diff --git a/R/avworkflow.R b/R/avworkflow.R
index 9623ff8..dee7a1e 100644
--- a/R/avworkflow.R
+++ b/R/avworkflow.R
@@ -444,7 +444,9 @@ avworkflow_run <-
 #' @description `avworkflow_stop()` stops the most recently submitted workflow
 #'     jub from running.
 #'
-#' @return `avworkflow_stop()` returns NULL, invisibly.
+#' @return `avworkflow_stop()` returns (invisibly) `TRUE` on
+#'     successfully requesting that the workflow stop, `FALSE` if the
+#'     workflow is already aborting, aborted, or done.
 #'
 #' @examples
 #' \dontrun{
@@ -473,19 +475,61 @@ avworkflow_stop <-
 
     if (dry) {
         message(
-            "'avworkflow_stop()' arguments validated, use 'dry = FALSE' ",
-            "to stop ", paste0(namespace, "/", name), " ",
-            "submissionId = ", submissionId
+            .pretty_text(
+                "'avworkflow_stop()' arguments validated, use 'dry = FALSE'",
+                "to stop the submission"
+            ), "\n",
+            "  namespace: ", namespace, "\n",
+            "  name: ", name, "\n",
+            "  submissionId: ", submissionId, "\n"
         )
-        return(invisible(NULL))
+        return(invisible(FALSE))
     }
 
-    abort_workflow <- Rawls()$abortSubmission(
+    terra <- Terra()
+
+    ## only change status of submitted / running workflows. In
+    ## particular do not change the status of 'Done' workflows to
+    ## 'Aborted'. https://github.com/Bioconductor/AnVIL/issues/64
+    response <- terra$monitorSubmission(
         workspaceNamespace = namespace,
         workspaceName = name,
         submissionId = submissionId)
+    .avstop_for_status(response, "avworkflow_stop (current status)")
+    current_status <- content(response, encoding = "UTF-8")$status
+    WORKFLOW_STATUS_ENUM <- c("Aborting", "Aborted", "Done")
+    if (current_status %in% WORKFLOW_STATUS_ENUM) {
+        message(
+            .pretty_text(
+                "'avworkflow_stop()' will not change the status of workflows",
+                "that are already aborting, aborted, or done"
+            ), "\n",
+            "  namespace: ", namespace, "\n",
+            "  name: ", name, "\n",
+            "  submissionId: ", submissionId, "\n",
+            "  current status: ", current_status
+        )
+        return(invisible(FALSE))
+    }
 
-    .avstop_for_status(abort_workflow, "avworkflow_stop")
+    if (dry) {
+        message(
+            .pretty_text(
+                "'avworkflow_stop()' arguments validated, use 'dry = FALSE'",
+                "to stop the submission"
+            ), "\n",
+            "  namespace: ", namespace, "\n",
+            "  name: ", name, "\n",
+            "  submissionId: ", submissionId, "\n"
+        )
+        return(invisible(FALSE))
+    }
+
+    abort_workflow <- terra$abortSubmission(
+        workspaceNamespace = namespace,
+        workspaceName = name,
+        submissionId = submissionId)
+    .avstop_for_status(abort_workflow, "avworkflow_stop (abort workflow)")
 
-    invisible(NULL)
+    invisible(TRUE)
 }
diff --git a/R/utilities.R b/R/utilities.R
index 45d4165..6622df3 100644
--- a/R/utilities.R
+++ b/R/utilities.R
@@ -68,3 +68,8 @@
             paste0(pad, "# ... with ", len, " more elements")
     ), collapse = "\n")
 }
+
+.pretty_text <- function(..., indent = 0L, exdent = 0L) {
+    text <- paste(..., collapse = " ")
+    paste(strwrap(text, indent = indent, exdent = exdent), collapse = "\n")
+}
diff --git a/man/avworkflow.Rd b/man/avworkflow.Rd
index d558a74..8217a12 100644
--- a/man/avworkflow.Rd
+++ b/man/avworkflow.Rd
@@ -135,7 +135,9 @@ name and bucket path of files to be synchronized.
 
 \code{avworkflow_run()} returns \code{config}, invisibly.
 
-\code{avworkflow_stop()} returns NULL, invisibly.
+\code{avworkflow_stop()} returns (invisibly) \code{TRUE} on
+successfully requesting that the workflow stop, \code{FALSE} if the
+workflow is already aborting, aborted, or done.
 }
 \description{
 \code{avworkflows()} returns a tibble summarizing available