diff --git a/lib/galaxy/jobs/runners/__init__.py b/lib/galaxy/jobs/runners/__init__.py
index b1ae1b77cc4..ecf935bd0cb 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/jobs/runners/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/jobs/runners/__init__.py
@@ -413,6 +413,7 @@ class JobState(object):
     runner_states = Bunch(
         WALLTIME_REACHED='walltime_reached',
         MEMORY_LIMIT_REACHED='memory_limit_reached',
+        JOB_OUTPUT_NOT_RETURNED_FROM_CLUSTER='Job output not returned from cluster',
         UNKNOWN_ERROR='unknown_error',
         GLOBAL_WALLTIME_REACHED='global_walltime_reached',
         OUTPUT_SIZE_LIMIT='output_size_limit'
@@ -612,6 +613,7 @@ class AsynchronousJobRunner(Monitors, BaseJobRunner):
 
         # wait for the files to appear
         which_try = 0
+        collect_output_success = True
         while which_try < self.app.config.retry_job_output_collection + 1:
             try:
                 stdout = shrink_stream_by_size(open(job_state.output_file, "r"), DATABASE_MAX_STRING_SIZE, join_by="\n..\n", left_larger=True, beginning_on_size_error=True)
@@ -620,12 +622,19 @@ class AsynchronousJobRunner(Monitors, BaseJobRunner):
             except Exception as e:
                 if which_try == self.app.config.retry_job_output_collection:
                     stdout = ''
-                    stderr = 'Job output not returned from cluster'
+                    stderr = job_state.runner_states.JOB_OUTPUT_NOT_RETURNED_FROM_CLUSTER
                     log.error('(%s/%s) %s: %s' % (galaxy_id_tag, external_job_id, stderr, str(e)))
+                    collect_output_success = False
                 else:
                     time.sleep(1)
                 which_try += 1
 
+        if not collect_output_success:
+            job_state.fail_message = stderr
+            job_state.runner_state = job_state.runner_states.JOB_OUTPUT_NOT_RETURNED_FROM_CLUSTER
+            self.mark_as_failed(job_state)
+            return
+
         try:
             # This should be an 8-bit exit code, but read ahead anyway:
             exit_code_str = open(job_state.exit_code_file, "r").read(32)
diff --git a/lib/galaxy/jobs/runners/state_handlers/resubmit.py b/lib/galaxy/jobs/runners/state_handlers/resubmit.py
index 392d8fbe27f..25ccd5bf8e5 100644
--- a/lib/galaxy/jobs/runners/state_handlers/resubmit.py
+++ b/lib/galaxy/jobs/runners/state_handlers/resubmit.py
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ def failure(app, job_runner, job_state):
     runner_state = getattr(job_state, 'runner_state', None) or JobState.runner_states.UNKNOWN_ERROR
     if (runner_state not in (JobState.runner_states.WALLTIME_REACHED,
                              JobState.runner_states.MEMORY_LIMIT_REACHED,
+                             JobState.runner_states.JOB_OUTPUT_NOT_RETURNED_FROM_CLUSTER,
                              JobState.runner_states.UNKNOWN_ERROR)):
         # not set or not a handleable runner state
         return