diff --git a/utilities/aws_lambda/task_handler.py b/utilities/aws_lambda/task_handler.py
index 695153add..de191ffb9 100644
--- a/utilities/aws_lambda/task_handler.py
+++ b/utilities/aws_lambda/task_handler.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from uuid import UUID
 
 from utilities.aws_lambda.cloud_logs import cloudwatch_url
 from utilities.aws_lambda.default_orchestrator import default_orchestrator
+from domain.tasks.subtasks import SubTaskFailure
 from domain.tasks.tasks import Source
 from orchestration.task_orchestrator import TaskOrchestrator
 
@@ -87,6 +88,19 @@ def task_handler(
                                 work=lambda: func(body, context),
                                 cloud_logs_url=cloud_logs_url,
                             )
+                    except SubTaskFailure as recorded:
+                        # A recorded failure (ADR-0055): run_subtask has already
+                        # failed the SubTask with the structured details — that
+                        # record IS the outcome. Never returned to SQS for retry;
+                        # recovery is a deliberate re-send of the sub_task's
+                        # own inputs.
+                        logger.warning(
+                            "subtask recorded failure, not retrying "
+                            "(task_source=%s subtask_id=%s): %s",
+                            task_source,
+                            subtask_id,
+                            recorded,
+                        )
                     except Exception:
                         logger.exception(
                             "subtask failed (task_source=%s subtask_id=%s)",