diff --git a/api/onnx_web/chain/base.py b/api/onnx_web/chain/base.py
index 0a300ddc..a3ffb54d 100644
--- a/api/onnx_web/chain/base.py
+++ b/api/onnx_web/chain/base.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from typing import Any, List, Optional, Tuple
 
 from PIL import Image
 
+from ..errors import RetryException
 from ..output import save_image
 from ..params import ImageParams, StageParams
 from ..server import ServerContext
@@ -177,7 +178,7 @@ class ChainPipeline:
                                 run_gc([job.get_device()])
                                 job.retries = job.retries - (i + 1)
 
-                        raise RuntimeError("exhausted retries on tile")
+                        raise RetryException("exhausted retries on tile")
 
                     output = process_tile_order(
                         stage_params.tile_order,
@@ -216,7 +217,7 @@ class ChainPipeline:
                         job.retries = job.retries - (i + 1)
 
                 if job.retries <= 0:
-                    raise RuntimeError("exhausted retries on stage")
+                    raise RetryException("exhausted retries on stage")
 
             logger.debug(
                 "finished stage %s with %s results",
diff --git a/api/onnx_web/errors.py b/api/onnx_web/errors.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c51f2b57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/onnx_web/errors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+class RetryException(Exception):
+    """
+    Used when a chain pipeline has run out of retries.
+    """
+
+    pass
diff --git a/api/onnx_web/worker/worker.py b/api/onnx_web/worker/worker.py
index 17267cc6..8d714722 100644
--- a/api/onnx_web/worker/worker.py
+++ b/api/onnx_web/worker/worker.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from sys import exit
 
 from setproctitle import setproctitle
 
+from ..errors import RetryException
 from ..server import ServerContext, apply_patches
 from ..torch_before_ort import get_available_providers
 from .context import WorkerContext
@@ -69,6 +70,10 @@ def worker_main(worker: WorkerContext, server: ServerContext):
             logger.info("worker got keyboard interrupt")
             worker.fail()
             exit(EXIT_INTERRUPT)
+        except RetryException:
+            logger.info("retry error in worker, exiting: %s")
+            worker.fail()
+            exit(EXIT_ERROR)
         except ValueError:
             logger.exception("value error in worker, exiting: %s")
             worker.fail()