diff --git a/src/DurableTask.AzureStorage/Messaging/OrchestrationSession.cs b/src/DurableTask.AzureStorage/Messaging/OrchestrationSession.cs
index 1b2e4a20e..3472b7e0e 100644
--- a/src/DurableTask.AzureStorage/Messaging/OrchestrationSession.cs
+++ b/src/DurableTask.AzureStorage/Messaging/OrchestrationSession.cs
@@ -150,37 +150,37 @@ public bool IsOutOfOrderMessage(MessageData message)
                 return false;
             }
 
+            // The first five times a message for a nonexistant instance is dequeued, give the message the benefit
+            // of the doubt and assume that the instance hasn't had its history table populated yet. After the 
+            // fifth execution, ~30 seconds have passed and the most likely scenario is that this is a zombie event. 
+            // This means the history table for the message's orchestration no longer exists, either due to an explicit 
+            // PurgeHistory request or due to a ContinueAsNew call cleaning the old execution's history.
+            bool nonExistentInstance = this.IsNonexistantInstance() && message.OriginalQueueMessage.DequeueCount <= 5;
+
+            // If the instance does not exist, even if the message has ben dequeued > 5 times, the next check for trying
+            // to find the corresponding task scheduled message will always fail so we will endlessly abandon the message.
+            // To avoid this we return early here.
             if (this.IsNonexistantInstance() && message.OriginalQueueMessage.DequeueCount > 5)
             {
-                // The first five times a message for a nonexistant instance is dequeued, give the message the benefit
-                // of the doubt and assume that the instance hasn't had its history table populated yet. After the 
-                // fifth execution, ~30 seconds have passed and the most likely scenario is that this is a zombie event. 
-                // This means the history table for the message's orchestration no longer exists, either due to an explicit 
-                // PurgeHistory request or due to a ContinueAsNew call cleaning the old execution's history.
                 return false;
             }
 
-            if (this.LastCheckpointTime > message.TaskMessage.Event.Timestamp)
-            {
-                // LastCheckpointTime represents the time at which the most recent history checkpoint completed.
-                // The checkpoint is written to the history table only *after* all queue messages are sent.
-                // A message is out of order when its timestamp *preceeds* the most recent checkpoint timestamp.
-                // In this case, we see that the checkpoint came *after* the message, so there is no out-of-order
-                // concern. Note that this logic only applies for messages sent by orchestrations to themselves.
-                // The next check considers the other cases (activities, sub-orchestrations, etc.).
-                // Orchestration checkpoint time information was added only after v1.6.4.
-                return false;
-            }
+            // LastCheckpointTime represents the time at which the most recent history checkpoint completed.
+            // The checkpoint is written to the history table only *after* all queue messages are sent.
+            // A message is out of order when its timestamp *preceeds* the most recent checkpoint timestamp.
+            // In this case, we see that the checkpoint came *after* the message, so there is no out-of-order
+            // concern. Note that this logic only applies for messages sent by orchestrations to themselves.
+            // The next check considers the other cases (activities, sub-orchestrations, etc.).
+            // Orchestration checkpoint time information was added only after v1.6.4.
+            bool isStaleCheckpoint = this.LastCheckpointTime <= message.TaskMessage.Event.Timestamp;
 
+            bool triggeringTaskDoesNotExist = true;
             if (Utils.TryGetTaskScheduledId(message.TaskMessage.Event, out int taskScheduledId))
             {
                 // This message is a response to a task. Search the history to make sure that we've recorded the fact that
                 // this task was scheduled.
                 HistoryEvent mostRecentTaskEvent = this.RuntimeState.Events.LastOrDefault(e => e.EventId == taskScheduledId);
-                if (mostRecentTaskEvent != null)
-                {
-                    return false;
-                }
+                triggeringTaskDoesNotExist = mostRecentTaskEvent == null;
             }
 
             if (message.TaskMessage.Event.EventType == EventType.EventRaised)
@@ -190,15 +190,12 @@ public bool IsOutOfOrderMessage(MessageData message)
                 if (requestId != null)
                 {
                     HistoryEvent mostRecentTaskEvent = this.RuntimeState.Events.FirstOrDefault(e => e.EventType == EventType.EventSent && FindRequestId(((EventSentEvent)e).Input)?.ToString() == requestId);
-                    if (mostRecentTaskEvent != null)
-                    {
-                        return false;
-                    }
+                    triggeringTaskDoesNotExist = mostRecentTaskEvent == null;
                 }
             }
 
             // The message is out of order and cannot be handled by the current session.
-            return true;
+            return nonExistentInstance || isStaleCheckpoint || triggeringTaskDoesNotExist;
         }
 
         Guid? FindRequestId(string input)