diff --git a/yarn-project/bb-prover/src/bb/execute.ts b/yarn-project/bb-prover/src/bb/execute.ts
index 6c2d6874255..2b3554c7723 100644
--- a/yarn-project/bb-prover/src/bb/execute.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/bb-prover/src/bb/execute.ts
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ export async function generateAvmProof(
     return {
       status: BB_RESULT.FAILURE,
       reason: `Failed to generate proof. AVM proof for TX hash ${input.hints.tx.hash}. Exit code ${result.exitCode}. Signal ${result.signal}.`,
-      retry: !!result.signal,
+      retry: result.signal === 'SIGKILL', // retry on SIGKILL because the oomkiller might have stopped the process
     };
   } catch (error) {
     return { status: BB_RESULT.FAILURE, reason: `${error}` };
diff --git a/yarn-project/prover-node/src/job/epoch-proving-job.ts b/yarn-project/prover-node/src/job/epoch-proving-job.ts
index 817b9e47ce0..41604a79591 100644
--- a/yarn-project/prover-node/src/job/epoch-proving-job.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/prover-node/src/job/epoch-proving-job.ts
@@ -203,7 +203,9 @@ export class EpochProvingJob implements Traceable {
         return;
       }
       this.log.error(`Error running epoch ${epochNumber} prover job`, err, { uuid: this.uuid, epochNumber });
-      this.state = 'failed';
+      if (this.state === 'processing' || this.state === 'awaiting-prover' || this.state === 'publishing-proof') {
+        this.state = 'failed';
+      }
     } finally {
       clearTimeout(this.deadlineTimeoutHandler);
       await this.epochCheckPromise?.stop();