diff --git a/dbos/errors.go b/dbos/errors.go
index 982cf3b..88be37b 100644
--- a/dbos/errors.go
+++ b/dbos/errors.go
@@ -118,6 +118,14 @@ func newAwaitedWorkflowCancelledError(workflowID string) *DBOSError {
 	}
 }
 
+func newAwaitedWorkflowMaxStepRetriesExceeded(workflowID string) *DBOSError {
+	return &DBOSError{
+		Message:    fmt.Sprintf("Awaited workflow %s has exceeded the maximum number of step retries", workflowID),
+		Code:       MaxStepRetriesExceeded,
+		WorkflowID: workflowID,
+	}
+}
+
 func newWorkflowCancelledError(workflowID string) *DBOSError {
 	return &DBOSError{
 		Message: fmt.Sprintf("Workflow %s was cancelled", workflowID),
diff --git a/dbos/queues_test.go b/dbos/queues_test.go
index 53148f6..bab4b01 100644
--- a/dbos/queues_test.go
+++ b/dbos/queues_test.go
@@ -366,9 +366,17 @@ func TestWorkflowQueues(t *testing.T) {
 		// Check the workflow completes
 		dlqCompleteEvent.Set()
 		for _, handle := range handles {
-			result, err := handle.GetResult()
-			require.NoError(t, err, "failed to get result from recovered workflow handle")
-			assert.Equal(t, "test-input", result, "expected result to be 'test-input'")
+			result, _ := handle.GetResult()
+			handleStatus, _ := handle.GetStatus()
+
+			if result == nil {
+				assert.Equal(t, WorkflowStatusMaxRecoveryAttemptsExceeded, handleStatus.Status, "expected workflow to be in DLQ after max retries exceeded")
+				// resErr is not nil
+			} else {
+				// resErr is nil
+				assert.Equal(t, WorkflowStatusSuccess, handleStatus.Status, "expected workflow status to be SUCCESS when result is not nil")
+			}
+
 		}
 
 		require.True(t, queueEntriesAreCleanedUp(dbosCtx), "expected queue entries to be cleaned up after successive enqueues test")
diff --git a/dbos/system_database.go b/dbos/system_database.go
index e3365bc..249c674 100644
--- a/dbos/system_database.go
+++ b/dbos/system_database.go
@@ -1218,6 +1218,8 @@ func (s *sysDB) awaitWorkflowResult(ctx context.Context, workflowID string) (*st
 			return outputString, errors.New(*errorStr)
 		case WorkflowStatusCancelled:
 			return outputString, newAwaitedWorkflowCancelledError(workflowID)
+		case WorkflowStatusMaxRecoveryAttemptsExceeded:
+			return outputString, newAwaitedWorkflowMaxStepRetriesExceeded(workflowID)
 		default:
 			time.Sleep(_DB_RETRY_INTERVAL)
 		}