diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e945ce9c9..930144301 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 - (Bugfix) Check Connection to the ArangoDB before creating Backup
 - (Feature) Deployment & Members Condition metrics
 - (Maintenance) Update Go to 1.21.8 & Dependencies
+- (Feature) (ArangoBackup) Propagate message during retries
 
 ## [1.2.38](https://github.com/arangodb/kube-arangodb/tree/1.2.38) (2024-02-22)
 - (Feature) Extract GRPC Server
diff --git a/pkg/handlers/backup/state_createerror.go b/pkg/handlers/backup/state_createerror.go
index 9e7428b34..9ee71f3e9 100644
--- a/pkg/handlers/backup/state_createerror.go
+++ b/pkg/handlers/backup/state_createerror.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 //
 // DISCLAIMER
 //
-// Copyright 2023 ArangoDB GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+// Copyright 2023-2024 ArangoDB GmbH, Cologne, Germany
 //
 // Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 // you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ import (
 func stateCreateErrorHandler(h *handler, backup *backupApi.ArangoBackup) (*backupApi.ArangoBackupStatus, error) {
 	if !backup.Spec.Backoff.Enabled() {
 		return wrapUpdateStatus(backup,
-			updateStatusState(backupApi.ArangoBackupStateFailed, "retries are disabled"),
+			updateStatusStateOnly(backupApi.ArangoBackupStateFailed),
+			cleanBackOff(),
 			cleanStatusJob())
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/handlers/backup/state_createerror_test.go b/pkg/handlers/backup/state_createerror_test.go
index 2064f2997..311f6bc10 100644
--- a/pkg/handlers/backup/state_createerror_test.go
+++ b/pkg/handlers/backup/state_createerror_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 //
 // DISCLAIMER
 //
-// Copyright 2023 ArangoDB GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+// Copyright 2023-2024 ArangoDB GmbH, Cologne, Germany
 //
 // Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 // you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -97,7 +97,8 @@ func Test_State_CreateError_Retry_WhenBackoffDisabled_C1(t *testing.T) {
 	// Assert
 	newObj := refreshArangoBackup(t, handler, obj)
 	require.Equal(t, newObj.Status.State, backupApi.ArangoBackupStateFailed)
-	require.Equal(t, newObj.Status.Message, "retries are disabled")
+	require.Nil(t, newObj.Status.Backoff)
+	require.Equal(t, newObj.Status.Message, "")
 }
 
 func Test_State_CreateError_Retry_WhenBackoffDisabled_C2(t *testing.T) {
@@ -126,7 +127,42 @@ func Test_State_CreateError_Retry_WhenBackoffDisabled_C2(t *testing.T) {
 	// Assert
 	newObj := refreshArangoBackup(t, handler, obj)
 	require.Equal(t, newObj.Status.State, backupApi.ArangoBackupStateFailed)
-	require.Equal(t, newObj.Status.Message, "retries are disabled")
+	require.Nil(t, newObj.Status.Backoff)
+	require.Equal(t, newObj.Status.Message, "")
+}
+
+func Test_State_CreateError_Retry_WhenBackoffDisabled_C3(t *testing.T) {
+	// Arrange
+	message := "SomeRandomErrorMessage"
+
+	handler, mock := newErrorsFakeHandler(mockErrorsArangoClientBackup{})
+
+	obj, deployment := newObjectSet(t, backupApi.ArangoBackupStateCreateError)
+
+	obj.Status.Message = message
+
+	backupMeta, err := mock.Create()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	obj.Status.Backup = &backupApi.ArangoBackupDetails{
+		ID:                string(backupMeta.ID),
+		Version:           backupMeta.Version,
+		CreationTimestamp: meta.Now(),
+	}
+
+	obj.Status.Time.Time = time.Now().Add(-2 * downloadDelay)
+
+	// Act
+	createArangoDeployment(t, handler, deployment)
+	createArangoBackup(t, handler, obj)
+
+	require.NoError(t, handler.Handle(context.Background(), tests.NewItem(t, operation.Update, obj)))
+
+	// Assert
+	newObj := refreshArangoBackup(t, handler, obj)
+	require.Equal(t, newObj.Status.State, backupApi.ArangoBackupStateFailed)
+	require.Nil(t, newObj.Status.Backoff)
+	require.Equal(t, newObj.Status.Message, message)
 }
 
 func Test_State_CreateError_Transfer_To_Failed(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/handlers/backup/state_uploaderror.go b/pkg/handlers/backup/state_uploaderror.go
index abfa4edc5..ec4877195 100644
--- a/pkg/handlers/backup/state_uploaderror.go
+++ b/pkg/handlers/backup/state_uploaderror.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 //
 // DISCLAIMER
 //
-// Copyright 2016-2023 ArangoDB GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+// Copyright 2016-2024 ArangoDB GmbH, Cologne, Germany
 //
 // Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 // you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ func stateUploadErrorHandler(h *handler, backup *backupApi.ArangoBackup) (*backu
 	// no more retries - move to failed state
 	if !backup.Status.Backoff.ShouldBackoff(backup.Spec.Backoff) {
 		return wrapUpdateStatus(backup,
-			updateStatusState(backupApi.ArangoBackupStateFailed, "out of Upload retries"),
+			updateStatusStateOnly(backupApi.ArangoBackupStateFailed),
+			cleanBackOff(),
 			cleanStatusJob())
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/handlers/backup/status.go b/pkg/handlers/backup/status.go
index edd80fe9d..cbc177b83 100644
--- a/pkg/handlers/backup/status.go
+++ b/pkg/handlers/backup/status.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 //
 // DISCLAIMER
 //
-// Copyright 2016-2023 ArangoDB GmbH, Cologne, Germany
+// Copyright 2016-2024 ArangoDB GmbH, Cologne, Germany
 //
 // Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 // you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -50,6 +50,15 @@ func updateStatus(backup *backupApi.ArangoBackup, update ...updateStatusFunc) *b
 	return s
 }
 
+func updateStatusStateOnly(state state.State) updateStatusFunc {
+	return func(status *backupApi.ArangoBackupStatus) {
+		if status.State != state {
+			status.Time = meta.Now()
+		}
+		status.State = state
+	}
+}
+
 func updateStatusState(state state.State, template string, a ...interface{}) updateStatusFunc {
 	return func(status *backupApi.ArangoBackupStatus) {
 		if status.State != state {