diff --git a/app/models/miq_queue_worker_base/runner.rb b/app/models/miq_queue_worker_base/runner.rb
index b9f251e1fb9..f4a1d73b67b 100644
--- a/app/models/miq_queue_worker_base/runner.rb
+++ b/app/models/miq_queue_worker_base/runner.rb
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def thresholds_exceeded?
   def get_message_via_drb
     loop do
       begin
-        msg_id, lock_version = @worker_monitor_drb.get_queue_message(@worker.pid)
+        msg_id, lock_version = worker_monitor_drb.get_queue_message(@worker.pid)
       rescue DRb::DRbError => err
         do_exit("Error communicating with WorkerMonitor because <#{err.message}>", 1)
       end
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ def get_message_via_drb
         _log.debug("#{log_prefix} #{MiqQueue.format_short_log_msg(msg)} stale, retrying...")
         next
       rescue => err
+        msg.update_column(:state, MiqQueue::STATUS_ERROR)
         raise _("%{log} \"%{error}\" attempting to get next message") % {:log => log_prefix, :error => err}
       end
     end
diff --git a/spec/factories/miq_worker.rb b/spec/factories/miq_worker.rb
index 7f2f9651654..698a62e6cde 100644
--- a/spec/factories/miq_worker.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/miq_worker.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     status "ready"
   end
 
+  factory :miq_generic_worker, :class => "MiqGenericWorker", :parent => :miq_worker
   factory :miq_ui_worker, :class => "MiqUiWorker", :parent => :miq_worker
   factory :miq_websocket_worker, :class => "MiqWebsocketWorker", :parent => :miq_worker
 
diff --git a/spec/models/miq_queue_worker_base/runner_spec.rb b/spec/models/miq_queue_worker_base/runner_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..63193f6a3ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/models/miq_queue_worker_base/runner_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+describe MiqQueueWorkerBase::Runner do
+  context "#get_message_via_drb" do
+    let(:server) { EvmSpecHelper.local_miq_server }
+    let(:worker) { FactoryGirl.create(:miq_generic_worker, :miq_server => server, :pid => 123) }
+    let(:runner) do
+      allow_any_instance_of(MiqQueueWorkerBase::Runner).to receive(:sync_active_roles)
+      allow_any_instance_of(MiqQueueWorkerBase::Runner).to receive(:sync_config)
+      allow_any_instance_of(MiqQueueWorkerBase::Runner).to receive(:set_connection_pool_size)
+      described_class.new(:guid => worker.guid)
+    end
+
+    it "sets message to 'error' and raises for unhandled exceptions" do
+      # simulate what may happen if invalid yaml is deserialized
+      allow_any_instance_of(MiqQueue).to receive(:args).and_raise(ArgumentError)
+      q1 = FactoryGirl.create(:miq_queue)
+      allow(runner)
+        .to receive(:worker_monitor_drb)
+        .and_return(double(:get_queue_message => [q1.id, q1.lock_version]))
+
+      expect { runner.get_message_via_drb }.to raise_error(StandardError)
+      expect(q1.reload.state).to eql(MiqQueue::STATUS_ERROR)
+    end
+  end
+end