diff --git a/ecl/agentexec/agentexec.cpp b/ecl/agentexec/agentexec.cpp
index 3cb3364ebb4..58ab247d984 100644
--- a/ecl/agentexec/agentexec.cpp
+++ b/ecl/agentexec/agentexec.cpp
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@ class WaitThread : public CInterfaceOf<IPooledThread>
     virtual void threadmain() override
     {
         Owned<IException> exception;
+        bool sharedK8sJob = false;
         try
         {
             StringAttr jobSpecName(apptype);
@@ -276,6 +277,7 @@ class WaitThread : public CInterfaceOf<IPooledThread>
             bool useChildProcesses = compConfig->getPropBool("@useChildProcesses");
             if (isContainerized() && !useChildProcesses)
             {
+                sharedK8sJob = true;
                 constexpr unsigned queueWaitingTimeoutMs = 10000;
                 constexpr unsigned queueWaitingCheckPeriodMs = 1000;
                 if (!owner.lingerQueue || !queueJobIfQueueWaiting(owner.lingerQueue, item, queueWaitingCheckPeriodMs, queueWaitingCheckPeriodMs))
@@ -337,13 +339,26 @@ class WaitThread : public CInterfaceOf<IPooledThread>
         {
             EXCLOG(exception);
             Owned<IWorkUnitFactory> factory = getWorkUnitFactory();
-            Owned<IWorkUnit> workunit = factory->updateWorkUnit(wuid);
-            if (workunit)
+            Owned<IConstWorkUnit> cw = factory->openWorkUnit(wuid);
+            if (cw)
             {
-                workunit->setState(WUStateFailed);
-                StringBuffer eStr;
-                addExceptionToWorkunit(workunit, SeverityError, "agentexec", exception->errorCode(), exception->errorMessage(eStr).str(), nullptr, 0, 0, 0);
-                workunit->commit();
+                // if either a) NOT a thoragent with useChildProcesses=false (default in k8s config) or b) is still in an executing state
+                if (!sharedK8sJob || (cw->getState() == WUStateRunning) || (cw->getState() == WUStateBlocked) || (cw->getState() == WUStateWait))
+                {
+                    // For a shared k8s job, i.e. where this agent is thoragent launching shared (multiJobLinger) k8s jobs
+                    // the job agent should handle the job state.
+                    // In that scenario, this is a fallback that should only come into effect if the job workflow instance has failed to handle the exception
+                    // e.g. because it abruptly disappeared.
+                    Owned<IWorkUnit> workunit = &cw->lock();
+                    // recheck now locked
+                    if ((workunit->getState() == WUStateRunning) || (workunit->getState() == WUStateBlocked) || (workunit->getState() == WUStateWait))
+                    {
+                        workunit->setState(WUStateFailed);
+                        StringBuffer eStr;
+                        addExceptionToWorkunit(workunit, SeverityError, "agentexec", exception->errorCode(), exception->errorMessage(eStr).str(), nullptr, 0, 0, 0);
+                        workunit->commit();
+                    }
+                }
             }
         }
     }