diff --git a/colmena/task_server/base.py b/colmena/task_server/base.py
index 4d42505..94507b3 100644
--- a/colmena/task_server/base.py
+++ b/colmena/task_server/base.py
@@ -124,14 +124,20 @@ def perform_callback(self, future: Future, result: Result, topic: str):
             topic: Topic used to send back to the user
         """
 
+        # Get any exception thrown by the workflow engine
         task_exc = future.exception()
 
-        # The task could have failed at the workflow engine level (task_exc)
-        # or application level (result.failure_info)
-        task_failed = (task_exc is not None) or (result.failure_info is not None)
+        # If it was, send back a modified copy of the input structure
+        if task_exc is not None:
+            # Mark it as unsuccessful and capture the exception information
+            result.success = False
+            result.failure_info = FailureInformation.from_exception(task_exc)
+        else:
+            # If not, the result object is the one we need
+            result = future.result()
 
         # If the task failed and we have retries left, try again
-        if task_failed and result.retries < result.max_retries:
+        if not result.success and result.retries < result.max_retries:
             # Increment the retry count and clear the failure information
             result.retries += 1
             result.failure_info, result.success = None, None
@@ -145,15 +151,7 @@ def perform_callback(self, future: Future, result: Result, topic: str):
             # Do not send the result back to the user
             return
 
-        # If it was, send back a modified copy of the input structure
-        if task_exc is not None:
-            # Mark it as unsuccessful and capture the exception information
-            result.success = False
-            result.failure_info = FailureInformation.from_exception(task_exc)
-        else:
-            # If not, the result object is the one we need
-            result = future.result()
-
+        # Mark the task received timestamp
         result.mark_task_received()
 
         # Put them back in the pipe with the proper topic
diff --git a/colmena/task_server/tests/test_retry.py b/colmena/task_server/tests/test_retry.py
index 8e49504..b1eed3a 100644
--- a/colmena/task_server/tests/test_retry.py
+++ b/colmena/task_server/tests/test_retry.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from typing import Tuple, Generator
-from parsl import ThreadPoolExecutor
+from parsl.executors import HighThroughputExecutor
+from parsl.providers import LocalProvider
 from parsl.config import Config
 from colmena.queue.base import ColmenaQueues
 from colmena.queue.python import PipeQueues
@@ -35,9 +36,20 @@ def reset_retry_count():
 @fixture()
 def config(tmpdir):
     """Make the Parsl configuration."""
+    # We must use a HighThroughputExecutor since the ThreadPoolExecutor
+    # does not serialize the results objects within the task server.
+    # This is necessary to test the retry policy, since otherwise the
+    # failure information stored in the result (needed to check for retries)
+    # is in shared memory and the perform_callback methods input result
+    # will store the previous failure information.
     return Config(
         executors=[
-            ThreadPoolExecutor(max_threads=2)
+            HighThroughputExecutor(
+                    address='localhost',
+                    label='htex',
+                    max_workers_per_node=1,
+                    provider=LocalProvider(init_blocks=1, max_blocks=1),
+                ),
         ],
         strategy=None,
         run_dir=str(tmpdir / 'run'),
@@ -66,7 +78,6 @@ def test_retry_policy_max_retries_zero(server_and_queue, reset_retry_count):
     success_idx = 1
 
     for i in range(4):
-        # The task will fail every other time (setting success_idx=1)
         queue.send_inputs(success_idx, method='retry_task', max_retries=0)
         result = queue.get_result()
         assert result.success == (i % 2 == 1)
@@ -93,8 +104,7 @@ def test_retry_policy_max_retries(server_and_queue, reset_retry_count, success_i
     server, queue = server_and_queue
     server.start()
 
-    # The task will fail every other time (setting success_idx=1)
-    # However, we set max_retries=1, so it should succeed after the first try
+    # Send the task to the queue
     queue.send_inputs(success_idx, method='retry_task', max_retries=max_retries)
     result = queue.get_result()
     assert result is not None