diff --git a/flyteplugins/go/tasks/pluginmachinery/internal/webapi/launcher_test.go b/flyteplugins/go/tasks/pluginmachinery/internal/webapi/launcher_test.go
index 85ba42d0c6..4533b1d851 100644
--- a/flyteplugins/go/tasks/pluginmachinery/internal/webapi/launcher_test.go
+++ b/flyteplugins/go/tasks/pluginmachinery/internal/webapi/launcher_test.go
@@ -79,8 +79,9 @@ func Test_launch(t *testing.T) {
 
 		plgn := newPluginWithProperties(webapi.PluginConfig{})
 		plgn.OnCreate(ctx, tCtx).Return("", nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating"))
-		_, _, err := launch(ctx, plgn, tCtx, c, &s)
-		assert.Error(t, err)
+		_, phase, err := launch(ctx, plgn, tCtx, c, &s)
+		assert.Nil(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, core.PhasePermanentFailure, phase.Phase())
 	})
 
 	t.Run("Failed to cache", func(t *testing.T) {