diff --git a/backend/db/refresh.py b/backend/db/refresh.py
index b604585ec..874ffd249 100755
--- a/backend/db/refresh.py
+++ b/backend/db/refresh.py
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@
 sys.path.insert(0, str(PROJECT_ROOT))
 from backend.db.analysis import counts_update,counts_docs
 from backend.db.config import CONFIG
-from backend.db.utils import current_datetime, get_db_connection, last_refresh_timestamp, update_db_status_var, check_db_status_var, delete_db_status_var
+from backend.db.utils import current_datetime, get_db_connection, is_refresh_active, last_refresh_timestamp, \
+    update_db_status_var, check_db_status_var, delete_db_status_var
 from enclave_wrangler.objects_api import csets_and_members_enclave_to_db
 
 DESC = 'Refresh TermHub database w/ newest updates from the Enclave using the objects API.'
@@ -46,7 +47,8 @@ def refresh_db(
     local = use_local_db
     print('INFO: Starting database refresh.', flush=True)  # flush: for gh action
     t0, t0_str = datetime.now(), current_datetime()
-    if check_db_status_var('refresh_status') == 'active':
+
+    if is_refresh_active():
         print('INFO: Refresh already in progress. When that process completes, it will restart again. Exiting.')
         update_db_status_var('new_request_while_refreshing', t0_str, local)
         return
@@ -67,14 +69,16 @@ def refresh_db(
             new_data: bool = csets_and_members_enclave_to_db(con, since, schema=schema)
         except Exception as err:
             update_db_status_var('last_refresh_result', 'error', local)
-            update_db_status_var('refresh_status', 'inactive', local)
             print(f"Database refresh incomplete; exception occurred. Tallying counts and exiting.", file=sys.stderr)
             counts_update('DB refresh error.', schema, local, filter_temp_refresh_tables=True)
             counts_docs()
             raise err
+        finally:
+            refresh_complete_dt = current_datetime()
+            update_db_status_var('last_refresh_exited', refresh_complete_dt, local)
+            update_db_status_var('refresh_status', 'inactive', local)
 
-    update_db_status_var('refresh_status', 'inactive', local)
-    update_db_status_var('last_refresh_success', current_datetime(), local)
+    update_db_status_var('last_refresh_success', refresh_complete_dt, local)
     update_db_status_var('last_refresh_result', 'success', local)
     if new_data:
         counts_update('DB refresh.', schema, local)
diff --git a/backend/db/utils.py b/backend/db/utils.py
index e5e4cebdc..66103f91b 100644
--- a/backend/db/utils.py
+++ b/backend/db/utils.py
@@ -261,6 +261,21 @@ def is_table_up_to_date(table_name: str, skip_if_updated_within_hours: int = Non
     last_updated_key = f'last_updated_{table_name}'
     return check_if_updated(last_updated_key, skip_if_updated_within_hours)
 
+def is_refresh_active(local=False) -> bool:
+    """Checks if the database refresh is currently running
+
+    As of 2023/10/28, there is still a variable called 'refresh_status' with values active/inactive. However, this was
+    problematic, because sometimes (e.g. when debugging), the process would exit abnormally and this variable wouldn't
+    get set to 'inactive'. To circumvent that, this variable is ignored and 'last_start' and 'last_end' times are used
+    instead. There is a 6 hour threshold to where if these variables show that the process is reported to have been
+    running for that time, it is determined that this is in error and the refresh is considered inactive. 6 hours was
+    chosen because this is the default maximum amount of time that a GitHub action can run, but it is also well over the
+    normal amount of time that the refresh takes."""
+    last_start = dp.parse(check_db_status_var('last_refresh_request', local))
+    last_end = dp.parse(check_db_status_var('last_refresh_exited', local))
+    hours_since_last_refresh: float = (last_start - last_end).total_seconds() / 60 / 60
+    return 6 > hours_since_last_refresh > 0
+
 # todo: Can update update_db_status_var() so that it can accept optional param 'con' to improve performance.
 def update_db_status_var(key: str, val: str, local=False):
     """Update the `manage` table with information for a given variable, e.g. when a table was last updated"""
@@ -269,7 +284,6 @@ def update_db_status_var(key: str, val: str, local=False):
         sql_str = f"INSERT INTO public.manage (key, value) VALUES (:key, :val);"
         run_sql(con, sql_str, {'key': key, 'val': val})
 
-
 def check_db_status_var(key: str,  local=False):
     """Check the value of a given variable the `manage`table """
     with get_db_connection(schema='', local=local) as con: