diff --git a/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/msq/indexing/IndexerWorkerContext.java b/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/msq/indexing/IndexerWorkerContext.java
index 53cd6e942ea..1bd789df769 100644
--- a/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/msq/indexing/IndexerWorkerContext.java
+++ b/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/main/java/org/apache/druid/msq/indexing/IndexerWorkerContext.java
@@ -190,7 +190,9 @@ public class IndexerWorkerContext implements WorkerContext
         break;
       }
 
-      if (controllerLocations.isClosed() || controllerLocations.getLocations().isEmpty()) {
+      // Note: don't exit on empty location, because that may happen if the Overlord is slow to acknowledge the
+      // location of a task. Only exit on "closed", because that happens only if the task is really no longer running.
+      if (controllerLocations.isClosed()) {
         log.warn(
             "Periodic fetch of controller location returned [%s]. Worker task [%s] will exit.",
             controllerLocations,
diff --git a/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/msq/indexing/IndexerWorkerContextTest.java b/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/msq/indexing/IndexerWorkerContextTest.java
index 2ae8d155d4d..583c21d3407 100644
--- a/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/msq/indexing/IndexerWorkerContextTest.java
+++ b/extensions-core/multi-stage-query/src/test/java/org/apache/druid/msq/indexing/IndexerWorkerContextTest.java
@@ -54,20 +54,6 @@ public class IndexerWorkerContextTest
     );
   }
 
-  @Test
-  public void testControllerCheckerRunnableExitsWhenEmptyStatus()
-  {
-    final ServiceLocator controllerLocatorMock = Mockito.mock(ServiceLocator.class);
-    Mockito.when(controllerLocatorMock.locate())
-           .thenReturn(Futures.immediateFuture(ServiceLocations.forLocations(Collections.emptySet())));
-
-    final Worker workerMock = Mockito.mock(Worker.class);
-
-    indexerWorkerContext.controllerCheckerRunnable(controllerLocatorMock, workerMock);
-    Mockito.verify(controllerLocatorMock, Mockito.times(1)).locate();
-    Mockito.verify(workerMock, Mockito.times(1)).controllerFailed();
-  }
-
   @Test
   public void testControllerCheckerRunnableExitsOnlyWhenClosedStatus()
   {
@@ -76,12 +62,13 @@ public class IndexerWorkerContextTest
            .thenReturn(Futures.immediateFuture(ServiceLocations.forLocation(new ServiceLocation("h", 1, -1, "/"))))
            // Done to check the behavior of the runnable, the situation of exiting after success might not occur actually
            .thenReturn(Futures.immediateFuture(ServiceLocations.forLocation(new ServiceLocation("h", 1, -1, "/"))))
+           .thenReturn(Futures.immediateFuture(ServiceLocations.forLocations(Collections.emptySet())))
            .thenReturn(Futures.immediateFuture(ServiceLocations.closed()));
 
     final Worker workerMock = Mockito.mock(Worker.class);
 
     indexerWorkerContext.controllerCheckerRunnable(controllerLocatorMock, workerMock);
-    Mockito.verify(controllerLocatorMock, Mockito.times(3)).locate();
+    Mockito.verify(controllerLocatorMock, Mockito.times(4)).locate();
     Mockito.verify(workerMock, Mockito.times(1)).controllerFailed();
   }
 }