diff --git a/flytepropeller/pkg/controller/nodes/array/handler.go b/flytepropeller/pkg/controller/nodes/array/handler.go
index f1e2ef64fc..7dcdef4749 100644
--- a/flytepropeller/pkg/controller/nodes/array/handler.go
+++ b/flytepropeller/pkg/controller/nodes/array/handler.go
@@ -205,10 +205,16 @@ func (a *arrayNodeHandler) Handle(ctx context.Context, nCtx interfaces.NodeExecu
 		}
 
 		// initialize ArrayNode state
-		maxAttempts := int(config.GetConfig().NodeConfig.DefaultMaxAttempts)
-		subNodeSpec := *arrayNode.GetSubNodeSpec()
-		if subNodeSpec.GetRetryStrategy() != nil && subNodeSpec.GetRetryStrategy().MinAttempts != nil {
-			maxAttempts = *subNodeSpec.GetRetryStrategy().MinAttempts
+		maxSystemFailuresValue := int(config.GetConfig().NodeConfig.MaxNodeRetriesOnSystemFailures)
+		maxAttemptsValue := int(config.GetConfig().NodeConfig.DefaultMaxAttempts)
+		if nCtx.Node().GetRetryStrategy() != nil && nCtx.Node().GetRetryStrategy().MinAttempts != nil && *nCtx.Node().GetRetryStrategy().MinAttempts != 1 {
+			maxAttemptsValue = *nCtx.Node().GetRetryStrategy().MinAttempts
+		}
+
+		if config.GetConfig().NodeConfig.IgnoreRetryCause {
+			maxSystemFailuresValue = maxAttemptsValue
+		} else {
+			maxAttemptsValue += maxSystemFailuresValue
 		}
 
 		for _, item := range []struct {
@@ -219,8 +225,8 @@ func (a *arrayNodeHandler) Handle(ctx context.Context, nCtx interfaces.NodeExecu
 			// defined as an `iota` so it is impossible to programmatically get largest value
 			{arrayReference: &arrayNodeState.SubNodePhases, maxValue: int(v1alpha1.NodePhaseRecovered)},
 			{arrayReference: &arrayNodeState.SubNodeTaskPhases, maxValue: len(core.Phases) - 1},
-			{arrayReference: &arrayNodeState.SubNodeRetryAttempts, maxValue: maxAttempts},
-			{arrayReference: &arrayNodeState.SubNodeSystemFailures, maxValue: maxAttempts},
+			{arrayReference: &arrayNodeState.SubNodeRetryAttempts, maxValue: maxAttemptsValue},
+			{arrayReference: &arrayNodeState.SubNodeSystemFailures, maxValue: maxSystemFailuresValue},
 		} {
 
 			*item.arrayReference, err = bitarray.NewCompactArray(uint(size), bitarray.Item(item.maxValue))
diff --git a/flytepropeller/pkg/controller/nodes/array/handler_test.go b/flytepropeller/pkg/controller/nodes/array/handler_test.go
index b2e85c0979..fbb5ae875c 100644
--- a/flytepropeller/pkg/controller/nodes/array/handler_test.go
+++ b/flytepropeller/pkg/controller/nodes/array/handler_test.go
@@ -654,6 +654,126 @@ func TestHandleArrayNodePhaseExecuting(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestHandleArrayNodePhaseExecutingSubNodeFailures(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	inputValues := map[string][]int64{
+		"foo": []int64{1},
+		"bar": []int64{2},
+	}
+	literalMap := convertMapToArrayLiterals(inputValues)
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name               string
+		defaultMaxAttempts int32
+		maxSystemFailures  int64
+		ignoreRetryCause   bool
+		transition         handler.Transition
+		expectedAttempts   int
+	}{
+		{
+			name:               "UserFailure",
+			defaultMaxAttempts: 3,
+			maxSystemFailures:  10,
+			ignoreRetryCause:   false,
+			transition: handler.DoTransition(handler.TransitionTypeEphemeral,
+				handler.PhaseInfoRetryableFailure(idlcore.ExecutionError_USER, "", "", &handler.ExecutionInfo{})),
+			expectedAttempts: 3,
+		},
+		{
+			name:               "SystemFailure",
+			defaultMaxAttempts: 3,
+			maxSystemFailures:  10,
+			ignoreRetryCause:   false,
+			transition: handler.DoTransition(handler.TransitionTypeEphemeral,
+				handler.PhaseInfoRetryableFailure(idlcore.ExecutionError_SYSTEM, "", "", &handler.ExecutionInfo{})),
+			expectedAttempts: 11,
+		},
+		{
+			name:               "UserFailureIgnoreRetryCause",
+			defaultMaxAttempts: 3,
+			maxSystemFailures:  10,
+			ignoreRetryCause:   true,
+			transition: handler.DoTransition(handler.TransitionTypeEphemeral,
+				handler.PhaseInfoRetryableFailure(idlcore.ExecutionError_USER, "", "", &handler.ExecutionInfo{})),
+			expectedAttempts: 3,
+		},
+		{
+			name:               "SystemFailureIgnoreRetryCause",
+			defaultMaxAttempts: 3,
+			maxSystemFailures:  10,
+			ignoreRetryCause:   true,
+			transition: handler.DoTransition(handler.TransitionTypeEphemeral,
+				handler.PhaseInfoRetryableFailure(idlcore.ExecutionError_SYSTEM, "", "", &handler.ExecutionInfo{})),
+			expectedAttempts: 3,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			config.GetConfig().NodeConfig.DefaultMaxAttempts = test.defaultMaxAttempts
+			config.GetConfig().NodeConfig.MaxNodeRetriesOnSystemFailures = test.maxSystemFailures
+			config.GetConfig().NodeConfig.IgnoreRetryCause = test.ignoreRetryCause
+
+			// create NodeExecutionContext
+			scope := promutils.NewTestScope()
+			dataStore, err := storage.NewDataStore(&storage.Config{
+				Type: storage.TypeMemory,
+			}, scope)
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+			eventRecorder := newBufferedEventRecorder()
+			arrayNodeState := &handler.ArrayNodeState{
+				Phase: v1alpha1.ArrayNodePhaseNone,
+			}
+			nCtx := createNodeExecutionContext(dataStore, eventRecorder, nil, literalMap, &arrayNodeSpec, arrayNodeState)
+
+			// initialize ArrayNodeHandler
+			nodeHandler := &mocks.NodeHandler{}
+			nodeHandler.OnAbortMatch(mock.Anything, mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(nil)
+			nodeHandler.OnFinalizeMatch(mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(nil)
+			nodeHandler.OnFinalizeRequired().Return(false)
+			nodeHandler.OnHandleMatch(mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(test.transition, nil)
+
+			arrayNodeHandler, err := createArrayNodeHandler(ctx, t, nodeHandler, dataStore, scope)
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+			// evaluate node to transition to Executing
+			_, err = arrayNodeHandler.Handle(ctx, nCtx)
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, v1alpha1.ArrayNodePhaseExecuting, arrayNodeState.Phase)
+
+			for i := 0; i < len(arrayNodeState.SubNodePhases.GetItems()); i++ {
+				arrayNodeState.SubNodePhases.SetItem(i, bitarray.Item(v1alpha1.NodePhaseRunning))
+			}
+
+			for i := 0; i < len(arrayNodeState.SubNodeTaskPhases.GetItems()); i++ {
+				arrayNodeState.SubNodeTaskPhases.SetItem(i, bitarray.Item(core.PhaseRunning))
+			}
+
+			// evaluate node until failure
+			attempts := 1
+			for {
+				nCtx := createNodeExecutionContext(dataStore, eventRecorder, nil, literalMap, &arrayNodeSpec, arrayNodeState)
+				_, err = arrayNodeHandler.Handle(ctx, nCtx)
+				assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+				if arrayNodeState.Phase == v1alpha1.ArrayNodePhaseFailing {
+					break
+				}
+
+				// failing a task requires two calls to Handle, the first to return a
+				// RetryableFailure and the second to abort. therefore, we only increment the
+				// number of attempts once in this loop.
+				if arrayNodeState.SubNodePhases.GetItem(0) == bitarray.Item(v1alpha1.NodePhaseRetryableFailure) {
+					attempts++
+				}
+			}
+
+			assert.Equal(t, test.expectedAttempts, attempts)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestHandleArrayNodePhaseSucceeding(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.Background()
 	scope := promutils.NewTestScope()