diff --git a/kore/src/Kore/Rewrite/SMT/Evaluator.hs b/kore/src/Kore/Rewrite/SMT/Evaluator.hs
index 103a9cacb2..ec082655c5 100644
--- a/kore/src/Kore/Rewrite/SMT/Evaluator.hs
+++ b/kore/src/Kore/Rewrite/SMT/Evaluator.hs
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ import Control.Error (
     MaybeT (..),
     runMaybeT,
  )
+import Control.Exception (IOException)
 import Control.Lens qualified as Lens
+import Control.Monad.Catch qualified as Exception
 import Control.Monad.Counter qualified as Counter
 import Control.Monad.Morph qualified as Morph
 import Control.Monad.State.Strict qualified as State
@@ -186,7 +188,7 @@ decidePredicate onUnknown sideCondition predicates =
             & runMaybeT
   where
     query :: MaybeT Simplifier Result
-    query = SMT.withSolver . evalTranslator $ do
+    query = onErrorUnknown $ SMT.withSolver . evalTranslator $ do
         tools <- Simplifier.askMetadataTools
         Morph.hoist SMT.liftSMT $ do
             predicates' <-
@@ -196,6 +198,9 @@ decidePredicate onUnknown sideCondition predicates =
             traverse_ SMT.assert predicates'
             SMT.check >>= maybe empty return
 
+    onErrorUnknown action =
+        action `Exception.catch` \(_ :: IOException) -> pure Unknown
+
     retry = retryWithScaledTimeout $ query <* debugRetrySolverQuery predicates
 
 retryWithScaledTimeout :: MonadSMT m => m Result -> m Result