diff --git a/articles/node_lifecycle.md b/articles/node_lifecycle.md
index b796e39bb..16f34f673 100644
--- a/articles/node_lifecycle.md
+++ b/articles/node_lifecycle.md
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ There are 4 primary states:
 - `Active`
 - `Finalized`
 
-To transition out of a primary state requires action from an external supervisory process, with the exception of an error being triggered in the `Active` state.
+To transition out of a primary state requires action from an external supervisory process, with the exception of an error being triggered in the `Active` state, the `Inactive` state, or the `Unconfigured`.
 
 There are also 6 transition states which are intermediate states during a requested transition.
 
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ This is the life cycle state the node is in immediately after being instantiated
 This is also the state in which a node may be retuned to after an error has happened.
 In this state there is expected to be no stored state.
 
+If an error that cannot be handled by the node/system occurs in this state, the node will transition to `ErrorProcessing`.
+
 #### Valid transition out
 
 - The node may transition to the `Inactive` state via the `configure` transition.
@@ -89,6 +91,8 @@ Data retention will be subject to the configured QoS policy for the topic.
 
 Any managed service requests to a node in the inactive state will not be answered (to the caller, they will fail immediately).
 
+If an error that cannot be handled by the node/system occurs in this state, the node will transition to `ErrorProcessing`.
+
 #### Valid transitions out of Inactive
 
 - A node may transition to the `Finalized` state via the `shutdown` transition.
@@ -144,6 +148,7 @@ If the cleanup cannot be successfully achieved it will transition to `ErrorProce
 #### Valid transitions out if CleaningUp
 
 - If the `onCleanup` callback succeeds the node will transition to `Unconfigured`.
+- If the `onCleanup` callback results in a failure code, the node will transition back to `Inactive`.
 - If the `onCleanup` callback raises or results in any other return code the node will transition to `ErrorProcessing`.
 
 ### Transition State: Activating
@@ -156,6 +161,7 @@ Ideally, no preparation that requires significant time (such as lengthy hardware
 #### Valid transitions out if Activating
 
 - If the `onActivate` callback succeeds the node will transition to `Active`.
+- If the `onActivate` callback results in a failure code, the node will transition back to `Inactive`.
 - If the `onActivate` callback raises or results in any other return code the node will transition to `ErrorProcessing`.
 
 ### Transition State: Deactivating
@@ -166,6 +172,7 @@ This method is expected to do any cleanup to start executing, and should reverse
 #### Valid transitions out of Deactivating
 
 - If the `onDeactivate` callback succeeds the node will transition to `Inactive`.
+- If the `onDeactivate` callback results in a failure code, the node will transition back to `Active`.
 - If the `onDeactivate` callback raises or results in any other return code the node will transition to `ErrorProcessing`.
 
 ### Transition State: ShuttingDown
@@ -176,7 +183,7 @@ It may be entered from any Primary State except `Finalized`, the originating sta
 
 #### Valid transitions out of ShuttingDown
 
-- If the `onShutdown` callback succeeds the node will transition to `Finalized`.
+- If the `onShutdown` callback succeeds or results in a failure code, the node will transition to `Finalized`.
 - If the `onShutdown` callback raises or results in any other return code the node will transition to `ErrorProcessing`.
 
 ### Transition State: ErrorProcessing
diff --git a/img/node_lifecycle/life_cycle_sm.asta b/img/node_lifecycle/life_cycle_sm.asta
index c5af3a0f8..fbd168955 100644
Binary files a/img/node_lifecycle/life_cycle_sm.asta and b/img/node_lifecycle/life_cycle_sm.asta differ
diff --git a/img/node_lifecycle/life_cycle_sm.png b/img/node_lifecycle/life_cycle_sm.png
index 4830f35d4..854ae56d3 100644
Binary files a/img/node_lifecycle/life_cycle_sm.png and b/img/node_lifecycle/life_cycle_sm.png differ