diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/executor/adaptive_executor.c b/src/backend/distributed/executor/adaptive_executor.c
index 5d46bbf7d..a3b707230 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/executor/adaptive_executor.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/executor/adaptive_executor.c
@@ -2102,6 +2102,13 @@ RunDistributedExecution(DistributedExecution *execution)
 
 	PG_TRY();
 	{
+		/* Preemptively step state machines in case of immediate errors */
+		WorkerSession *session = NULL;
+		foreach_ptr(session, execution->sessionList)
+		{
+			ConnectionStateMachine(session);
+		}
+
 		bool cancellationReceived = false;
 
 		int eventSetSize = GetEventSetSize(execution->sessionList);
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/failure_savepoints.out b/src/test/regress/expected/failure_savepoints.out
index a2a113e9a..873eaca5c 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/failure_savepoints.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/failure_savepoints.out
@@ -342,6 +342,39 @@ WHERE shardstate = 3 AND shardid IN (
 (0 rows)
 
 TRUNCATE researchers;
+-- test that we don't mark reference placements unhealthy
+CREATE TABLE ref(a int, b int);
+SELECT create_reference_table('ref');
+ create_reference_table
+---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+(1 row)
+
+SELECT citus.mitmproxy('conn.onQuery(query="^ROLLBACK").kill()');
+ mitmproxy
+---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+(1 row)
+
+BEGIN;
+SAVEPOINT start;
+INSERT INTO ref VALUES (1001,2);
+SELECT * FROM ref;
+  a   | b
+---------------------------------------------------------------------
+ 1001 | 2
+(1 row)
+
+ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT start;
+WARNING:  connection not open
+WARNING:  connection not open
+SELECT * FROM ref;
+WARNING:  connection not open
+WARNING:  connection error: localhost:xxxxx
+WARNING:  connection not open
+WARNING:  connection not open
+ERROR:  connection error: localhost:xxxxx
+END;
 -- clean up
 SELECT citus.mitmproxy('conn.allow()');
  mitmproxy
@@ -351,3 +384,4 @@ SELECT citus.mitmproxy('conn.allow()');
 
 DROP TABLE artists;
 DROP TABLE researchers;
+DROP TABLE ref;
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/failure_savepoints.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/failure_savepoints.sql
index a2b854215..29f74badf 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/failure_savepoints.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/failure_savepoints.sql
@@ -188,7 +188,21 @@ WHERE shardstate = 3 AND shardid IN (
 ) RETURNING placementid;
 TRUNCATE researchers;
 
+-- test that we don't mark reference placements unhealthy
+CREATE TABLE ref(a int, b int);
+SELECT create_reference_table('ref');
+
+SELECT citus.mitmproxy('conn.onQuery(query="^ROLLBACK").kill()');
+BEGIN;
+SAVEPOINT start;
+INSERT INTO ref VALUES (1001,2);
+SELECT * FROM ref;
+ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT start;
+SELECT * FROM ref;
+END;
+
 -- clean up
 SELECT citus.mitmproxy('conn.allow()');
 DROP TABLE artists;
 DROP TABLE researchers;
+DROP TABLE ref;