diff --git a/python/mujoco/simulate.cc b/python/mujoco/simulate.cc
index 36fdf407..35532daa 100644
--- a/python/mujoco/simulate.cc
+++ b/python/mujoco/simulate.cc
@@ -97,9 +97,9 @@ class SimulateWrapper {
     }
   }
 
-  void WaitUntilDestroyed() {
+  void WaitUntilExit() {
     // TODO: replace with atomic wait when we migrate to C++20
-    while (!destroyed_.load()) {
+    while (simulate_ && simulate_->exitrequest.load() != 2) {
       std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(10));
     }
   }
@@ -206,8 +206,7 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(_simulate, pymodule) {
                 key_callback),
             scn, cam, opt, pert, is_passive);
       }))
-      .def("destroy", &SimulateWrapper::Destroy,
-           py::call_guard<py::gil_scoped_release>())
+      .def("destroy", &SimulateWrapper::Destroy)
       .def("load_message", CallIfNotNull(&mujoco::Simulate::LoadMessage),
            py::call_guard<py::gil_scoped_release>())
       .def("load", &SimulateWrapper::Load)
@@ -266,9 +265,8 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(_simulate, pymodule) {
 
             int value = 0;
             sim->exitrequest.compare_exchange_strong(value, 1);
-            wrapper.WaitUntilDestroyed();
-          },
-          py::call_guard<py::gil_scoped_release>())
+            wrapper.WaitUntilExit();
+          })
 
       .def_property_readonly("uiloadrequest",
                              CallIfNotNull(+[](mujoco::Simulate& sim) {
diff --git a/python/mujoco/viewer.py b/python/mujoco/viewer.py
index 80621eea..107ee83f 100644
--- a/python/mujoco/viewer.py
+++ b/python/mujoco/viewer.py
@@ -99,35 +99,43 @@ class Handle:
     if sim is not None:
       sim.exit()
 
-  def is_running(self) -> bool:
+  def _get_sim(self) -> Optional[_Simulate]:
     sim = self._sim()
     if sim is not None:
-      return sim.exitrequest < 2
-    return False
+      try:
+        return sim if sim.exitrequest == 0 else None
+      except mujoco.UnexpectedError:
+        # UnexpectedError is raised when accessing `exitrequest` after the
+        # underlying simulate instance has been deleted in C++.
+        return None
+    return None
+
+  def is_running(self) -> bool:
+    return self._get_sim() is not None
 
   def lock(self):
-    sim = self._sim()
+    sim = self._get_sim()
     if sim is not None:
       return sim.lock()
     return contextlib.nullcontext()
 
   def sync(self):
-    sim = self._sim()
+    sim = self._get_sim()
     if sim is not None:
       sim.sync()  # locks internally
 
   def update_hfield(self, hfieldid: int):
-    sim = self._sim()
+    sim = self._get_sim()
     if sim is not None:
       sim.update_hfield(hfieldid)  # locks internally and blocks until done
 
   def update_mesh(self, meshid: int):
-    sim = self._sim()
+    sim = self._get_sim()
     if sim is not None:
       sim.update_mesh(meshid)  # locks internally and blocks until done
 
   def update_texture(self, texid: int):
-    sim = self._sim()
+    sim = self._get_sim()
     if sim is not None:
       sim.update_texture(texid)  # locks internally and blocks until done