diff --git a/docs/content/User/StepByStepGuide.md b/docs/content/User/StepByStepGuide.md
index 53bd57662..31be1bd08 100644
--- a/docs/content/User/StepByStepGuide.md
+++ b/docs/content/User/StepByStepGuide.md
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 ## Advanced User Guide
+
 For those who would like to have more control or need some customized setups, here are some step by step instructions of how to setup and deploy a solo network.
+
 ### Setup Kubernetes cluster
 
 #### Remote cluster
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@ Then run the following command to set the kubectl context to the new cluster:
 ```bash
 kind create cluster -n "${SOLO_CLUSTER_NAME}"
 ```
+
 Example output
 
 ```
@@ -48,7 +51,6 @@ Thanks for using kind! 😊
 
 You may now view pods in your cluster using `k9s -A` as below:
 
-
 ```
  Context: kind-solo                                <0> all   <a>       Attach       <ctr… ____  __.________
  Cluster: kind-solo                                          <ctrl-d>  Delete       <l>  |    |/ _/   __   \______
@@ -75,7 +77,6 @@ You may now view pods in your cluster using `k9s -A` as below:
 └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
 ```
 
-
 ### Step by Step Instructions
 
 * Initialize `solo` directories:
@@ -136,13 +137,16 @@ Kubernetes Cluster	: kind-solo
 ✔ Generate gRPC TLS Keys
 ✔ Finalize
 ```
+
 PEM key files are generated in `~/.solo/keys` directory.
+
 ```
 hedera-node1.crt    hedera-node3.crt    s-private-node1.pem s-public-node1.pem  unused-gossip-pem
 hedera-node1.key    hedera-node3.key    s-private-node2.pem s-public-node2.pem  unused-tls
 hedera-node2.crt    hedera-node4.crt    s-private-node3.pem s-public-node3.pem
 hedera-node2.key    hedera-node4.key    s-private-node4.pem s-public-node4.pem
 ```
+
 * Setup cluster with shared components
 
 ```
diff --git a/examples/README.md b/examples/README.md
index ce383a6d5..95ee98d8c 100644
--- a/examples/README.md
+++ b/examples/README.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 * make sure that your current kubeconfig context is pointing to the cluster that you want to deploy to
 * run `task` which will do the rest and deploy the network and take care of many of the pre-requisites
 
-NOTES: 
+NOTES:
 
 * Some of these examples are for running against large clusters with a lot of resources available.
 * the `env` environment variables if set in your shell will take precedence over what is in the Taskfile.yml. e.g. `export HEDERA_SERVICES_ROOT=<path-to-hedera-services-root>`
diff --git a/src/core/lease/interval_lease.ts b/src/core/lease/interval_lease.ts
index 5d54a8338..c610f8453 100644
--- a/src/core/lease/interval_lease.ts
+++ b/src/core/lease/interval_lease.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import {sleep} from '../helpers.js';
 import {Duration} from '../time/duration.js';
 import type {Lease, LeaseRenewalService} from './lease.js';
 import {StatusCodes} from 'http-status-codes';
-import chalk from 'chalk';
 
 /**
  * Concrete implementation of a Kubernetes based time-based mutually exclusive lock via the Coordination API.
@@ -144,14 +143,16 @@ export class IntervalLease implements Lease {
   async acquire(): Promise<void> {
     const lease = await this.retrieveLease();
 
-    if (!lease || IntervalLease.checkExpiration(lease) || this.heldBySameProcess(lease)) {
+    if (!lease || this.heldBySameProcess(lease)) {
       return this.createOrRenewLease(lease);
+    } else if (IntervalLease.checkExpiration(lease)) {
+      return this.transferLease(lease);
     }
 
     const otherHolder: LeaseHolder = LeaseHolder.fromJson(lease.spec.holderIdentity);
 
     if (this.heldBySameMachineIdentity(lease) && !otherHolder.isProcessAlive()) {
-      return await this.transferLease(lease);
+      return this.transferLease(lease);
     }
 
     throw new LeaseAcquisitionError(
@@ -220,7 +221,6 @@ export class IntervalLease implements Lease {
    * @throws LeaseRelinquishmentError - If the lease is already acquired by another process or an error occurs during relinquishment.
    */
   async release(): Promise<void> {
-    this.client.logger.showUser(`${chalk.gray('releasing lease')}`);
     const lease = await this.retrieveLease();
 
     if (this.scheduleId) {
@@ -329,10 +329,8 @@ export class IntervalLease implements Lease {
           this.leaseHolder.toJson(),
           this.durationSeconds,
         );
-      } else if (this.leaseHolder.equals(LeaseHolder.fromJson(lease.spec.holderIdentity))) {
-        await this.client.renewNamespaceLease(this.leaseName, this.namespace, lease);
       } else {
-        await this.client.transferNamespaceLease(lease, this.leaseHolder.toJson());
+        await this.client.renewNamespaceLease(this.leaseName, this.namespace, lease);
       }
 
       if (!this.scheduleId) {