diff --git a/packages/openworkflow/worker/execution.ts b/packages/openworkflow/worker/execution.ts
index 2352b518..84eb8fc8 100644
--- a/packages/openworkflow/worker/execution.ts
+++ b/packages/openworkflow/worker/execution.ts
@@ -793,15 +793,20 @@ class StepExecutor implements StepApi {
         ? runningAttempt
         : await this.linkChildWorkflowRun(stepName, runningAttempt, request);
 
-    const childId = workflowAttempt.childWorkflowRunId;
-    if (!childId) {
-      return await this.failStepWithError(
+    const failWorkflowStep = (error: Error): Promise<never> =>
+      this.failStepWithError(
         stepName,
         workflowAttempt.id,
+        error,
+        TERMINAL_STEP_RETRY_POLICY,
+      );
+
+    const childId = workflowAttempt.childWorkflowRunId;
+    if (!childId) {
+      return await failWorkflowStep(
         new Error(
           `Workflow step "${stepName}" could not find linked child workflow run`,
         ),
-        TERMINAL_STEP_RETRY_POLICY,
       );
     }
 
@@ -809,23 +814,17 @@ class StepExecutor implements StepApi {
       workflowRunId: childId,
     });
     if (!childRun) {
-      return await this.failStepWithError(
-        stepName,
-        workflowAttempt.id,
+      return await failWorkflowStep(
         new Error(
           `Workflow step "${stepName}" could not find linked child workflow run "${childId}"`,
         ),
-        TERMINAL_STEP_RETRY_POLICY,
       );
     }
 
     // Check timeout before checking child result
     if (hasWorkflowTimedOut(workflowAttempt, childRun)) {
-      return await this.failStepWithError(
-        stepName,
-        workflowAttempt.id,
+      return await failWorkflowStep(
         new Error("Timed out waiting for child workflow to complete"),
-        TERMINAL_STEP_RETRY_POLICY,
       );
     }
 
@@ -844,27 +843,19 @@ class StepExecutor implements StepApi {
 
     // Child failed — propagate its error
     if (childRun.status === "failed") {
-      const childError =
+      return await failWorkflowStep(
         childRun.error === null
           ? new Error(`Child workflow run "${childRun.id}" failed`)
-          : deserializeError(childRun.error);
-      return await this.failStepWithError(
-        stepName,
-        workflowAttempt.id,
-        childError,
-        TERMINAL_STEP_RETRY_POLICY,
+          : deserializeError(childRun.error),
       );
     }
 
     // Child canceled — propagate as error
     if (childRun.status === "canceled") {
-      return await this.failStepWithError(
-        stepName,
-        workflowAttempt.id,
+      return await failWorkflowStep(
         new Error(
           `Workflow step "${stepName}" failed because child workflow run "${childRun.id}" was canceled`,
         ),
-        TERMINAL_STEP_RETRY_POLICY,
       );
     }
 
@@ -1259,6 +1250,20 @@ export async function executeWorkflow(
     params;
   const executionFence = new ExecutionFence();
 
+  /**
+   * Run a backend transition for this workflow run, handling stale-write races.
+   * @param fn - Backend transition to execute
+   * @returns Promise resolved when the transition completes
+   */
+  function runTransition(fn: () => Promise<unknown>): Promise<void> {
+    return executeWorkflowRunTransition({
+      backend,
+      workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
+      workerId,
+      transition: fn,
+    });
+  }
+
   try {
     // load all pages of step history
     const attempts = await listAllStepAttemptsForWorkflowRun(
@@ -1311,55 +1316,39 @@ export async function executeWorkflow(
 
     // mark success
     executionFence.deactivate();
-    await executeWorkflowRunTransition({
-      backend,
-      workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
-      workerId,
-      transition: async () => {
-        await backend.completeWorkflowRun({
-          workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
-          workerId,
-          output: (output ?? null) as JsonValue,
-        });
-      },
-    });
+    await runTransition(() =>
+      backend.completeWorkflowRun({
+        workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
+        workerId,
+        output: (output ?? null) as JsonValue,
+      }),
+    );
   } catch (error) {
     executionFence.deactivate();
 
     // handle sleep signal by parking the workflow in running status
     if (error instanceof SleepSignal) {
-      await executeWorkflowRunTransition({
-        backend,
-        workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
-        workerId,
-        transition: async () => {
-          await backend.sleepWorkflowRun({
-            workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
-            workerId,
-            availableAt: error.resumeAt,
-          });
-        },
-      });
-
+      await runTransition(() =>
+        backend.sleepWorkflowRun({
+          workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
+          workerId,
+          availableAt: error.resumeAt,
+        }),
+      );
       return;
     }
 
     if (error instanceof StepLimitExceededError) {
-      await executeWorkflowRunTransition({
-        backend,
-        workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
-        workerId,
-        transition: async () => {
-          await backend.failWorkflowRun({
-            workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
-            workerId,
-            error: serializeStepLimitExceededError(error),
-            retryPolicy: DEFAULT_WORKFLOW_RETRY_POLICY,
-            attempts: workflowRun.attempts,
-            deadlineAt: workflowRun.deadlineAt,
-          });
-        },
-      });
+      await runTransition(() =>
+        backend.failWorkflowRun({
+          workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
+          workerId,
+          error: serializeStepLimitExceededError(error),
+          retryPolicy: DEFAULT_WORKFLOW_RETRY_POLICY,
+          attempts: workflowRun.attempts,
+          deadlineAt: workflowRun.deadlineAt,
+        }),
+      );
       return;
     }
 
@@ -1375,21 +1364,16 @@ export async function executeWorkflow(
       );
 
       if (retryDecision.status === "failed") {
-        await executeWorkflowRunTransition({
-          backend,
-          workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
-          workerId,
-          transition: async () => {
-            await backend.failWorkflowRun({
-              workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
-              workerId,
-              error: serializedError,
-              retryPolicy: DEFAULT_WORKFLOW_RETRY_POLICY,
-              attempts: workflowRun.attempts,
-              deadlineAt: workflowRun.deadlineAt,
-            });
-          },
-        });
+        await runTransition(() =>
+          backend.failWorkflowRun({
+            workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
+            workerId,
+            error: serializedError,
+            retryPolicy: DEFAULT_WORKFLOW_RETRY_POLICY,
+            attempts: workflowRun.attempts,
+            deadlineAt: workflowRun.deadlineAt,
+          }),
+        );
         return;
       }
 
@@ -1404,19 +1388,14 @@ export async function executeWorkflow(
 
       const availableAt = retryDecision.availableAt;
 
-      await executeWorkflowRunTransition({
-        backend,
-        workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
-        workerId,
-        transition: async () => {
-          await backend.rescheduleWorkflowRunAfterFailedStepAttempt({
-            workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
-            workerId,
-            error: serializedError,
-            availableAt,
-          });
-        },
-      });
+      await runTransition(() =>
+        backend.rescheduleWorkflowRunAfterFailedStepAttempt({
+          workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
+          workerId,
+          error: serializedError,
+          availableAt,
+        }),
+      );
       return;
     }
 
@@ -1425,20 +1404,15 @@ export async function executeWorkflow(
     }
 
     // mark failure
-    await executeWorkflowRunTransition({
-      backend,
-      workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
-      workerId,
-      transition: async () => {
-        await backend.failWorkflowRun({
-          workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
-          workerId,
-          error: serializeError(error),
-          retryPolicy: params.retryPolicy,
-          attempts: workflowRun.attempts,
-          deadlineAt: workflowRun.deadlineAt,
-        });
-      },
-    });
+    await runTransition(() =>
+      backend.failWorkflowRun({
+        workflowRunId: workflowRun.id,
+        workerId,
+        error: serializeError(error),
+        retryPolicy: params.retryPolicy,
+        attempts: workflowRun.attempts,
+        deadlineAt: workflowRun.deadlineAt,
+      }),
+    );
   }
 }