diff --git a/src/plans.js b/src/plans.js
index 8489ff8..07f2501 100644
--- a/src/plans.js
+++ b/src/plans.js
@@ -504,15 +504,19 @@ function insertVersion (schema, version) {
 
 function fetchNextJob (schema) {
   return ({ includeMetadata, priority = true } = {}) => `
-    WITH next as (
-      SELECT id
+    WITH next_pool as (
+      SELECT id, singleton_key, name
       FROM ${schema}.job
       WHERE name = $1
         AND state < '${JOB_STATES.active}'
         AND start_after < now()
-      ORDER BY ${priority ? 'priority desc, ' : ''}created_on, id
+      ORDER BY ${priority ? 'priority desc, ' : ''}state desc, created_on, id
       LIMIT $2
       FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKED
+    ),
+    next as (
+      SELECT DISTINCT ON (CASE WHEN q.policy = 'stately' THEN np.singleton_key ELSE np.id::TEXT END) np.id
+      FROM next_pool np JOIN ${schema}.queue q ON np.name = q.name
     )
     UPDATE ${schema}.job j SET
       state = '${JOB_STATES.active}',
diff --git a/test/queueTest.js b/test/queueTest.js
index ce1bdfa..5c5f280 100644
--- a/test/queueTest.js
+++ b/test/queueTest.js
@@ -350,6 +350,47 @@ describe('queues', function () {
     assert(!blockedSecondActive)
   })
 
+  it('stately policy prioritizes job in retry state over created with the same singleton key', async function () {
+    const boss = this.test.boss = await helper.start({ ...this.test.bossConfig, noDefault: true })
+    const queue = this.test.bossConfig.schema
+
+    await boss.createQueue(queue, { policy: 'stately' })
+
+    const jobId1 = await boss.send(queue, null, { retryLimit: 1, singletonKey: 'single' })
+
+    let [job1] = await boss.fetch(queue)
+
+    await boss.fail(queue, job1.id)
+
+    job1 = await boss.getJobById(queue, jobId1)
+
+    assert.strictEqual(job1.state, 'retry')
+
+    const jobId2 = await boss.send(queue, null, { retryLimit: 1, singletonKey: 'single' })
+    const jobId3 = await boss.send(queue, null, { retryLimit: 1, singletonKey: 'single2' })
+
+    let job2 = await boss.getJobById(queue, jobId2)
+    let job3 = await boss.getJobById(queue, jobId3)
+
+    assert.strictEqual(job2.state, 'created')
+    assert.strictEqual(job3.state, 'created')
+
+    const jobs = await boss.fetch(queue, { batchSize: 3 })
+
+    job1 = await boss.getJobById(queue, jobId1)
+    job2 = await boss.getJobById(queue, jobId2)
+    job3 = await boss.getJobById(queue, jobId3)
+
+    const fetchedJobIds = jobs.map(j => j.id)
+
+    assert.strictEqual(jobs.length, 2)
+    assert(fetchedJobIds.includes(jobId1))
+    assert(fetchedJobIds.includes(jobId3))
+    assert.strictEqual(job1.state, 'active')
+    assert.strictEqual(job2.state, 'created')
+    assert.strictEqual(job3.state, 'active')
+  })
+
   it('stately policy fails a job without retry when others are active', async function () {
     const boss = this.test.boss = await helper.start({ ...this.test.bossConfig, noDefault: true })
     const queue = this.test.bossConfig.schema