diff --git a/packages/backend/src/errors/retriable-error.ts b/packages/backend/src/errors/retriable-error.ts
index 118fa59d7..61d1da965 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/errors/retriable-error.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/errors/retriable-error.ts
@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@ interface RetriableErrorParams {
  *
  * The `delayType` param allows for configuring how we should delay before
  * retrying:
- * - `queue`: The step is re-queued, and the ENTIRE queue is paused until the
+ * - `queue`: The step is re-queued, and the ENTIRE queue is delayed until the
  *            delay period is over. This is generally used in per-app queues
  *            (e.g. the app requires us to pause all API calls if they return a
  *            429). This will not work if the step came from the default action
  *            queue.
  * - `group`: The step is re-queued, and the group associated with the step is
- *            paused until the delay period is over. Generally used in per-app
+ *            delayed until the delay period is over. Generally used in per-app
  *            queues (e.g. the app rate limits by connection ID, and the group
  *            ID is set to the connection ID).
  * - `step`: The step is re-queued with delay set to the delay period. The other
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/helpers/__tests__/actions.test.ts b/packages/backend/src/helpers/__tests__/actions.test.ts
index e71e65d4d..c3c529b43 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/helpers/__tests__/actions.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/helpers/__tests__/actions.test.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
 }))
 
 const MOCK_CONTEXT = {
-  isQueuePausable: false,
+  isQueueDelayable: false,
   span: {
     addTags: mocks.addSpanTags,
   } as unknown as Span,
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ describe('action helper functions', () => {
     })
 
     describe('RetriableError handling', () => {
-      it('pauses the queue if delayType is queue and the queue is pausable', () => {
+      it('delays the queue if delayType is queue and the queue is delayable', () => {
         try {
           handleFailedStepAndThrow({
             errorDetails: {},
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ describe('action helper functions', () => {
             }),
             context: {
               ...MOCK_CONTEXT,
-              isQueuePausable: true,
+              isQueueDelayable: true,
             },
           })
         } catch (e) {
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ describe('action helper functions', () => {
         }
       })
 
-      it('does not pause the queue if delayType is queue but queue is not pausable', () => {
+      it('does not delay the queue if delayType is queue but queue is not delayable', () => {
         expect(() =>
           handleFailedStepAndThrow({
             errorDetails: {},
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ describe('action helper functions', () => {
         expect(mocks.workerRateLimitGroup).not.toBeCalled()
       })
 
-      it("pauses the job's group if delayType is group", () => {
+      it("delays the job's group if delayType is group", () => {
         const job = {
           opts: {
             group: {
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ describe('action helper functions', () => {
         }
       })
 
-      it('does not pause the group if delayType is group but job does not have a group', () => {
+      it('does not delay the group if delayType is group but job does not have a group', () => {
         expect(() =>
           handleFailedStepAndThrow({
             errorDetails: {},
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/helpers/__tests__/queues.test.ts b/packages/backend/src/helpers/__tests__/queues.test.ts
index a0c744d00..bd3878d3e 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/helpers/__tests__/queues.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/helpers/__tests__/queues.test.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ describe('Queue helper functions', () => {
     it('creates a worker for the specified queue name', () => {
       makeActionWorker({
         queueName: '{test-app-queue}',
-        queueConfig: { isQueuePausable: false },
+        queueConfig: { isQueueDelayable: false },
       })
       expect(mocks.workerConstructor).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         '{test-app-queue}',
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ describe('Queue helper functions', () => {
       makeActionWorker({
         queueName: 'some-queue',
         redisConnectionPrefix: '{test}',
-        queueConfig: { isQueuePausable: false },
+        queueConfig: { isQueueDelayable: false },
       })
       expect(mocks.workerConstructor).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         'some-queue',
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ describe('Queue helper functions', () => {
       {
         appQueueConfig: {
           getGroupConfigForJob: vi.fn(),
-          isQueuePausable: false,
+          isQueueDelayable: false,
           groupLimits: {
             type: 'concurrency' as const,
             concurrency: 2,
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ describe('Queue helper functions', () => {
       {
         appQueueConfig: {
           getGroupConfigForJob: vi.fn(),
-          isQueuePausable: true,
+          isQueueDelayable: true,
           groupLimits: {
             type: 'rate-limit' as const,
             limit: {
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ describe('Queue helper functions', () => {
       {
         appQueueConfig: {
           getGroupConfigForJob: vi.fn(),
-          isQueuePausable: true,
+          isQueueDelayable: true,
           groupLimits: {
             type: 'concurrency' as const,
             concurrency: 2,
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ describe('Queue helper functions', () => {
       },
       {
         appQueueConfig: {
-          isQueuePausable: false,
+          isQueueDelayable: false,
           queueRateLimit: {
             max: 1,
             duration: 5000,
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/helpers/actions/handle-failed-step-and-throw.ts b/packages/backend/src/helpers/actions/handle-failed-step-and-throw.ts
index 4941bd1b3..2c43f1f20 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/helpers/actions/handle-failed-step-and-throw.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/helpers/actions/handle-failed-step-and-throw.ts
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@ function handleRetriableError(
   context: HandleFailedStepAndThrowParams['context'],
 ): never {
   const { delayType, delayInMs } = executionError
-  const { worker, job, isQueuePausable } = context
+  const { worker, job, isQueueDelayable } = context
 
   switch (delayType) {
     case 'queue':
-      if (isQueuePausable) {
+      if (isQueueDelayable) {
         worker.rateLimit(delayInMs)
         throw WorkerPro.RateLimitError()
       }
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ interface HandleFailedStepAndThrowParams {
   executionError: unknown
 
   context: {
-    isQueuePausable: boolean
+    isQueueDelayable: boolean
     span: Span
     worker: WorkerPro<IActionJobData>
     job: JobPro<IActionJobData>
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/helpers/queues/make-action-worker.ts b/packages/backend/src/helpers/queues/make-action-worker.ts
index b652beff8..fa79bf102 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/helpers/queues/make-action-worker.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/helpers/queues/make-action-worker.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ function convertParamsToBullMqOptions(
   params: MakeActionWorkerParams,
 ) /* inferred type */ {
   const { queueName, redisConnectionPrefix, queueConfig } = params
-  const { isQueuePausable, queueRateLimit } = queueConfig
+  const { isQueueDelayable, queueRateLimit } = queueConfig
 
   const workerOptions: WorkerProOptions = {
     connection: createRedisClient(),
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ function convertParamsToBullMqOptions(
   return {
     queueName,
     workerOptions,
-    isQueuePausable,
+    isQueueDelayable,
   }
 }
 
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ interface MakeActionWorkerParams {
 export function makeActionWorker(
   params: MakeActionWorkerParams,
 ): WorkerPro<IActionJobData> {
-  const { queueName, workerOptions, isQueuePausable } =
+  const { queueName, workerOptions, isQueueDelayable } =
     convertParamsToBullMqOptions(params)
   const worker: WorkerPro<IActionJobData> = new WorkerPro<IActionJobData>(
     queueName,
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ export function makeActionWorker(
             errorDetails: executionStep.errorDetails,
             executionError,
             context: {
-              isQueuePausable,
+              isQueueDelayable,
               worker,
               span,
               job,
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/workers/__tests__/action.test.ts b/packages/backend/src/workers/__tests__/action.test.ts
index 87b704f9c..2ecb503fc 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/workers/__tests__/action.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/workers/__tests__/action.test.ts
@@ -42,12 +42,12 @@ describe('action workers', () => {
     vi.restoreAllMocks()
   })
 
-  it('creates the worker for the main action queue and makes it unpausable', () => {
+  it('creates the worker for the main action queue and makes it undelayable', () => {
     expect(mocks.makeActionWorker).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
       queueName: MAIN_ACTION_QUEUE_NAME,
       redisConnectionPrefix: MAIN_ACTION_QUEUE_REDIS_CONNECTION_PREFIX,
       queueConfig: {
-        isQueuePausable: false,
+        isQueueDelayable: false,
       },
     })
   })
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/workers/action.ts b/packages/backend/src/workers/action.ts
index 566f9ae24..6f56eab87 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/workers/action.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/workers/action.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export const mainActionWorker = makeActionWorker({
   queueName: MAIN_ACTION_QUEUE_NAME,
   redisConnectionPrefix: MAIN_ACTION_QUEUE_REDIS_CONNECTION_PREFIX,
   queueConfig: {
-    isQueuePausable: false,
+    isQueueDelayable: false,
   },
 })
 
diff --git a/packages/types/index.d.ts b/packages/types/index.d.ts
index 6f66a8291..81e021e2d 100644
--- a/packages/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/packages/types/index.d.ts
@@ -371,13 +371,21 @@ export interface IAppQueue {
   queueRateLimit?: WorkerProOptions['limiter']
 
   /**
-   * Configures if we are allowed to pause or rate limit the queue.
+   * Configures if we are allowed to delay or rate limit the entire queue.
    *
    * Concretely speaking, if this is true, RetriableErrors with delayType set
    * to `queue` will pause the entire queue for the delay period via a call to
    * `worker.rateLimit()`.
+   *
+   * This is a safety mechanism to ensure that we don't accidentally delay
+   * queues if reused code / helper functions throw RetriableErrors with
+   * `delayType` == `queue`.
+   *
+   * Note that BullMQ allows delaying the entire queue only if a queue rate
+   * limit is set. Thus, if you configure this to true, you must also configure
+   * the queueRateLimit.
    */
-  isQueuePausable: boolean
+  isQueueDelayable: boolean
 }
 
 export interface IApp {