diff --git a/.changeset/signature-check-final-status.md b/.changeset/signature-check-final-status.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e0140e75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/signature-check-final-status.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@relayprotocol/relay-sdk': patch
+---
+
+Stop signature steps from polling on after the status check reports `failure` or `refund`. A `failure` whose `details` did not contain "Transaction failed" was retried until the polling limit and then surfaced as a generic "Failed to get an ok response" timeout, and a `refund` was never treated as final. `execute` now rejects on the first such status, with the reported `details` for a failure and "Transaction failed: Refunded" (so `refunded` is set) for a refund, matching transaction steps.
diff --git a/packages/sdk/src/utils/executeSteps/signatureStep.test.ts b/packages/sdk/src/utils/executeSteps/signatureStep.test.ts
index edcc774b..cbac85a0 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/src/utils/executeSteps/signatureStep.test.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/src/utils/executeSteps/signatureStep.test.ts
@@ -223,3 +223,55 @@ describe('handleSignatureStepItem (HyperCore)', () => {
     expect(stepItem.progressState).toBe('validating')
   })
 })
+
+describe('handleSignatureStepItem (status polling)', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.mocked(findHyperliquidSendHash).mockResolvedValue(undefined)
+  })
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.restoreAllMocks()
+  })
+
+  it('Should fail right away with the failure details from the check.', async () => {
+    const request = pollReturns({
+      status: 'failure',
+      details: 'Deposit transaction reverted'
+    })
+    const { params } = setup()
+    params.maximumAttempts = 5
+
+    await expect(handleSignatureStepItem(params)).rejects.toThrow(
+      'Deposit transaction reverted'
+    )
+    expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+  })
+
+  it('Should fail right away as refunded when the check reports a refund.', async () => {
+    const request = pollReturns({ status: 'refund' })
+    const { stepItem, params } = setup()
+    params.maximumAttempts = 5
+
+    await expect(handleSignatureStepItem(params)).rejects.toThrow(
+      'Transaction failed: Refunded'
+    )
+    expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+    expect(stepItem.checkStatus).toBe('refund')
+  })
+
+  it('Should keep polling when the check request itself errors.', async () => {
+    const request = vi
+      .spyOn(axios, 'request')
+      .mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('Network Error'))
+      .mockResolvedValue({
+        status: 200,
+        data: { status: 'success', txHashes: [FILL_HASH] }
+      } as never)
+    const { stepItem, params } = setup()
+    params.maximumAttempts = 2
+
+    await handleSignatureStepItem(params)
+
+    expect(request).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(stepItem.checkStatus).toBe('success')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/sdk/src/utils/executeSteps/signatureStep.ts b/packages/sdk/src/utils/executeSteps/signatureStep.ts
index 2a5f85b1..683c1157 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/src/utils/executeSteps/signatureStep.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/src/utils/executeSteps/signatureStep.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ import {
   postHyperliquidSignature
 } from '../hyperliquid.js'
 
+/**
+ * A failure or refund reported by the check endpoint. It is final, whatever
+ * its message says, so polling stops instead of retrying.
+ */
+class CheckStatusError extends Error {}
+
 /**
  * Handles the execution of a signature step item, including signing, posting, and validation.
  */
@@ -362,7 +368,12 @@ export async function handleSignatureStepItem({
             client.log(['Transaction completed successfully'], LogLevel.Verbose)
             return // Success - exit polling
           } else if (res?.data?.status === 'failure') {
-            throw Error(res?.data?.details || 'Transaction failed')
+            throw new CheckStatusError(
+              res?.data?.details || 'Transaction failed'
+            )
+          } else if (res?.data?.status === 'refund') {
+            stepItem.checkStatus = 'refund'
+            throw new CheckStatusError('Transaction failed: Refunded')
           } else if (res.status >= 400) {
             // Handle HTTP error responses that don't have our expected data structure
             throw Error(
@@ -375,10 +386,11 @@ export async function handleSignatureStepItem({
         } catch (error: any) {
           // If it's a deliberate failure response, re-throw immediately
           if (
-            error.message &&
-            (error.message.includes('Transaction failed') ||
-              error.message.includes('Failed to check') ||
-              error.message === 'Failed to check')
+            error instanceof CheckStatusError ||
+            (error.message &&
+              (error.message.includes('Transaction failed') ||
+                error.message.includes('Failed to check') ||
+                error.message === 'Failed to check'))
           ) {
             throw error
           }