diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 48e4211ea..3df76b029 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/DiSiqueira/GoTree v1.0.1-0.20180907134536-53a8e837f295
 	github.com/benlaurie/objecthash v0.0.0-20180202135721-d1e3d6079fc1
 	github.com/fatih/color v1.10.0
-	github.com/flyteorg/flyteidl v0.21.0
+	github.com/flyteorg/flyteidl v0.21.1
 	github.com/flyteorg/flyteplugins v0.6.1
 	github.com/flyteorg/flytestdlib v0.3.34
 	github.com/ghodss/yaml v1.0.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 723576d50..e2f5fea66 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -229,8 +229,12 @@ github.com/fatih/color v1.7.0/go.mod h1:Zm6kSWBoL9eyXnKyktHP6abPY2pDugNf5Kwzbycv
 github.com/fatih/color v1.10.0 h1:s36xzo75JdqLaaWoiEHk767eHiwo0598uUxyfiPkDsg=
 github.com/fatih/color v1.10.0/go.mod h1:ELkj/draVOlAH/xkhN6mQ50Qd0MPOk5AAr3maGEBuJM=
 github.com/fatih/structtag v1.2.0/go.mod h1:mBJUNpUnHmRKrKlQQlmCrh5PuhftFbNv8Ys4/aAZl94=
-github.com/flyteorg/flyteidl v0.21.0 h1:AwHNusfxJMfRRSDk2QWfb3aIlyLJrFWVGtpXCbCtJ5A=
+github.com/flyteorg/flyteidl v0.19.2/go.mod h1:576W2ViEyjTpT+kEVHAGbrTP3HARNUZ/eCwrNPmdx9U=
+github.com/flyteorg/flyteidl v0.19.22 h1:e3M0Dob/r5n+AJfAByzad/svMAVes7XfZVxUNCi6AeQ=
+github.com/flyteorg/flyteidl v0.19.22/go.mod h1:576W2ViEyjTpT+kEVHAGbrTP3HARNUZ/eCwrNPmdx9U=
 github.com/flyteorg/flyteidl v0.21.0/go.mod h1:576W2ViEyjTpT+kEVHAGbrTP3HARNUZ/eCwrNPmdx9U=
+github.com/flyteorg/flyteidl v0.21.1 h1:wINIuKv+0xtTD0kR2RF99C5uGYuwflhY78iw+DkiY8o=
+github.com/flyteorg/flyteidl v0.21.1/go.mod h1:576W2ViEyjTpT+kEVHAGbrTP3HARNUZ/eCwrNPmdx9U=
 github.com/flyteorg/flyteplugins v0.6.1 h1:Mq9uM/IN6fXHo03NlXSa+to2GHEom2NAcRWlr+bVH6g=
 github.com/flyteorg/flyteplugins v0.6.1/go.mod h1:rPzV/KS6h0BkgK0Z+CnO6JjY58tzUdYvDLMYS10IKG0=
 github.com/flyteorg/flytestdlib v0.3.13/go.mod h1:Tz8JCECAbX6VWGwFT6cmEQ+RJpZ/6L9pswu3fzWs220=
diff --git a/pkg/controller/handler.go b/pkg/controller/handler.go
index 24afc1115..18c4ae4a2 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/handler.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/handler.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"runtime/debug"
 	"time"
 
+	eventsErr "github.com/flyteorg/flyteidl/clients/go/events/errors"
 	"github.com/flyteorg/flyteidl/gen/pb-go/flyteidl/core"
 
 	"github.com/flyteorg/flytestdlib/contextutils"
@@ -227,6 +228,28 @@ func (p *Propeller) Handle(ctx context.Context, namespace, name string) error {
 				ResetFinalizers(mutatedWf)
 			}
 		}
+
+		// ExecutionNotFound error is returned when flyteadmin is missing the workflow. This is not
+		// a valid state unless we are experiencing a race condition where the workflow has not yet
+		// been inserted into the db (ie. workflow phase is WorkflowPhaseReady).
+		if err != nil && eventsErr.IsNotFound(err) && w.GetExecutionStatus().GetPhase() != v1alpha1.WorkflowPhaseReady {
+			t.Stop()
+			logger.Errorf(ctx, "Failed to process workflow, failing: %s", err)
+
+			// We set the workflow status to failing to abort any active tasks in the next round.
+			mutableW := w.DeepCopy()
+			mutableW.Status.UpdatePhase(v1alpha1.WorkflowPhaseFailing, "Workflow execution is missing in flyteadmin, aborting", &core.ExecutionError{
+				Kind:    core.ExecutionError_SYSTEM,
+				Code:    "ExecutionNotFound",
+				Message: "Workflow execution not found in flyteadmin.",
+			})
+			if _, e := p.wfStore.Update(ctx, mutableW, workflowstore.PriorityClassCritical); e != nil {
+				logger.Errorf(ctx, "Failed to record an ExecutionNotFound workflow as failed, reason: %s. Retrying...", e)
+				return e
+			}
+			return nil
+		}
+
 		// TODO we will need to call updatestatus when it is supported. But to preserve metadata like (label/finalizer) we will need to use update
 
 		// update the GetExecutionStatus block of the FlyteWorkflow resource. UpdateStatus will not
diff --git a/pkg/controller/handler_test.go b/pkg/controller/handler_test.go
index b42667340..dadfe8ddb 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/handler_test.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/handler_test.go
@@ -10,10 +10,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/mock"
 
+	eventErrors "github.com/flyteorg/flyteidl/clients/go/events/errors"
 	"github.com/flyteorg/flyteidl/gen/pb-go/flyteidl/core"
 	v1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
 
 	"github.com/flyteorg/flytepropeller/pkg/controller/config"
+	workflowErrors "github.com/flyteorg/flytepropeller/pkg/controller/workflow/errors"
 	"github.com/flyteorg/flytepropeller/pkg/controller/workflowstore"
 
 	"github.com/flyteorg/flytestdlib/promutils"
@@ -460,6 +462,37 @@ func TestPropeller_Handle(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, 0, len(r.Finalizers))
 		assert.True(t, HasCompletedLabel(r))
 	})
+
+	t.Run("failOnExecutionNotFoundError", func(t *testing.T) {
+		assert.NoError(t, s.Create(ctx, &v1alpha1.FlyteWorkflow{
+			ObjectMeta: v1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name:      name,
+				Namespace: namespace,
+			},
+			WorkflowSpec: &v1alpha1.WorkflowSpec{
+				ID: "w1",
+			},
+			Status: v1alpha1.WorkflowStatus{
+				Phase:          v1alpha1.WorkflowPhaseRunning,
+				FailedAttempts: 0,
+			},
+		}))
+		exec.HandleCb = func(ctx context.Context, w *v1alpha1.FlyteWorkflow) error {
+			return workflowErrors.Wrapf(workflowErrors.EventRecordingError, "",
+				&eventErrors.EventError{
+					Code:    eventErrors.ExecutionNotFound,
+					Cause:   nil,
+					Message: "The execution that the event belongs to does not exist",
+				}, "failed to transition phase")
+		}
+		assert.NoError(t, p.Handle(ctx, namespace, name))
+
+		r, err := s.Get(ctx, namespace, name)
+		assert.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, v1alpha1.WorkflowPhaseFailing, r.GetExecutionStatus().GetPhase())
+		assert.Equal(t, 0, len(r.Finalizers))
+		assert.False(t, HasCompletedLabel(r))
+	})
 }
 
 func TestPropeller_Handle_TurboMode(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/controller/nodes/errors/errors.go b/pkg/controller/nodes/errors/errors.go
index 5db8196aa..69a1d63f9 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/nodes/errors/errors.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/nodes/errors/errors.go
@@ -23,11 +23,29 @@ func (n *NodeError) Error() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("failed at Node[%s]. %v: %v", n.Node, n.ErrCode, n.Message)
 }
 
+func (n *NodeError) Is(target error) bool {
+	t, ok := target.(*NodeError)
+	if !ok {
+		return false
+	}
+	if n == nil && t == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	if n == nil || t == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	return n.ErrCode == t.ErrCode && (n.Message == t.Message || t.Message == "") && (n.Node == t.Node || t.Node == "")
+}
+
 type NodeErrorWithCause struct {
 	NodeError error
 	cause     error
 }
 
+func (n *NodeErrorWithCause) Cause() error {
+	return n.cause
+}
+
 func (n *NodeErrorWithCause) Code() ErrorCode {
 	if asNodeErr, casted := n.NodeError.(*NodeError); casted {
 		return asNodeErr.Code()
@@ -50,7 +68,21 @@ func (n *NodeErrorWithCause) Error() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%v, caused by: %v", nodeError, cause)
 }
 
-func (n *NodeErrorWithCause) Cause() error {
+func (n *NodeErrorWithCause) Is(target error) bool {
+	t, ok := target.(*NodeErrorWithCause)
+	if !ok {
+		return false
+	}
+	if n == nil && t == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	if n == nil || t == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	return n.Is(target) && (n.cause == t.cause || t.cause == nil)
+}
+
+func (n *NodeErrorWithCause) Unwrap() error {
 	return n.cause
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/workflow/errors/errors.go b/pkg/controller/workflow/errors/errors.go
index 4c7b9e8ec..b6695a0fb 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/workflow/errors/errors.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/workflow/errors/errors.go
@@ -21,16 +21,36 @@ func (w *WorkflowError) Error() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("Workflow[%s] failed. %v: %v", w.Workflow, w.Code, w.Message)
 }
 
+func (w *WorkflowError) Is(target error) bool {
+	t, ok := target.(*WorkflowError)
+	if !ok {
+		return false
+	}
+	return w.Code == t.Code
+}
+
 type WorkflowErrorWithCause struct {
 	*WorkflowError
 	cause error
 }
 
+func (w *WorkflowErrorWithCause) Cause() error {
+	return w.cause
+}
+
 func (w *WorkflowErrorWithCause) Error() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%v, caused by: %v", w.WorkflowError.Error(), w.cause)
 }
 
-func (w *WorkflowErrorWithCause) Cause() error {
+func (w *WorkflowErrorWithCause) Is(target error) bool {
+	t, ok := target.(*WorkflowErrorWithCause)
+	if !ok {
+		return false
+	}
+	return w.Code == t.Code && (w.cause == t.cause || t.cause == nil) && (w.Message == t.Message || t.Message == "") && (w.Workflow == t.Workflow || t.Workflow == "")
+}
+
+func (w *WorkflowErrorWithCause) Unwrap() error {
 	return w.cause
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/controller/workflow/executor.go b/pkg/controller/workflow/executor.go
index ccb7e4bd3..ce9a015e0 100644
--- a/pkg/controller/workflow/executor.go
+++ b/pkg/controller/workflow/executor.go
@@ -404,8 +404,10 @@ func (c *workflowExecutor) HandleFlyteWorkflow(ctx context.Context, w *v1alpha1.
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		if err := c.TransitionToPhase(ctx, w.ExecutionID.WorkflowExecutionIdentifier, wStatus, newStatus); err != nil {
-			return err
+		failingErr := c.TransitionToPhase(ctx, w.ExecutionID.WorkflowExecutionIdentifier, wStatus, newStatus)
+		// Ignore ExecutionNotFound error to allow graceful failure
+		if failingErr != nil && !eventsErr.IsNotFound(failingErr) {
+			return failingErr
 		}
 		c.k8sRecorder.Event(w, corev1.EventTypeWarning, v1alpha1.WorkflowPhaseFailed.String(), "Workflow failed.")
 		return nil
@@ -414,8 +416,10 @@ func (c *workflowExecutor) HandleFlyteWorkflow(ctx context.Context, w *v1alpha1.
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		if err := c.TransitionToPhase(ctx, w.ExecutionID.WorkflowExecutionIdentifier, wStatus, newStatus); err != nil {
-			return err
+		failureErr := c.TransitionToPhase(ctx, w.ExecutionID.WorkflowExecutionIdentifier, wStatus, newStatus)
+		// Ignore ExecutionNotFound error to allow graceful failure
+		if failureErr != nil && !eventsErr.IsNotFound(failureErr) {
+			return failureErr
 		}
 		c.k8sRecorder.Event(w, corev1.EventTypeWarning, v1alpha1.WorkflowPhaseFailed.String(), "Workflow failed.")
 		return nil