diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a53d9b93a..b302d51e6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -23,3 +23,4 @@ Inspired from [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/)
 ### Documentation
 ### Maintenance
 ### Refactoring
+- Improve error messages for workflow states other than NOT_STARTED ([#642](https://github.com/opensearch-project/flow-framework/pull/642))
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandler.java b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandler.java
index 0547c875a..9e7dd9433 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandler.java
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 
@@ -419,8 +420,8 @@ public void updateTemplateInGlobalContext(
         }
         doesTemplateExist(documentId, templateExists -> {
             if (templateExists) {
-                isWorkflowNotStarted(documentId, workflowIsNotStarted -> {
-                    if (workflowIsNotStarted || ignoreNotStartedCheck) {
+                getProvisioningProgress(documentId, progress -> {
+                    if (ignoreNotStartedCheck || ProvisioningProgress.NOT_STARTED.equals(progress.orElse(null))) {
                         IndexRequest request = new IndexRequest(GLOBAL_CONTEXT_INDEX).id(documentId);
                         try (
                             XContentBuilder builder = XContentFactory.jsonBuilder();
@@ -436,7 +437,9 @@ public void updateTemplateInGlobalContext(
                             listener.onFailure(new FlowFrameworkException(errorMessage, ExceptionsHelper.status(e)));
                         }
                     } else {
-                        String errorMessage = "The template has already been provisioned so it can't be updated: " + documentId;
+                        String errorMessage = "The template can not be updated unless its provisioning state is NOT_STARTED: "
+                            + documentId
+                            + ". Deprovision the workflow to reset the state.";
                         logger.error(errorMessage);
                         listener.onFailure(new FlowFrameworkException(errorMessage, RestStatus.BAD_REQUEST));
                     }
@@ -474,20 +477,24 @@ public <T> void doesTemplateExist(String documentId, Consumer<Boolean> booleanRe
     }
 
     /**
-     * Check if the workflow has been provisioned and executes the consumer by passing a boolean
+     * Check workflow provisioning state and executes the consumer
      *
      * @param documentId document id
-     * @param booleanResultConsumer boolean consumer function based on if workflow is provisioned or not
+     * @param provisioningProgressConsumer consumer function based on if workflow is provisioned.
      * @param listener action listener
      * @param <T> action listener response type
      */
-    public <T> void isWorkflowNotStarted(String documentId, Consumer<Boolean> booleanResultConsumer, ActionListener<T> listener) {
+    public <T> void getProvisioningProgress(
+        String documentId,
+        Consumer<Optional<ProvisioningProgress>> provisioningProgressConsumer,
+        ActionListener<T> listener
+    ) {
         GetRequest getRequest = new GetRequest(WORKFLOW_STATE_INDEX, documentId);
         try (ThreadContext.StoredContext context = client.threadPool().getThreadContext().stashContext()) {
             client.get(getRequest, ActionListener.wrap(response -> {
                 context.restore();
                 if (!response.isExists()) {
-                    booleanResultConsumer.accept(false);
+                    provisioningProgressConsumer.accept(Optional.empty());
                     return;
                 }
                 try (
@@ -495,7 +502,7 @@ public <T> void isWorkflowNotStarted(String documentId, Consumer<Boolean> boolea
                 ) {
                     ensureExpectedToken(XContentParser.Token.START_OBJECT, parser.nextToken(), parser);
                     WorkflowState workflowState = WorkflowState.parse(parser);
-                    booleanResultConsumer.accept(workflowState.getProvisioningProgress().equals(ProvisioningProgress.NOT_STARTED.name()));
+                    provisioningProgressConsumer.accept(Optional.of(ProvisioningProgress.valueOf(workflowState.getProvisioningProgress())));
                 } catch (Exception e) {
                     String errorMessage = "Failed to parse workflow state " + documentId;
                     logger.error(errorMessage, e);
@@ -503,7 +510,7 @@ public <T> void isWorkflowNotStarted(String documentId, Consumer<Boolean> boolea
                 }
             }, exception -> {
                 logger.error("Failed to get workflow state for {} ", documentId);
-                booleanResultConsumer.accept(false);
+                provisioningProgressConsumer.accept(Optional.empty());
             }));
         } catch (Exception e) {
             String errorMessage = "Failed to retrieve workflow state to check provisioning status";
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportAction.java b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportAction.java
index 18ca73f26..add83edfe 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportAction.java
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
-import static java.lang.Boolean.TRUE;
 import static org.opensearch.flowframework.common.CommonValue.ERROR_FIELD;
 import static org.opensearch.flowframework.common.CommonValue.GLOBAL_CONTEXT_INDEX;
 import static org.opensearch.flowframework.common.CommonValue.PROVISIONING_PROGRESS_FIELD;
@@ -132,8 +131,8 @@ protected void doExecute(Task task, WorkflowRequest request, ActionListener<Work
                 );
                 workflowProcessSorter.validate(provisionProcessSequence, pluginsService);
 
-                flowFrameworkIndicesHandler.isWorkflowNotStarted(workflowId, workflowIsNotStarted -> {
-                    if (TRUE.equals(workflowIsNotStarted)) {
+                flowFrameworkIndicesHandler.getProvisioningProgress(workflowId, progress -> {
+                    if (ProvisioningProgress.NOT_STARTED.equals(progress.orElse(null))) {
                         // update state index
                         flowFrameworkIndicesHandler.updateFlowFrameworkSystemIndexDoc(
                             workflowId,
@@ -174,7 +173,11 @@ protected void doExecute(Task task, WorkflowRequest request, ActionListener<Work
                             })
                         );
                     } else {
-                        String errorMessage = "The template has already been provisioned: " + workflowId;
+                        String errorMessage = "The workflow provisioning state is "
+                            + (progress.isPresent() ? progress.get().toString() : "unknown")
+                            + " and can not be provisioned unless its state is NOT_STARTED: "
+                            + workflowId
+                            + ". Deprovision the workflow to reset the state.";
                         logger.info(errorMessage);
                         listener.onFailure(new FlowFrameworkException(errorMessage, RestStatus.BAD_REQUEST));
                     }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandlerTests.java b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandlerTests.java
index f80166b13..645b7c5c8 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandlerTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/indices/FlowFrameworkIndicesHandlerTests.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 import org.opensearch.core.common.bytes.BytesReference;
 import org.opensearch.core.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.TestHelpers;
+import org.opensearch.flowframework.model.ProvisioningProgress;
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.model.Template;
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.model.Workflow;
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.model.WorkflowState;
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 
@@ -253,7 +255,7 @@ public void testInitIndexIfAbsent_IndexNotPresent() {
 
     public void testIsWorkflowProvisionedFailedParsing() {
         String documentId = randomAlphaOfLength(5);
-        Consumer<Boolean> function = mock(Consumer.class);
+        Consumer<Optional<ProvisioningProgress>> function = mock(Consumer.class);
         ActionListener<GetResponse> listener = mock(ActionListener.class);
         WorkflowState workFlowState = new WorkflowState(
             documentId,
@@ -277,7 +279,7 @@ public void testIsWorkflowProvisionedFailedParsing() {
             responseListener.onResponse(new GetResponse(getResult));
             return null;
         }).when(client).get(any(GetRequest.class), any());
-        flowFrameworkIndicesHandler.isWorkflowNotStarted(documentId, function, listener);
+        flowFrameworkIndicesHandler.getProvisioningProgress(documentId, function, listener);
         ArgumentCaptor<Exception> exceptionCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(Exception.class);
         verify(listener, times(1)).onFailure(exceptionCaptor.capture());
         assertTrue(exceptionCaptor.getValue().getMessage().contains("Failed to parse workflow state"));
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/rest/FlowFrameworkRestApiIT.java b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/rest/FlowFrameworkRestApiIT.java
index 0ac1fa543..239756643 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/rest/FlowFrameworkRestApiIT.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/rest/FlowFrameworkRestApiIT.java
@@ -110,7 +110,9 @@ public void testFailedUpdateWorkflow() throws Exception {
             ResponseException.class,
             () -> updateWorkflow(client(), workflowId, template)
         );
-        assertTrue(exceptionProvisioned.getMessage().contains("The template has already been provisioned so it can't be updated"));
+        assertTrue(
+            exceptionProvisioned.getMessage().contains("The template can not be updated unless its provisioning state is NOT_STARTED")
+        );
 
     }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportActionTests.java b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportActionTests.java
index 9e60c0407..5cc11a92d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportActionTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/transport/ProvisionWorkflowTransportActionTests.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import org.opensearch.core.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.TestHelpers;
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.indices.FlowFrameworkIndicesHandler;
+import org.opensearch.flowframework.model.ProvisioningProgress;
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.model.Template;
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.model.Workflow;
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.model.WorkflowEdge;
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 
 import org.mockito.ArgumentCaptor;
@@ -138,10 +140,10 @@ public void testProvisionWorkflow() {
 
         // Bypass isWorkflowNotStarted and force true response
         doAnswer(invocation -> {
-            Consumer<Boolean> boolConsumer = invocation.getArgument(1);
-            boolConsumer.accept(true);
+            Consumer<Optional<ProvisioningProgress>> progressConsumer = invocation.getArgument(1);
+            progressConsumer.accept(Optional.of(ProvisioningProgress.NOT_STARTED));
             return null;
-        }).when(flowFrameworkIndicesHandler).isWorkflowNotStarted(any(), any(), any());
+        }).when(flowFrameworkIndicesHandler).getProvisioningProgress(any(), any(), any());
 
         // Bypass updateFlowFrameworkSystemIndexDoc and stub on response
         doAnswer(invocation -> {
@@ -185,10 +187,10 @@ public void testProvisionWorkflowTwice() {
 
         // Bypass isWorkflowNotStarted and force false response
         doAnswer(invocation -> {
-            Consumer<Boolean> boolConsumer = invocation.getArgument(1);
-            boolConsumer.accept(false);
+            Consumer<Optional<ProvisioningProgress>> progressConsumer = invocation.getArgument(1);
+            progressConsumer.accept(Optional.of(ProvisioningProgress.DONE));
             return null;
-        }).when(flowFrameworkIndicesHandler).isWorkflowNotStarted(any(), any(), any());
+        }).when(flowFrameworkIndicesHandler).getProvisioningProgress(any(), any(), any());
 
         // Bypass updateFlowFrameworkSystemIndexDoc and stub on response
         doAnswer(invocation -> {
@@ -200,7 +202,10 @@ public void testProvisionWorkflowTwice() {
         provisionWorkflowTransportAction.doExecute(mock(Task.class), workflowRequest, listener);
         ArgumentCaptor<Exception> exceptionCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(Exception.class);
         verify(listener, times(1)).onFailure(exceptionCaptor.capture());
-        assertEquals("The template has already been provisioned: 2", exceptionCaptor.getValue().getMessage());
+        assertEquals(
+            "The workflow provisioning state is DONE and can not be provisioned unless its state is NOT_STARTED: 2. Deprovision the workflow to reset the state.",
+            exceptionCaptor.getValue().getMessage()
+        );
     }
 
     public void testFailedToRetrieveTemplateFromGlobalContext() {