diff --git a/api/src/backend/api/attack_paths/sink/neptune.py b/api/src/backend/api/attack_paths/sink/neptune.py
index dbb687e89c..c68b6f8277 100644
--- a/api/src/backend/api/attack_paths/sink/neptune.py
+++ b/api/src/backend/api/attack_paths/sink/neptune.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ READ_EXCEPTION_CODES = [
     "Neo.ClientError.Procedure.ProcedureNotFound",
 ]
 CLIENT_STATEMENT_EXCEPTION_PREFIX = "Neo.ClientError.Statement."
-RETRYABLE_WRITE_ERROR_PREFIXES = (
+RETRYABLE_WRITE_ERROR_FRAGMENTS = (
     "Operation failed due to conflicting concurrent operations",
     "Operation terminated (deadline exceeded)",
 )
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ SIGV4_TOKEN_LIFETIME_MINUTES = 4
 def _is_retryable_write_error(exc: Exception) -> bool:
     if not isinstance(exc, neo4j.exceptions.Neo4jError):
         return False
-    return bool(exc.message and exc.message.startswith(RETRYABLE_WRITE_ERROR_PREFIXES))
+    message = exc.message or ""
+    return any(fragment in message for fragment in RETRYABLE_WRITE_ERROR_FRAGMENTS)
 
 
 class NeptuneSink(SinkDatabase):
diff --git a/api/src/backend/api/tests/test_sink.py b/api/src/backend/api/tests/test_sink.py
index 3636771ddc..487519923e 100644
--- a/api/src/backend/api/tests/test_sink.py
+++ b/api/src/backend/api/tests/test_sink.py
@@ -332,9 +332,10 @@ class TestNeptuneRetryPolicy:
     @pytest.mark.parametrize(
         "message",
         [
-            "Operation failed due to conflicting concurrent operations "
-            + "(please retry), 0 transactions are currently rolling back.",
-            "Operation terminated (deadline exceeded)",
+            "Unexpected server exception 'Operation failed due to conflicting "
+            "concurrent operations (please retry), 0 transactions are currently "
+            "rolling back.'",
+            "Unexpected server exception 'Operation terminated (deadline exceeded)'",
         ],
     )
     def test_observed_transient_write_errors_are_retryable(self, message):
@@ -345,7 +346,9 @@ class TestNeptuneRetryPolicy:
 
     def test_unrelated_database_error_is_not_retryable(self):
         error = MagicMock(spec=neo4j.exceptions.Neo4jError)
-        error.message = "Operation terminated (out of memory)"
+        error.message = (
+            "Unexpected server exception 'Operation terminated (out of memory)'"
+        )
 
         assert _is_retryable_write_error(error) is False