diff --git a/cmd/workflow/deploy/deploy.go b/cmd/workflow/deploy/deploy.go
index ba6c37c6..c7fd8184 100644
--- a/cmd/workflow/deploy/deploy.go
+++ b/cmd/workflow/deploy/deploy.go
@@ -237,6 +237,9 @@ func (h *handler) Execute(ctx context.Context) error {
 		h.workflowArtifact.WorkflowID,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, errWorkflowUnchanged) {
+			return err
+		}
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to check if workflow exists: %w", err)
 	}
 	h.existingWorkflowStatus = existingStatus
diff --git a/cmd/workflow/deploy/private_registry_test.go b/cmd/workflow/deploy/private_registry_test.go
index 7ba1047b..714b2918 100644
--- a/cmd/workflow/deploy/private_registry_test.go
+++ b/cmd/workflow/deploy/private_registry_test.go
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ func TestCheckWorkflowExists_PrivateRegistry(t *testing.T) {
 			wantErr:    false,
 		},
 		{
-			name:         "found workflow with same ID returns error",
+			name:         "found workflow with same ID returns unchanged error",
 			serverStatus: http.StatusOK,
 			response: map[string]any{
 				"data": map[string]any{
@@ -254,10 +254,10 @@ func TestCheckWorkflowExists_PrivateRegistry(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 			workflowID: "00a2b96d2f06961c3e0cf6fbba5cfa30d3b577026de094e5202d5fc3e3aabb87",
-			wantExists: false,
-			wantStatus: nil,
+			wantExists: true,
+			wantStatus: uint8Ptr(0),
 			wantErr:    true,
-			errMsg:     "workflow with id 00a2b96d2f06961c3e0cf6fbba5cfa30d3b577026de094e5202d5fc3e3aabb87 already exists",
+			errMsg:     "workflow with id 00a2b96d2f06961c3e0cf6fbba5cfa30d3b577026de094e5202d5fc3e3aabb87 is already registered and unchanged; re-deployment skipped: workflow unchanged",
 		},
 		{
 			name:         "not found returns no error and no status",
@@ -320,6 +320,9 @@ func TestCheckWorkflowExists_PrivateRegistry(t *testing.T) {
 				if tt.errMsg != "" {
 					assert.Equal(t, tt.errMsg, err.Error())
 				}
+				if tt.wantExists {
+					assert.ErrorIs(t, err, errWorkflowUnchanged)
+				}
 			} else {
 				require.NoError(t, err)
 			}
diff --git a/cmd/workflow/deploy/registry_deploy_strategy.go b/cmd/workflow/deploy/registry_deploy_strategy.go
index 434b62de..34a5c431 100644
--- a/cmd/workflow/deploy/registry_deploy_strategy.go
+++ b/cmd/workflow/deploy/registry_deploy_strategy.go
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ import (
 // re-running the command).
 var errDeployHalted = errors.New("deploy halted")
 
+// errWorkflowUnchanged is a sentinel returned by CheckWorkflowExists when a
+// registered workflow has the same ID as the artifact being deployed.
+var errWorkflowUnchanged = errors.New("workflow unchanged")
+
 // registryDeployStrategy encapsulates target-specific deployment logic.
 // The orchestrator calls these methods in a fixed sequence with common steps
 // (artifact upload) between RunPreDeployChecks and Upsert.
@@ -22,6 +26,8 @@ type registryDeployStrategy interface {
 
 	// CheckWorkflowExists returns whether a same-name workflow exists for this
 	// registry target and includes the existing workflow status for updates.
+	// When the existing workflow ID matches workflowID, exists is true and
+	// errWorkflowUnchanged is returned to block redeployment of identical artifacts.
 	CheckWorkflowExists(workflowOwner, workflowName, workflowTag, workflowID string) (bool, *uint8, error)
 
 	// Upsert registers or updates the workflow in the target registry
diff --git a/cmd/workflow/deploy/registry_deploy_strategy_onchain.go b/cmd/workflow/deploy/registry_deploy_strategy_onchain.go
index ea6f1583..0d1943cd 100644
--- a/cmd/workflow/deploy/registry_deploy_strategy_onchain.go
+++ b/cmd/workflow/deploy/registry_deploy_strategy_onchain.go
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ func (a *onchainRegistryDeployStrategy) CheckWorkflowExists(workflowOwner, workf
 		return false, nil, err
 	}
 	if workflow.WorkflowId == [32]byte(common.Hex2Bytes(workflowID)) {
-		return false, nil, fmt.Errorf("workflow with id %s already exists", workflowID)
+		status := workflow.Status
+		return true, &status, fmt.Errorf("workflow with id %s is already registered and unchanged; re-deployment skipped: %w", workflowID, errWorkflowUnchanged)
 	}
 	if workflow.WorkflowName == workflowName {
 		status := workflow.Status
diff --git a/cmd/workflow/deploy/registry_deploy_strategy_private.go b/cmd/workflow/deploy/registry_deploy_strategy_private.go
index dc14b21c..dee39315 100644
--- a/cmd/workflow/deploy/registry_deploy_strategy_private.go
+++ b/cmd/workflow/deploy/registry_deploy_strategy_private.go
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ func (a *privateRegistryDeployStrategy) CheckWorkflowExists(_, workflowName, _,
 	workflow, err := a.prc.GetWorkflowByName(workflowName)
 	if err == nil {
 		if workflow.WorkflowID == workflowID {
-			return false, nil, fmt.Errorf("workflow with id %s already exists", workflowID)
+			return true, offchainStatusToUint8(workflow.Status), fmt.Errorf("workflow with id %s is already registered and unchanged; re-deployment skipped: %w", workflowID, errWorkflowUnchanged)
 		}
 		return true, offchainStatusToUint8(workflow.Status), nil
 	}