diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index e233a62..795c752 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -1,4 +1,13 @@
-# Architect Sandbox changelog
+# Architect Destroy changelog
+
+---
+
+## [1.2.4] 2021-06-09
+
+### Changed
+
+- If the CloudFormation DeleteStack operation detects that the Stack has a status of `DELETE_FAILED`, it will now report this, along with the status reason, and exit with a non-zero code rather than wait for the `destroy` command timeout to run out; this fixes [#1156](https://github.com/architect/architect/issues/1156)
+- `destroy` will now exit with a non-zero code if any errors are raised during its execution
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 2d3fa65..5e86fbd 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ module.exports = function destroy (params, callback) {
     throw ReferenceError('Missing params.appname')
   }
 
-  // StackName → AWS, stackname → user-specified
+  // StackName → AWS, stackname → user-specified suffix (via --name param)
   let StackName = toLogicalID(`${appname}-${env}`)
   if (stackname) {
     StackName += toLogicalID(stackname)
@@ -183,22 +183,26 @@ module.exports = function destroy (params, callback) {
         cloudformation.describeStacks({
           StackName
         },
-        function done (err) {
+        function done (err, result) {
           if (stackNotFound(StackName, err)) {
             update.done(`Successfully destroyed ${StackName}`)
-            callback()
+            return callback()
           }
-          else {
-            setTimeout(function delay () {
-              if (tries === max) {
-                callback(Error('Destroy failed; hit max retries'))
-              }
-              else {
-                tries += 1
-                checkit()
-              }
-            }, 10000 * tries)
+          if (!err && result.Stacks) {
+            let stack = result.Stacks.find(s => s.StackName === StackName)
+            if (stack && stack.StackStatus === 'DELETE_FAILED') {
+              return callback(Error(`CloudFormation Stack "${StackName}" destroy failed: ${stack.StackStatusReason}`))
+            }
           }
+          setTimeout(function delay () {
+            if (tries === max) {
+              callback(Error('Destroy failed; hit max retries'))
+            }
+            else {
+              tries += 1
+              checkit()
+            }
+          }, 10000 * tries)
         })
       }
       checkit()
diff --git a/test/unit/index-test.js b/test/unit/index-test.js
index a6b8045..86195fa 100644
--- a/test/unit/index-test.js
+++ b/test/unit/index-test.js
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ test('destroy should error if DynamoDB tables exist and force is not provided',
   })
 })
 
-test('destroy should invoke deleteStack', t => {
+test('destroy should invoke deleteStack and return once describeStacks return a not found message', t => {
   t.plan(1)
   mocks.staticBucket(false) // no static bucket
   mocks.deployBucket(false) // no deploy bucket
@@ -172,3 +172,25 @@ test('destroy should invoke deleteStack', t => {
     aws.restore()
   })
 })
+
+test('destroy should invoke deleteStack and error if describeStacks returns a status of DELETE_FAILED', t => {
+  t.plan(2)
+  aws.mock('CloudFormation', 'describeStacks', (ps, cb) => {
+    cb(null, { Stacks: [ {
+      StackName: 'PentagonSecurityStaging',
+      StackStatus: 'DELETE_FAILED',
+      StackStatusReason: 'task failed successfully',
+      Outputs: []
+    } ] })
+  })
+  mocks.deployBucket(false) // no deploy bucket
+  mocks.dbTables([]) // one table
+  mocks.ssmParams([]) // no params
+  mocks.cloudwatchLogs([]) // no logs
+  mocks.deleteStack()
+  destroy(base, (err) => {
+    t.ok(err, 'Error returned')
+    t.match(err.message, /task failed successfully/, 'Delete failed reason provided')
+    aws.restore()
+  })
+})