = 5;
-    const bool unexpectedFinish = client->state() != Client::Shutdown
-            && client->state() != Client::ShutdownRequested;
-    if (unexpectedFinish && !m_shuttingDown && client->reset()) {
-        client->disconnect(this);
-        client->log(tr("Unexpectedly finished. Restarting in %1 seconds.").arg(restartTimeoutS));
-        QTimer::singleShot(restartTimeoutS * 1000, client, [client]() { startClient(client); });
-        for (TextEditor::TextDocument *document : m_clientForDocument.keys(client))
-            client->deactivateDocument(document);
-    } else {
-        if (unexpectedFinish && !m_shuttingDown)
-            client->log(tr("Unexpectedly finished."));
-        for (TextEditor::TextDocument *document : m_clientForDocument.keys(client))
-            m_clientForDocument.remove(document);
-        deleteClient(client);
-        if (m_shuttingDown && m_clients.isEmpty())
-            emit shutdownFinished();
-    }
-}
-
 void LanguageClientManager::editorOpened(Core::IEditor *editor)
 {
     using namespace TextEditor;
diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.h b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.h
index 22c59e3a5cc..0867104e9c8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.h
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientmanager.h
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ public:
 
     static void init();
 
-    static void startClient(Client *client);
+    static void clientStarted(Client *client);
+    static void clientFinished(Client *client);
     static Client *startClient(BaseSettings *setting, ProjectExplorer::Project *project = nullptr);
     static QVector<Client *> clients();
 
@@ -114,8 +115,6 @@ private:
 
     QVector<Client *> reachableClients();
 
-    void clientFinished(Client *client);
-
     bool m_shuttingDown = false;
     QVector<Client *> m_clients;
     QList<BaseSettings *>  m_currentSettings; // owned