diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 914d8616a..f994a4d05 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ### Fixed
 - A bug where the filenames in iterative workflows kept appending `.out`, `.partial`, or `.expanded` to the filenames stored in the `merlin_info/` subdirectory
+- A bug where a skewed sample hierarchy was created when a restart was necessary in the `add_merlin_expanded_chain_to_chord` task
 
 ## [1.10.3]
 ### Added
diff --git a/merlin/common/tasks.py b/merlin/common/tasks.py
index f1d06077a..fbd401826 100644
--- a/merlin/common/tasks.py
+++ b/merlin/common/tasks.py
@@ -298,27 +298,33 @@ def add_merlin_expanded_chain_to_chord(  # pylint: disable=R0913,R0914
         LOG.debug("chain added to chord")
     else:
         # recurse down the sample_index hierarchy
-        LOG.debug("recursing down sample_index hierarchy")
-        for next_index in sample_index.children.values():
-            next_index.name = os.path.join(sample_index.name, next_index.name)
-            LOG.debug("generating next step")
-            next_step = add_merlin_expanded_chain_to_chord.s(
-                task_type,
-                chain_,
-                samples[next_index.min - min_sample_id : next_index.max - min_sample_id],
-                labels,
-                next_index,
-                adapter_config,
-                next_index.min,
-            )
-            next_step.set(queue=chain_[0].get_task_queue())
-            LOG.debug(f"recursing with range {next_index.min}:{next_index.max}, {next_index.name} {signature(next_step)}")
-            LOG.debug(f"queuing samples[{next_index.min}:{next_index.max}] in for {chain_} in {next_index.name}...")
-            if self.request.is_eager:
-                next_step.delay()
-            else:
-                self.add_to_chord(next_step, lazy=False)
-            LOG.debug(f"queued for samples[{next_index.min}:{next_index.max}] in for {chain_} in {next_index.name}")
+        try:
+            LOG.debug("recursing down sample_index hierarchy")
+            for next_index in sample_index.children.values():
+                next_index_name_before = next_index.name
+                next_index.name = os.path.join(sample_index.name, next_index.name)
+                LOG.debug("generating next step")
+                next_step = add_merlin_expanded_chain_to_chord.s(
+                    task_type,
+                    chain_,
+                    samples[next_index.min - min_sample_id : next_index.max - min_sample_id],
+                    labels,
+                    next_index,
+                    adapter_config,
+                    next_index.min,
+                )
+                next_step.set(queue=chain_[0].get_task_queue())
+                LOG.debug(f"recursing with range {next_index.min}:{next_index.max}, {next_index.name} {signature(next_step)}")
+                LOG.debug(f"queuing samples[{next_index.min}:{next_index.max}] in for {chain_} in {next_index.name}...")
+                if self.request.is_eager:
+                    next_step.delay()
+                else:
+                    self.add_to_chord(next_step, lazy=False)
+                LOG.debug(f"queued for samples[{next_index.min}:{next_index.max}] in for {chain_} in {next_index.name}")
+        except retry_exceptions as e:
+            # Reset the index to what it was before so we don't accidentally create a bunch of extra samples upon restart
+            next_index.name = next_index_name_before
+            raise e
 
     return ReturnCode.OK