diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/git/org_project4/README b/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/git/org_project4/README
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9daeafb986
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/git/org_project4/README
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+test
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/git/org_project4/playbooks/after-compile.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/git/org_project4/playbooks/after-compile.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..939b79247b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/git/org_project4/playbooks/after-compile.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+- hosts: all
+  tasks:
+    - name: Good
+      debug:
+        msg: This shall not fail
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/git/org_project4/playbooks/compile-fail.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/git/org_project4/playbooks/compile-fail.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..517ad6c314
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/git/org_project4/playbooks/compile-fail.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+- hosts: all
+  tasks:
+    - name: Pause and let child run
+      zuul_return:
+        data:
+          zuul:
+            pause: true
+
+    # Fail the playbook AFTER we have set zuul_return
+    - name: Fail
+      fail:
+        msg: This shall fail
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/git/org_project4/zuul.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/git/org_project4/zuul.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bb17f0530a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/git/org_project4/zuul.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+- job:
+    name: compile-fail
+    run: playbooks/compile-fail.yaml
+
+- job:
+    name: after-compile
+    run: playbooks/after-compile.yaml
+
+- project:
+    check:
+      jobs:
+        - compile-fail
+        - after-compile:
+            dependencies:
+              - compile-fail
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/main.yaml b/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/main.yaml
index 8f7dd3ace0..9b4d1b940c 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/main.yaml
+++ b/tests/fixtures/config/job-pause/main.yaml
@@ -7,3 +7,4 @@
           - org/project
           - org/project2
           - org/project3
+          - org/project4
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_v3.py b/tests/unit/test_v3.py
index dee13417bb..76af76d349 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_v3.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_v3.py
@@ -5531,6 +5531,22 @@ class TestJobPause(AnsibleZuulTestCase):
             dict(name='test2-after-compile1', result='SUCCESS', changes='1,1'),
         ], ordered=False)
 
+    def test_job_pause_fail(self):
+        """
+        Test that only succeeding jobs are allowed to pause.
+
+        compile-fail
+        +--> after-compile
+        """
+        A = self.fake_gerrit.addFakeChange('org/project4', 'master', 'A')
+
+        self.fake_gerrit.addEvent(A.getPatchsetCreatedEvent(1))
+        self.waitUntilSettled()
+
+        self.assertHistory([
+            dict(name='compile-fail', result='FAILURE', changes='1,1'),
+        ])
+
     def test_job_node_failure_resume(self):
         self.wait_timeout = 120
 
diff --git a/zuul/executor/server.py b/zuul/executor/server.py
index 1618809db1..4483487567 100644
--- a/zuul/executor/server.py
+++ b/zuul/executor/server.py
@@ -1418,7 +1418,7 @@ class AnsibleJob(object):
         # check if we need to pause here
         result_data = self.getResultData()
         pause = result_data.get('zuul', {}).get('pause')
-        if pause:
+        if success and pause:
             self.pause()
         if self.aborted:
             return 'ABORTED'