diff --git a/engines/python/src/main/java/ai/djl/python/engine/PyPredictor.java b/engines/python/src/main/java/ai/djl/python/engine/PyPredictor.java
index dd72112ef..431e74c78 100644
--- a/engines/python/src/main/java/ai/djl/python/engine/PyPredictor.java
+++ b/engines/python/src/main/java/ai/djl/python/engine/PyPredictor.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 import ai.djl.Device;
 import ai.djl.Model;
+import ai.djl.engine.EngineException;
 import ai.djl.inference.Predictor;
 import ai.djl.modality.Input;
 import ai.djl.modality.Output;
@@ -63,6 +64,10 @@ public PyPredictor(
     @Override
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     public List<O> batchPredict(List<I> inputs) throws TranslateException {
+        if (process.isModelUnrecoverable()) {
+            throw new EngineException(
+                    "Backend Python process is unrecoverable. Initiating worker termination");
+        }
         if (!process.isReady()) {
             // TODO: wait for restart
             throw new TranslateException("Backend Python process is stopped.");
diff --git a/engines/python/src/main/java/ai/djl/python/engine/PyProcess.java b/engines/python/src/main/java/ai/djl/python/engine/PyProcess.java
index 562ffdbed..d97efb4f5 100644
--- a/engines/python/src/main/java/ai/djl/python/engine/PyProcess.java
+++ b/engines/python/src/main/java/ai/djl/python/engine/PyProcess.java
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ class PyProcess {
     private CountDownLatch latch;
     private volatile boolean started; // NOPMD
     private volatile boolean modelLoaded; // NOPMD
+    private volatile boolean modelUnrecoverable; // NOPMD
     private AtomicInteger restartCount;
     private CompletableFuture<Void> restartFuture;
     private boolean passiveWorkersMode;
@@ -144,6 +145,8 @@ Output predict(Input inputs, int timeout, boolean initialLoad) {
             if (!initialLoad) {
                 logger.info("Restart python process ...");
                 restartFuture = CompletableFuture.runAsync(this::startPythonProcess);
+            } else {
+                modelUnrecoverable = true;
             }
             if (e instanceof EngineException) {
                 throw (EngineException) e;
@@ -260,6 +263,10 @@ boolean isReady() {
         return started && modelLoaded;
     }
 
+    boolean isModelUnrecoverable() {
+        return modelUnrecoverable;
+    }
+
     private static String[] getHosts(int clusterSize) {
         String leaderAddr = Utils.getenv("DJL_LEADER_ADDR");
         String workerAddrFormat = Utils.getenv("DJL_WORKER_ADDR_FORMAT");