diff --git a/law/contrib/cms/job.py b/law/contrib/cms/job.py
index 1805f086..787e2fd7 100644
--- a/law/contrib/cms/job.py
+++ b/law/contrib/cms/job.py
@@ -466,24 +466,36 @@ def extra(
                 extra["tracking_url"] = monitoring_url
             return extra
 
-        # in case scheduler status or the json line is missing, the submission could be too new
+        # in case scheduler status or the json line is missing, the submission could be too new or
+        # it failed entirely
         if not scheduler_status or not json_line:
-            accepted_server_states = [
+            pending_server_states = {
                 "HOLDING on command SUBMIT",
                 "NEW on command SUBMIT",
                 "QUEUED on command SUBMIT",
                 "WAITING on command SUBMIT",
                 "SUBMITTED",
-            ]
-            if server_status not in accepted_server_states:
-                s = ",".join(map("'{}'".format, accepted_server_states))
+            }
+            failed_server_states = {"SUBMITFAILED"}
+            error = None
+            if server_status in pending_server_states:
+                status = cls.PENDING
+            elif server_status in failed_server_states:
+                status = cls.FAILED
+                error = "submission failed"
+            else:
+                s = ",".join(map("'{}'".format, pending_server_states | failed_server_states))
                 raise Exception(
                     "no per-job information available (yet?), which is only accepted if the crab "
                     f"server status is any of {s}, but got '{server_status}'",
                 )
-            # interpret all jobs as pending
             return {
-                job_id: cls.job_status_dict(job_id=job_id, status=cls.PENDING, extra=extra(job_id))
+                job_id: cls.job_status_dict(
+                    job_id=job_id,
+                    status=status,
+                    error=error,
+                    extra=extra(job_id),
+                )
                 for job_id in job_ids
             }