diff --git a/scripts/node_cleanup.py b/scripts/node_cleanup.py
index f1f5b0be2..c260df8a6 100755
--- a/scripts/node_cleanup.py
+++ b/scripts/node_cleanup.py
@@ -13,13 +13,23 @@ def main():
     stale = query.find_stale_locks(args.owner)
     if not stale:
         return
+    by_owner = {}
+    for node in stale:
+        if args.owner and node['locked_by'] != args.owner:
+            log.warning(
+                f"Node {node['name']} expected to be locked by {args.owner} "
+                f"but found {node['locked_by']} instead"
+            )
+            continue
+        by_owner.setdefault(node['locked_by'], []).append(node)
     if args.dry_run:
         log.info("Would attempt to unlock:")
-        for node in stale:
-            log.info(f"{node['name']}\t{node['description']}")
+        for owner, nodes in by_owner.items():
+            for node in nodes:
+                log.info(f"{node['name']}\t{node['description']}")
     else:
-        names = [node["name"] for node in stale]
-        ops.unlock_safe(names, args.owner)
+        for owner, nodes in by_owner.items():
+            ops.unlock_safe([node["name"] for node in nodes], owner)
 
 def parse_args(argv):
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
diff --git a/teuthology/lock/ops.py b/teuthology/lock/ops.py
index 9ea3e7865..da21dc7d7 100644
--- a/teuthology/lock/ops.py
+++ b/teuthology/lock/ops.py
@@ -175,7 +175,6 @@ def lock_one(name, user=None, description=None):
 
 
 def unlock_safe(names: List[str], owner: str, run_name: str = "", job_id: str = ""):
-    # names = [misc.canonicalize_hostname(name, user=None) for name in names]
     with teuthology.parallel.parallel() as p:
         for name in names:
             p.spawn(unlock_one_safe, name, owner, run_name, job_id)
diff --git a/teuthology/lock/query.py b/teuthology/lock/query.py
index 8e043b4db..731f8a1b5 100644
--- a/teuthology/lock/query.py
+++ b/teuthology/lock/query.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import os
 import requests
 
-from typing import Union
+from typing import Dict, List, Union
 
 from teuthology import misc
 from teuthology.config import config
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def list_locks(keyed_by_name=False, tries=10, **kwargs):
     return dict()
 
 
-def find_stale_locks(owner=None):
+def find_stale_locks(owner=None) -> List[Dict]:
     """
     Return a list of node dicts corresponding to nodes that were locked to run
     a job, but the job is no longer running. The purpose of this is to enable
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ def node_active_job(name: str, status: Union[dict, None] = None) -> Union[str, N
 
     :param node:  The node dict as returned from the lock server
     :param cache: A set() used for caching results
-    :returns:     True or False
+    :returns:     A string if the node has an active job, or None if not
     """
     status = status or get_status(name)
     if not status:
@@ -144,6 +144,9 @@ def node_active_job(name: str, status: Union[dict, None] = None) -> Union[str, N
         return "node had no status"
     description = status['description']
     (run_name, job_id) = description.split('/')[-2:]
+    if not run_name or job_id == '':
+        # We thought this node might have a stale job, but no.
+        return "node description does not contained scheduled job info"
     url = f"{config.results_server}/runs/{run_name}/jobs/{job_id}/"
     job_status = ""
     with safe_while(