diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py
index 2f51f2f4..f4467613 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_processor.py
@@ -419,6 +419,20 @@ class ProcessInstanceProcessor:
     #   * __get_bpmn_process_instance, which takes spec and subprocesses and instantiates and returns a BpmnWorkflow
     def __init__(self, process_instance_model: ProcessInstanceModel, validate_only: bool = False) -> None:
         """Create a Workflow Processor based on the serialized information available in the process_instance model."""
+        with ProcessInstanceQueueService.dequeued(process_instance_model):
+            try:
+                self.setup_processor_with_process_instance(
+                    process_instance_model=process_instance_model, validate_only=validate_only
+                )
+            except Exception as ex:
+                process_instance_model.status = ProcessInstanceStatus.error.value
+                db.session.add(process_instance_model)
+                db.session.commit()
+                raise ex
+
+    def setup_processor_with_process_instance(
+        self, process_instance_model: ProcessInstanceModel, validate_only: bool = False
+    ) -> None:
         tld = current_app.config["THREAD_LOCAL_DATA"]
         tld.process_instance_id = process_instance_model.id
 
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_service.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_service.py
index b8754352..3ec3ab4d 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_service.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/services/process_instance_service.py
@@ -131,9 +131,6 @@ class ProcessInstanceService:
                 continue
             except Exception as e:
                 db.session.rollback()  # in case the above left the database with a bad transaction
-                process_instance.status = ProcessInstanceStatus.error.value
-                db.session.add(process_instance)
-                db.session.commit()
                 error_message = (
                     f"Error running waiting task for process_instance {process_instance.id}"
                     + f"({process_instance.process_model_identifier}). {str(e)}"