diff --git a/indexing-service/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/indexing/overlord/TaskLockbox.java b/indexing-service/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/indexing/overlord/TaskLockbox.java
index ca4d4526557b..9a2f78542212 100644
--- a/indexing-service/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/indexing/overlord/TaskLockbox.java
+++ b/indexing-service/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/indexing/overlord/TaskLockbox.java
@@ -201,7 +201,6 @@ public int compare(Pair<Task, TaskLock> left, Pair<Task, TaskLock> right)
               task.getId(),
               task.getGroupId()
           );
-          continue;
         }
       }
 
@@ -237,6 +236,7 @@ public int compare(Pair<Task, TaskLock> left, Pair<Task, TaskLock> right)
    * groupId, dataSource, and priority.
    */
   @VisibleForTesting
+  @Nullable
   protected TaskLockPosse verifyAndCreateOrFindLockPosse(Task task, TaskLock taskLock)
   {
     giant.lock();
@@ -297,6 +297,12 @@ protected TaskLockPosse verifyAndCreateOrFindLockPosse(Task task, TaskLock taskL
 
       return createOrFindLockPosse(request);
     }
+    catch (Exception e) {
+      log.error(e,
+                "Could not reacquire lock for task: %s from metadata store", task.getId()
+      );
+      return null;
+    }
     finally {
       giant.unlock();
     }
diff --git a/indexing-service/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/indexing/overlord/TaskLockboxTest.java b/indexing-service/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/indexing/overlord/TaskLockboxTest.java
index 908e554a465e..fd93aff2ba79 100644
--- a/indexing-service/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/indexing/overlord/TaskLockboxTest.java
+++ b/indexing-service/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/indexing/overlord/TaskLockboxTest.java
@@ -449,9 +449,9 @@ public void testSyncFromStorageWithInvalidPriority() throws EntryExistsException
     );
 
     final TaskLockbox lockbox = new TaskLockbox(taskStorage, metadataStorageCoordinator);
-    expectedException.expect(IllegalArgumentException.class);
-    expectedException.expectMessage("lock priority[10] is different from task priority[50]");
-    lockbox.syncFromStorage();
+    TaskLockboxSyncResult result = lockbox.syncFromStorage();
+    Assert.assertEquals(1, result.getTasksToFail().size());
+    Assert.assertTrue(result.getTasksToFail().contains(task));
   }
 
   @Test