diff --git a/internal/backupcontroller/mariadbstrategy_controller_test.go b/internal/backupcontroller/mariadbstrategy_controller_test.go
index a23351584..f03b67d94 100644
--- a/internal/backupcontroller/mariadbstrategy_controller_test.go
+++ b/internal/backupcontroller/mariadbstrategy_controller_test.go
@@ -896,6 +896,7 @@ var mariadbCompleteOutcomeCases = []struct {
 	{name: "Complete=True with an unknown reason keeps waiting", status: metav1.ConditionTrue, reason: "SomethingElse", message: "Something"},
 	{name: "Complete=False/JobComplete keeps waiting", status: metav1.ConditionFalse, reason: mariadbtypes.ConditionReasonJobComplete, message: "Success"},
 	{name: "Complete=False/JobRunning keeps waiting", status: metav1.ConditionFalse, reason: mariadbtypes.ConditionReasonJobRunning, message: "Running"},
+	{name: "Complete=False/Failed keeps waiting", status: metav1.ConditionFalse, reason: "Failed", message: "Error creating Job"},
 	{name: "no Complete condition keeps waiting", noCondition: true},
 	{name: "no Complete condition past the deadline fails", noCondition: true, expired: true, wantFailed: true,
 		wantMessage: []string{"no Complete condition observed"}},
diff --git a/internal/backupcontroller/mariadbtypes/types.go b/internal/backupcontroller/mariadbtypes/types.go
index d9c09f30a..61fc71019 100644
--- a/internal/backupcontroller/mariadbtypes/types.go
+++ b/internal/backupcontroller/mariadbtypes/types.go
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ const (
 	// JobFailed    -> Status=True (terminal failure of the backing Job).
 	// JobRunning   -> Status=False (still in progress).
 	// JobSuspended -> Status=False (admin-suspended via spec).
+	// The operator also writes reason Failed with Status=False and its own
+	// message ("Error creating Job", "Backup not complete") when a run fails
+	// outside its Job. It retries those, so the driver keeps waiting on
+	// Failed until its deadline rather than failing the run at once.
 	ConditionReasonJobComplete  = "JobComplete"
 	ConditionReasonJobFailed    = "JobFailed"
 	ConditionReasonJobRunning   = "JobRunning"