diff --git a/pkg/jobqueue/dbjobqueue/dbjobqueue.go b/pkg/jobqueue/dbjobqueue/dbjobqueue.go
index 0af916077..3aaf382aa 100644
--- a/pkg/jobqueue/dbjobqueue/dbjobqueue.go
+++ b/pkg/jobqueue/dbjobqueue/dbjobqueue.go
@@ -307,11 +307,6 @@ func (q *DBJobQueue) Enqueue(jobType string, args interface{}, dependencies []uu
 }
 
 func (q *DBJobQueue) Dequeue(ctx context.Context, jobTypes []string, channels []string) (uuid.UUID, uuid.UUID, []uuid.UUID, string, json.RawMessage, error) {
-	// Return early if the context is already canceled.
-	if err := ctx.Err(); err != nil {
-		return uuid.Nil, uuid.Nil, nil, "", nil, jobqueue.ErrDequeueTimeout
-	}
-
 	// add ourselves as a dequeuer
 	c := make(chan struct{}, 1)
 	el := q.dequeuers.pushBack(c)
@@ -328,6 +323,9 @@ func (q *DBJobQueue) Dequeue(ctx context.Context, jobTypes []string, channels []
 			break
 		}
 		if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, pgx.ErrNoRows) {
+			if errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) || errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+				return uuid.Nil, uuid.Nil, nil, "", nil, jobqueue.ErrDequeueTimeout
+			}
 			return uuid.Nil, uuid.Nil, nil, "", nil, fmt.Errorf("error dequeuing job: %v", err)
 		}