diff --git a/presto-docs/src/main/sphinx/develop/worker-protocol.rst b/presto-docs/src/main/sphinx/develop/worker-protocol.rst
index d3462326d7539..84c1c7c551add 100644
--- a/presto-docs/src/main/sphinx/develop/worker-protocol.rst
+++ b/presto-docs/src/main/sphinx/develop/worker-protocol.rst
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@ along with the results. Then, the client uses that sequence number to request
 the next chunk of results. The client keeps fetching results until it receives
 ``X-Presto-Buffer-Complete`` HTTP header with the value of "true".
 
+If the worker times out populating a response, or the task has already failed
+or been aborted, the worker will return empty results. The client can attempt
+to retry the request. In the case where the task is in a terminal state, it
+is assumed that the Control Plane will eventually handle the state change.
+
 If the client missed a response it can repeat the request and the worker will
 send the results again. Upon receiving an ack for a sequence number, the worker
 deletes all results with the sequence number less than that and the client can
diff --git a/presto-main/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/execution/TaskManager.java b/presto-main/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/execution/TaskManager.java
index c40007df27320..4959e4fdf1725 100644
--- a/presto-main/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/execution/TaskManager.java
+++ b/presto-main/src/main/java/com/facebook/presto/execution/TaskManager.java
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ TaskInfo updateTask(
      * task or buffer has not been created yet, an uninitialized task is
      * created and a future is returned.
      * <p>
+     * Returns empty results if the Task is destroyed, e.g. because it fails
+     * or is aborted, or another request is made for the same data.
+     * <p>
      * NOTE: this design assumes that only tasks and buffers that will
      * eventually exist are queried.
      */
diff --git a/presto-native-execution/presto_cpp/main/TaskManager.cpp b/presto-native-execution/presto_cpp/main/TaskManager.cpp
index 80dd42650c5e8..4600a7a411d6a 100644
--- a/presto-native-execution/presto_cpp/main/TaskManager.cpp
+++ b/presto-native-execution/presto_cpp/main/TaskManager.cpp
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ void keepPromiseAlive(
       [promiseHolder]() mutable { promiseHolder.reset(); });
 }
 
-std::unique_ptr<Result> createTimeOutResult(long token) {
+std::unique_ptr<Result> createEmptyResult(long token) {
   auto result = std::make_unique<Result>();
   result->sequence = result->nextSequence = token;
   result->data = folly::IOBuf::create(0);
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ void getData(
     // Buffer was erased for current TaskId.
     VLOG(1) << "Task " << taskId << ", buffer " << destination << ", sequence "
             << token << ", buffer not found.";
-    promiseHolder->promise.setValue(std::move(createTimeOutResult(token)));
+    promiseHolder->promise.setValue(std::move(createEmptyResult(token)));
   }
 }
 
@@ -805,41 +805,24 @@ folly::Future<std::unique_ptr<Result>> TaskManager::getResults(
   // with incomplete empty pages.
   promiseHolder->atDestruction(
       [token](folly::Promise<std::unique_ptr<Result>> promise) {
-        auto result = std::make_unique<Result>();
-        result->sequence = token;
-        result->nextSequence = token;
-        result->complete = false;
-        result->data = folly::IOBuf::copyBuffer("");
-        promise.setValue(std::move(result));
+        promise.setValue(createEmptyResult(token));
       });
 
-  auto timeoutFn = [this, token]() { return createTimeOutResult(token); };
+  auto timeoutFn = [this, token]() { return createEmptyResult(token); };
 
   try {
     auto prestoTask = findOrCreateTask(taskId);
 
     // If the task is aborted or failed, then return an error.
     if (prestoTask->info.taskStatus.state == protocol::TaskState::ABORTED) {
-      VELOX_USER_FAIL("Calling getResult() on a aborted task: {}", taskId);
+      LOG(WARNING) << "Calling getResult() on a aborted task: " << taskId;
+      promiseHolder->promise.setValue(createEmptyResult(token));
+      return std::move(future).via(httpSrvCpuExecutor_);
     }
     if (prestoTask->error != nullptr) {
-      try {
-        std::rethrow_exception(prestoTask->error);
-      } catch (const VeloxException& e) {
-        VELOX_USER_FAIL(
-            "Calling getResult() on a failed PrestoTask: {}. PrestoTask failure reason: {}",
-            taskId,
-            e.what());
-      } catch (const std::exception& e) {
-        VELOX_USER_FAIL(
-            "Calling getResult() on a failed PrestoTask: {}. PrestoTask failure reason: {}",
-            taskId,
-            e.what());
-      } catch (...) {
-        VELOX_USER_FAIL(
-            "Calling getResult() on a failed PrestoTask: {}. PrestoTask failure reason: UNKNOWN",
-            taskId);
-      }
+      LOG(WARNING) << "Calling getResult() on a failed PrestoTask: " << taskId;
+      promiseHolder->promise.setValue(createEmptyResult(token));
+      return std::move(future).via(httpSrvCpuExecutor_);
     }
 
     for (;;) {
diff --git a/presto-native-execution/presto_cpp/main/tests/TaskManagerTest.cpp b/presto-native-execution/presto_cpp/main/tests/TaskManagerTest.cpp
index df12899cb4806..ba2d45087fb61 100644
--- a/presto-native-execution/presto_cpp/main/tests/TaskManagerTest.cpp
+++ b/presto-native-execution/presto_cpp/main/tests/TaskManagerTest.cpp
@@ -1111,23 +1111,24 @@ TEST_F(TaskManagerTest, getDataOnAbortedTask) {
   ASSERT_TRUE(promiseFulfilled);
 }
 
-TEST_F(TaskManagerTest, getResultsErrorPropagation) {
+TEST_F(TaskManagerTest, getResultsFromFailedTask) {
   const protocol::TaskId taskId = "error-task.0.0.0.0";
   std::exception e;
   taskManager_->createOrUpdateErrorTask(taskId, std::make_exception_ptr(e), 0);
 
-  // We expect the exception type VeloxException to be reserved still.
-  EXPECT_THROW(
-      taskManager_
-          ->getResults(
-              taskId,
-              0,
-              0,
-              protocol::DataSize("32MB"),
-              protocol::Duration("300s"),
-              http::CallbackRequestHandlerState::create())
-          .get(),
-      VeloxException);
+  // We expect to get empty results, rather than an exception.
+  auto results = taskManager_
+                     ->getResults(
+                         taskId,
+                         0,
+                         0,
+                         protocol::DataSize("32MB"),
+                         protocol::Duration("300s"),
+                         http::CallbackRequestHandlerState::create())
+                     .get();
+
+  ASSERT_FALSE(results->complete);
+  ASSERT_EQ(results->data->capacity(), 0);
 }
 
 TEST_F(TaskManagerTest, testCumulativeMemory) {