diff --git a/lib/workers/pr/index.js b/lib/workers/pr/index.js
index f7c34de6d95cf5ebf59cdfe6e325cf191a446d05..1e4d53a9cf5ad68c888d5f638889d0176e3d9c04 100644
--- a/lib/workers/pr/index.js
+++ b/lib/workers/pr/index.js
@@ -179,7 +179,10 @@ async function ensurePr(prConfig) {
     if (existingPr) {
       logger.debug('Processing existing PR');
       // istanbul ignore if
-      if (config.automerge && (await getBranchStatus()) === 'failure') {
+      if (
+        config.automerge &&
+        ['failure', 'error', 'failed'].includes(await getBranchStatus())
+      ) {
         logger.debug(`Setting assignees and reviewers as status checks failed`);
         await addAssigneesReviewers(config, existingPr);
       }
@@ -299,7 +302,10 @@ async function ensurePr(prConfig) {
       }
     }
     // Skip assign and review if automerging PR
-    if (config.automerge && (await getBranchStatus()) !== 'failure') {
+    if (
+      config.automerge &&
+      !['failure', 'error', 'failed'].includes(await getBranchStatus())
+    ) {
       logger.debug(
         `Skipping assignees and reviewers as automerge=${config.automerge}`
       );