diff --git a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionService.java b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionService.java
index de9f2376352..c7afc31afc0 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionService.java
+++ b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionService.java
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ public class ExecutionService extends AbstractComponent {
             executor.execute(new WatchExecutionTask(ctx, () -> execute(ctx)));
         } catch (EsRejectedExecutionException e) {
             String message = "failed to run triggered watch [" + triggeredWatch.id() + "] due to thread pool capacity";
-            WatchRecord record = ctx.abortBeforeExecution(ExecutionState.FAILED, message);
+            WatchRecord record = ctx.abortBeforeExecution(ExecutionState.THREADPOOL_REJECTION, message);
             try {
                 if (ctx.overrideRecordOnConflict()) {
                     historyStore.forcePut(record);
diff --git a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionState.java b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionState.java
index 98de4874bc9..c188090e549 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionState.java
+++ b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionState.java
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ public enum ExecutionState {
     // an error in the condition or the execution of the input
     FAILED,
 
+    // a rejection due to a filled up threadpool
+    THREADPOOL_REJECTION,
+
     // the execution was scheduled, but in between the watch was deleted
     NOT_EXECUTED_WATCH_MISSING,
 
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionServiceTests.java b/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionServiceTests.java
index 4a9fbdbab93..7a89a28f1d0 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionServiceTests.java
+++ b/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionServiceTests.java
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.watch.Watch;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.watch.WatchStatus;
 import org.joda.time.DateTime;
 import org.junit.Before;
+import org.mockito.ArgumentCaptor;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.time.Clock;
@@ -831,7 +832,9 @@ public class ExecutionServiceTests extends ESTestCase {
         executionService.executeTriggeredWatches(Collections.singleton(triggeredWatch));
 
         verify(triggeredWatchStore, times(1)).delete(wid);
-        verify(historyStore, times(1)).forcePut(any(WatchRecord.class));
+        ArgumentCaptor<WatchRecord> captor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(WatchRecord.class);
+        verify(historyStore, times(1)).forcePut(captor.capture());
+        assertThat(captor.getValue().state(), is(ExecutionState.THREADPOOL_REJECTION));
     }
 
     public void testThatTriggeredWatchDeletionHappensOnlyIfWatchExists() throws Exception {