diff --git a/packages/payload/src/queues/config/types/taskTypes.ts b/packages/payload/src/queues/config/types/taskTypes.ts
index e225bc8bcb..0a698905a0 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/queues/config/types/taskTypes.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/queues/config/types/taskTypes.ts
@@ -7,14 +7,19 @@ export type TaskInputOutput = {
 }
 export type TaskHandlerResult<
   TTaskSlugOrInputOutput extends keyof TypedJobs['tasks'] | TaskInputOutput,
-> = {
-  output: TTaskSlugOrInputOutput extends keyof TypedJobs['tasks']
-    ? TypedJobs['tasks'][TTaskSlugOrInputOutput]['output']
-    : TTaskSlugOrInputOutput extends TaskInputOutput // Check if it's actually TaskInputOutput type
-      ? TTaskSlugOrInputOutput['output']
-      : never
-  state?: 'failed' | 'succeeded'
-}
+> =
+  | {
+      errorMessage?: string
+      state: 'failed'
+    }
+  | {
+      output: TTaskSlugOrInputOutput extends keyof TypedJobs['tasks']
+        ? TypedJobs['tasks'][TTaskSlugOrInputOutput]['output']
+        : TTaskSlugOrInputOutput extends TaskInputOutput // Check if it's actually TaskInputOutput type
+          ? TTaskSlugOrInputOutput['output']
+          : never
+      state?: 'succeeded'
+    }
 
 export type TaskHandlerArgs<
   TTaskSlugOrInputOutput extends keyof TypedJobs['tasks'] | TaskInputOutput,
@@ -84,6 +89,8 @@ export type RunTaskFunctions = {
   [TTaskSlug in keyof TypedJobs['tasks']]: RunTaskFunction<TTaskSlug>
 }
 
+type MaybePromise<T> = Promise<T> | T
+
 export type RunInlineTaskFunction = <TTaskInput extends object, TTaskOutput extends object>(
   taskID: string,
   taskArgs: {
@@ -103,12 +110,16 @@ export type RunInlineTaskFunction = <TTaskInput extends object, TTaskOutput exte
       job: RunningJob<any>
       req: PayloadRequest
       tasks: RunTaskFunctions
-    }) =>
+    }) => MaybePromise<
+      | {
+          errorMessage?: string
+          state: 'failed'
+        }
       | {
           output: TTaskOutput
-          state?: 'failed' | 'succeeded'
+          state?: 'succeeded'
         }
-      | Promise<{ output: TTaskOutput; state?: 'failed' | 'succeeded' }>
+    >
   },
 ) => Promise<TTaskOutput>
 
diff --git a/packages/payload/src/queues/operations/runJobs/runJob/getRunTaskFunction.ts b/packages/payload/src/queues/operations/runJobs/runJob/getRunTaskFunction.ts
index f2b9f6ad39..9feea2fa13 100644
--- a/packages/payload/src/queues/operations/runJobs/runJob/getRunTaskFunction.ts
+++ b/packages/payload/src/queues/operations/runJobs/runJob/getRunTaskFunction.ts
@@ -48,9 +48,9 @@ export async function handleTaskFailed({
   parent,
   req,
   retriesConfig,
-  runnerOutput,
   state,
   taskConfig,
+  taskHandlerResult,
   taskID,
   taskSlug,
   taskStatus,
@@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ export async function handleTaskFailed({
   parent?: TaskParent
   req: PayloadRequest
   retriesConfig: number | RetryConfig
-  runnerOutput?: TaskHandlerResult<string>
   state: RunTaskFunctionState
   taskConfig?: TaskConfig<string>
+  taskHandlerResult?: TaskHandlerResult<string>
   taskID: string
   taskSlug: string
   taskStatus: null | SingleTaskStatus<string>
@@ -88,7 +88,12 @@ export async function handleTaskFailed({
         message: error.message,
         stack: error.stack,
       }
-    : runnerOutput.state
+    : {
+        message:
+          taskHandlerResult.state === 'failed'
+            ? (taskHandlerResult.errorMessage ?? taskHandlerResult.state)
+            : 'failed',
+      }
 
   job.log.push({
     completedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
@@ -262,8 +267,6 @@ export const getRunTaskFunction = <TIsInline extends boolean>(
         return
       }
 
-      let output: object = {}
-
       let maxRetries: number | undefined = finalRetriesConfig?.attempts
 
       if (maxRetries === undefined || maxRetries === null) {
@@ -278,8 +281,11 @@ export const getRunTaskFunction = <TIsInline extends boolean>(
         }
       }
 
+      let taskHandlerResult: TaskHandlerResult<string>
+      let output: object = {}
+
       try {
-        const runnerOutput = await runner({
+        taskHandlerResult = await runner({
           inlineTask: getRunTaskFunction(state, job, workflowConfig, req, true, updateJob, {
             taskID,
             taskSlug,
@@ -292,29 +298,6 @@ export const getRunTaskFunction = <TIsInline extends boolean>(
             taskSlug,
           }),
         })
-
-        if (runnerOutput.state === 'failed') {
-          await handleTaskFailed({
-            executedAt,
-            input,
-            job,
-            maxRetries,
-            output,
-            parent,
-            req,
-            retriesConfig: finalRetriesConfig,
-            runnerOutput,
-            state,
-            taskConfig,
-            taskID,
-            taskSlug,
-            taskStatus,
-            updateJob,
-          })
-          throw new Error('Task failed')
-        } else {
-          output = runnerOutput.output
-        }
       } catch (err) {
         await handleTaskFailed({
           error: err,
@@ -336,6 +319,29 @@ export const getRunTaskFunction = <TIsInline extends boolean>(
         throw new Error('Task failed')
       }
 
+      if (taskHandlerResult.state === 'failed') {
+        await handleTaskFailed({
+          executedAt,
+          input,
+          job,
+          maxRetries,
+          output,
+          parent,
+          req,
+          retriesConfig: finalRetriesConfig,
+          state,
+          taskConfig,
+          taskHandlerResult,
+          taskID,
+          taskSlug,
+          taskStatus,
+          updateJob,
+        })
+        throw new Error('Task failed')
+      } else {
+        output = taskHandlerResult.output
+      }
+
       if (taskConfig?.onSuccess) {
         await taskConfig.onSuccess()
       }
diff --git a/test/queues/config.ts b/test/queues/config.ts
index 67e1c91265..ac886e2bf4 100644
--- a/test/queues/config.ts
+++ b/test/queues/config.ts
@@ -323,6 +323,44 @@ export default buildConfigWithDefaults({
         ],
         handler: path.resolve(dirname, 'runners/externalTask.ts') + '#externalTaskHandler',
       } as TaskConfig<'ExternalTask'>,
+      {
+        retries: 0,
+        slug: 'ThrowError',
+        inputSchema: [],
+        outputSchema: [],
+        handler: () => {
+          throw new Error('failed')
+        },
+      } as TaskConfig<'ThrowError'>,
+      {
+        retries: 0,
+        slug: 'ReturnError',
+        inputSchema: [],
+        outputSchema: [],
+        handler: () => {
+          return {
+            state: 'failed',
+          }
+        },
+      } as TaskConfig<'ReturnError'>,
+      {
+        retries: 0,
+        slug: 'ReturnCustomError',
+        inputSchema: [
+          {
+            name: 'errorMessage',
+            type: 'text',
+            required: true,
+          },
+        ],
+        outputSchema: [],
+        handler: ({ input }) => {
+          return {
+            state: 'failed',
+            errorMessage: input.errorMessage,
+          }
+        },
+      } as TaskConfig<'ReturnCustomError'>,
     ],
     workflows: [
       updatePostWorkflow,
diff --git a/test/queues/int.spec.ts b/test/queues/int.spec.ts
index 8193988c53..7dd030b9c4 100644
--- a/test/queues/int.spec.ts
+++ b/test/queues/int.spec.ts
@@ -1128,4 +1128,69 @@ describe('Queues', () => {
     // @ts-expect-error
     expect(jobAfterRun.input.amountTask1Retried).toBe(0)
   })
+
+  it('can tasks throw error', async () => {
+    payload.config.jobs.deleteJobOnComplete = false
+
+    const job = await payload.jobs.queue({
+      task: 'ThrowError',
+      input: {},
+    })
+
+    await payload.jobs.run()
+
+    const jobAfterRun = await payload.findByID({
+      collection: 'payload-jobs',
+      id: job.id,
+    })
+
+    expect(jobAfterRun.hasError).toBe(true)
+    expect(jobAfterRun.log?.length).toBe(1)
+    expect(jobAfterRun.log[0].error.message).toBe('failed')
+    expect(jobAfterRun.log[0].state).toBe('failed')
+  })
+
+  it('can tasks return error', async () => {
+    payload.config.jobs.deleteJobOnComplete = false
+
+    const job = await payload.jobs.queue({
+      task: 'ReturnError',
+      input: {},
+    })
+
+    await payload.jobs.run()
+
+    const jobAfterRun = await payload.findByID({
+      collection: 'payload-jobs',
+      id: job.id,
+    })
+
+    expect(jobAfterRun.hasError).toBe(true)
+    expect(jobAfterRun.log?.length).toBe(1)
+    expect(jobAfterRun.log[0].error.message).toBe('failed')
+    expect(jobAfterRun.log[0].state).toBe('failed')
+  })
+
+  it('can tasks return error with custom error message', async () => {
+    payload.config.jobs.deleteJobOnComplete = false
+
+    const job = await payload.jobs.queue({
+      task: 'ReturnCustomError',
+      input: {
+        errorMessage: 'custom error message',
+      },
+    })
+
+    await payload.jobs.run()
+
+    const jobAfterRun = await payload.findByID({
+      collection: 'payload-jobs',
+      id: job.id,
+    })
+
+    expect(jobAfterRun.hasError).toBe(true)
+    expect(jobAfterRun.log?.length).toBe(1)
+    expect(jobAfterRun.log[0].error.message).toBe('custom error message')
+    expect(jobAfterRun.log[0].state).toBe('failed')
+  })
 })