diff --git a/ax/service/scheduler.py b/ax/service/scheduler.py
index 4faf63b3f21..7b643b19a94 100644
--- a/ax/service/scheduler.py
+++ b/ax/service/scheduler.py
@@ -77,8 +77,10 @@
 """
 FAILURE_EXCEEDED_MSG = (
     "Failure rate exceeds the tolerated trial failure rate of {f_rate} (at least "
-    "{n_failed} out of first {n_ran} trials failed). Checks are triggered both at "
-    "the end of a optimization and if at least {min_failed} trials have failed."
+    "{n_failed} out of first {n_ran} trials failed or were abandoned). Checks are "
+    "triggered both at the end of a optimization and if at least {min_failed} trials "
+    "have either failed, or have been abandoned, potentially automatically due to "
+    "issues with the trial."
 )
 
 
@@ -850,10 +852,11 @@ def error_if_failure_rate_exceeded(self, force_check: bool = False) -> None:
         ):
             return
 
-        num_ran_in_scheduler = (
-            len(self.experiment.trials) - self._num_preexisting_trials
+        num_ran_in_scheduler = sum(
+            1
+            for idx, t in self.experiment.trials.items()
+            if idx >= self._num_preexisting_trials and t.status.is_terminal
         )
-
         failure_rate_exceeded = (
             num_bad_in_scheduler / num_ran_in_scheduler
         ) > self.options.tolerated_trial_failure_rate