diff --git a/src/DurableTask.AzureStorage/EntityTrackingStoreQueries.cs b/src/DurableTask.AzureStorage/EntityTrackingStoreQueries.cs
index e6a146833..cdfeae1f2 100644
--- a/src/DurableTask.AzureStorage/EntityTrackingStoreQueries.cs
+++ b/src/DurableTask.AzureStorage/EntityTrackingStoreQueries.cs
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ public async override Task<EntityQueryResult> QueryEntitiesAsync(EntityQuery fil
             var condition = new OrchestrationInstanceStatusQueryCondition()
             {
                 InstanceId = null,
-                InstanceIdPrefix = filter.InstanceIdStartsWith,
+                InstanceIdPrefix = string.IsNullOrEmpty(filter.InstanceIdStartsWith) ? "@" : filter.InstanceIdStartsWith,
                 CreatedTimeFrom = filter.LastModifiedFrom ?? default(DateTime),
                 CreatedTimeTo = filter.LastModifiedTo ?? default(DateTime),
                 FetchInput = filter.IncludeState,
@@ -73,6 +73,11 @@ public async override Task<EntityQueryResult> QueryEntitiesAsync(EntityQuery fil
                 ExcludeEntities = false,
             };
 
+            if (condition.InstanceIdPrefix![0] != '@')
+            {
+                condition.InstanceIdPrefix = $"@{condition.InstanceIdPrefix}";
+            }  
+
             await this.ensureTaskHub();
 
             List<EntityMetadata> entityResult;
@@ -177,8 +182,7 @@ bool OrchestrationIsRunning(OrchestrationStatus? status)
                     if (! OrchestrationIsRunning(ownerState?.OrchestrationStatus))
                     {
                         // the owner is not a running orchestration. Send a lock release.
-                        var targetInstance = new OrchestrationInstance() { InstanceId = lockOwner };
-                        EntityMessageEvent eventToSend = ClientEntityHelpers.EmitUnlockForOrphanedLock(targetInstance, lockOwner);
+                        EntityMessageEvent eventToSend = ClientEntityHelpers.EmitUnlockForOrphanedLock(state.OrchestrationInstance, lockOwner);
                         await this.sendEvent(eventToSend.AsTaskMessage());
                         Interlocked.Increment(ref orphanedLocksReleased);
                     }         
diff --git a/src/DurableTask.AzureStorage/Tracking/OrchestrationInstanceStatusQueryCondition.cs b/src/DurableTask.AzureStorage/Tracking/OrchestrationInstanceStatusQueryCondition.cs
index 46415f98f..37cd5d3cb 100644
--- a/src/DurableTask.AzureStorage/Tracking/OrchestrationInstanceStatusQueryCondition.cs
+++ b/src/DurableTask.AzureStorage/Tracking/OrchestrationInstanceStatusQueryCondition.cs
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ public TableQuery<T> ToTableQuery<T>()
                 this.CreatedTimeTo == default(DateTime) &&
                 this.TaskHubNames == null &&
                 this.InstanceIdPrefix == null &&
-                this.InstanceId == null))
+                this.InstanceId == null &&
+                !this.ExcludeEntities))
             {
                 if (!this.FetchInput || !this.FetchOutput)
                 {