diff --git a/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/processor/TaskPollingMonitor.groovy b/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/processor/TaskPollingMonitor.groovy
index 4e97543d2e..f65237ca53 100644
--- a/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/processor/TaskPollingMonitor.groovy
+++ b/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/processor/TaskPollingMonitor.groovy
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@
 
 package nextflow.processor
 
+import nextflow.cloud.CloudSpotTerminationException
+import nextflow.exception.FailedGuardException
+import nextflow.exception.ProcessEvalException
+import nextflow.exception.ProcessException
+import nextflow.exception.ProcessRetryableException
+
 import static nextflow.processor.TaskProcessor.*
 
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService
@@ -573,6 +579,16 @@ class TaskPollingMonitor implements TaskMonitor {
                 checkTaskStatus(handler)
             }
             catch (Throwable error) {
+                // At this point NF assumes job is not running, but there could be errors at monitoring that could leave a job running (#5516).
+                // In this case, NF needs to ensure the job is killed.
+                if( error !instanceof ProcessException && error !instanceof ProcessRetryableException && error !instanceof CloudSpotTerminationException
+                     && error !instanceof ProcessEvalException && error !instanceof FailedGuardException) {
+                    try {
+                        handler.kill()
+                    } catch( Throwable t ) {
+                        log.debug("Unable to cancel task ${handler.task.lazyName()} after error", t)
+                    }
+                }
                 handleException(handler, error)
             }
         }