diff --git a/packages/queue/src/Exception/RetryAfterException.php b/packages/queue/src/Exception/RetryAfterException.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c486a0899
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/queue/src/Exception/RetryAfterException.php
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace Windwalker\Queue\Exception;
+
+class RetryAfterException extends \RuntimeException
+{
+    public function __construct(public int $delay)
+    {
+        parent::__construct();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/packages/queue/src/Job/JobController.php b/packages/queue/src/Job/JobController.php
index 590069246..e64a6bf4e 100644
--- a/packages/queue/src/Job/JobController.php
+++ b/packages/queue/src/Job/JobController.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 use Windwalker\Queue\Attributes\JobMiddlewaresProvider;
 use Windwalker\Queue\Exception\AbandonedException;
 use Windwalker\Queue\Exception\DeferredException;
+use Windwalker\Queue\Exception\RetryAfterException;
 use Windwalker\Queue\Middleware\QueueMiddlewareInterface;
 use Windwalker\Queue\QueueMessage;
 use Windwalker\Utilities\Attributes\AttributesAccessor;
@@ -121,11 +122,11 @@ public function defer(int $delay = 0, string $reason = ''): DeferredException
         return $this->defer = new DeferredException($delay, $reason);
     }
 
-    public function retryAfter(int $delay): static
+    public function retryAfter(int $delay): RetryAfterException
     {
-        $this->retryAfter = max(0, $delay);
+        $this->retryAfter = $delay = max(0, $delay);
 
-        return $this;
+        return new RetryAfterException($delay);
     }
 
     public function resume(): static
@@ -370,6 +371,8 @@ protected function invokeMiddleware(mixed $middleware): mixed
             }
 
             return $result;
+        } catch (RetryAfterException $e) {
+            $this->retryAfter = $e->delay;
         } catch (DeferredException $e) {
             $this->defer = $e;
 
diff --git a/packages/queue/test/Job/JobControllerTest.php b/packages/queue/test/Job/JobControllerTest.php
index 0425fb4cd..7a0cc512c 100644
--- a/packages/queue/test/Job/JobControllerTest.php
+++ b/packages/queue/test/Job/JobControllerTest.php
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 use Windwalker\Queue\Attributes\JobMiddlewaresProvider;
 use Windwalker\Queue\Exception\AbandonedException;
 use Windwalker\Queue\Exception\DeferredException;
+use Windwalker\Queue\Exception\RetryAfterException;
 use Windwalker\Queue\Job\JobController;
 use Windwalker\Queue\Middleware\QueueMiddlewareInterface;
 use Windwalker\Queue\QueueMessage;
@@ -169,7 +170,7 @@ public function retryAfterStoresDelayAndResumeClearsIt(): void
         $controller = new QueueMessage(new TestJob())->makeJobController();
 
         self::assertNull($controller->retryAfter);
-        self::assertSame($controller, $controller->retryAfter(30));
+        self::assertInstanceOf(RetryAfterException::class, $controller->retryAfter(30));
         self::assertSame(30, $controller->retryAfter);
         self::assertFalse($controller->failed);
 
@@ -177,6 +178,26 @@ public function retryAfterStoresDelayAndResumeClearsIt(): void
         self::assertNull($controller->retryAfter);
     }
 
+    #[Test]
+    public function retryAfterCanBeThrownToStopJobExecution(): void
+    {
+        $job = new class () {
+            public bool $continued = false;
+
+            public function __invoke(JobController $controller): void
+            {
+                throw $controller->retryAfter(30);
+
+                $this->continued = true;
+            }
+        };
+        $controller = new QueueMessage($job)->makeJobController()->run();
+
+        self::assertFalse($job->continued);
+        self::assertSame(30, $controller->retryAfter);
+        self::assertFalse($controller->failed);
+    }
+
     #[Test]
     public function logWritesEachMessageToLogger(): void
     {