diff --git a/python/ray/workflow/common.py b/python/ray/workflow/common.py
index 6461fbab251e..2813498ef549 100644
--- a/python/ray/workflow/common.py
+++ b/python/ray/workflow/common.py
@@ -216,12 +216,10 @@ def make(
     ):
         if max_retries is None:
             max_retries = 3
-        elif not isinstance(max_retries, int) or max_retries < 1:
-            raise ValueError("max_retries should be greater or equal to 1.")
+        elif not isinstance(max_retries, int) or max_retries < -1:
+            raise ValueError("'max_retries' only accepts 0, -1 or a positive integer.")
         if catch_exceptions is None:
             catch_exceptions = False
-        if max_retries is None:
-            max_retries = 3
         if not isinstance(checkpoint, bool) and checkpoint is not None:
             raise ValueError("'checkpoint' should be None or a boolean.")
         if ray_options is None:
diff --git a/python/ray/workflow/step_executor.py b/python/ray/workflow/step_executor.py
index b7aa091593a1..ec261bac5e89 100644
--- a/python/ray/workflow/step_executor.py
+++ b/python/ray/workflow/step_executor.py
@@ -318,28 +318,39 @@ def _wrap_run(
     """
     exception = None
     result = None
+    done = False
     # max_retries are for application level failure.
     # For ray failure, we should use max_retries.
-    for i in range(runtime_options.max_retries):
-        logger.info(
-            f"{get_step_status_info(WorkflowStatus.RUNNING)}"
-            f"\t[{i + 1}/{runtime_options.max_retries}]"
-        )
+    i = 0
+    while not done:
+        if i == 0:
+            logger.info(f"{get_step_status_info(WorkflowStatus.RUNNING)}")
+        else:
+            total_retries = (
+                runtime_options.max_retries
+                if runtime_options.max_retries != -1
+                else "inf"
+            )
+            logger.info(
+                f"{get_step_status_info(WorkflowStatus.RUNNING)}"
+                f"\tretries: [{i}/{total_retries}]"
+            )
         try:
             result = func(*args, **kwargs)
             exception = None
-            break
+            done = True
         except BaseException as e:
-            if i + 1 == runtime_options.max_retries:
+            if i == runtime_options.max_retries:
                 retry_msg = "Maximum retry reached, stop retry."
+                exception = e
+                done = True
             else:
                 retry_msg = "The step will be retried."
+                i += 1
             logger.error(
                 f"{workflow_context.get_name()} failed with error message"
                 f" {e}. {retry_msg}"
             )
-            exception = e
-
     step_type = runtime_options.step_type
     if runtime_options.catch_exceptions:
         if step_type == StepType.FUNCTION:
diff --git a/python/ray/workflow/tests/test_basic_workflows.py b/python/ray/workflow/tests/test_basic_workflows.py
index 7e03a323e8e5..bd046b4263c2 100644
--- a/python/ray/workflow/tests/test_basic_workflows.py
+++ b/python/ray/workflow/tests/test_basic_workflows.py
@@ -197,19 +197,19 @@ def unstable_step():
         return v
 
     with pytest.raises(Exception):
-        unstable_step.options(max_retries=-1).step().run()
+        unstable_step.options(max_retries=-2).step().run()
 
     with pytest.raises(Exception):
-        unstable_step.options(max_retries=3).step().run()
-    assert 10 == unstable_step.options(max_retries=8).step().run()
+        unstable_step.options(max_retries=2).step().run()
+    assert 10 == unstable_step.options(max_retries=7).step().run()
     (tmp_path / "test").write_text("0")
     (ret, err) = (
-        unstable_step.options(max_retries=3, catch_exceptions=True).step().run()
+        unstable_step.options(max_retries=2, catch_exceptions=True).step().run()
     )
     assert ret is None
     assert isinstance(err, ValueError)
     (ret, err) = (
-        unstable_step.options(max_retries=8, catch_exceptions=True).step().run()
+        unstable_step.options(max_retries=7, catch_exceptions=True).step().run()
     )
     assert ret == 10
     assert err is None
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ def unstable_step():
 def test_step_failure_decorator(workflow_start_regular_shared, tmp_path):
     (tmp_path / "test").write_text("0")
 
-    @workflow.step(max_retries=11)
+    @workflow.step(max_retries=10)
     def unstable_step():
         v = int((tmp_path / "test").read_text())
         (tmp_path / "test").write_text(f"{v + 1}")
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ def unstable_step_exception():
 
     (tmp_path / "test").write_text("0")
 
-    @workflow.step(catch_exceptions=True, max_retries=4)
+    @workflow.step(catch_exceptions=True, max_retries=3)
     def unstable_step_exception():
         v = int((tmp_path / "test").read_text())
         (tmp_path / "test").write_text(f"{v + 1}")
diff --git a/python/ray/workflow/tests/test_basic_workflows_2.py b/python/ray/workflow/tests/test_basic_workflows_2.py
index 214368614e44..0c82fbe843e5 100644
--- a/python/ray/workflow/tests/test_basic_workflows_2.py
+++ b/python/ray/workflow/tests/test_basic_workflows_2.py
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ def incr():
         return 10
 
     with pytest.raises(ray.exceptions.RaySystemError):
-        incr.options(max_retries=1).step().run("incr")
+        incr.options(max_retries=0).step().run("incr")
 
     assert cnt_file.read_text() == "1"
 
diff --git a/python/ray/workflow/virtual_actor_class.py b/python/ray/workflow/virtual_actor_class.py
index 3d5efbf8e3b1..ee861bfb410e 100644
--- a/python/ray/workflow/virtual_actor_class.py
+++ b/python/ray/workflow/virtual_actor_class.py
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ def run_async(self, *args, **kwargs) -> "ObjectRef":
     def options(
         self,
         *,
-        max_retries: int = 1,
+        max_retries: int = 0,
         catch_exceptions: bool = False,
         name: str = None,
         metadata: Dict[str, Any] = None,
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ def step(self, *args, **kwargs):
     def options(
         self,
         *,
-        max_retries=1,
+        max_retries=0,
         catch_exceptions=False,
         name=None,
         metadata=None,