diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index 37a21ef..b3d8cf7 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { useState } from "react";
 import { Layout, Typography } from "antd";
-import { getJobStatus } from "./utils/firebase";
+import { getJobStatus, updateJobStatusTimestamp } from "./utils/firebase";
 import { getFirebaseRecipe, jsonToString } from "./utils/recipeLoader";
 import { getSubmitPackingUrl, JOB_STATUS } from "./constants/aws";
 import {
@@ -68,14 +68,15 @@ function App() {
         start = Date.now();
         const response = await fetch(request);
         setJobStatus(JOB_STATUS.SUBMITTED);
-        const data = await response.json();
         if (response.ok) {
+            const data = await response.json();
             setJobId(data.jobId);
             setJobStatus(JOB_STATUS.STARTING);
             return data.jobId;
         } else {
+            const errorText = await response.text();
             setJobStatus(JOB_STATUS.FAILED);
-            setJobLogs(JSON.stringify(data));
+            setJobLogs(errorText);
         }
     };
 
@@ -92,6 +93,9 @@ function App() {
     const checkStatus = async (jobIdFromSubmit: string) => {
         const id = jobIdFromSubmit || jobId;
         let localJobStatus = await getJobStatus(id);
+        if (localJobStatus) {
+            setJobStatus(localJobStatus.status);
+        }
         while (
             localJobStatus?.status !== JOB_STATUS.DONE &&
             localJobStatus?.status !== JOB_STATUS.FAILED
@@ -106,6 +110,11 @@ function App() {
                 setJobStatus(newJobStatus.status);
             }
         }
+
+        // Update the job status timestamp after reading the final status to
+        // ensure we have the most recent timestamp for retention policy
+        await updateJobStatusTimestamp(id);
+
         const range = (Date.now() - start) / 1000;
         if (localJobStatus.status == JOB_STATUS.DONE) {
             setPackingResults({
diff --git a/src/constants/firebase.ts b/src/constants/firebase.ts
index 7f5bff4..a06200b 100644
--- a/src/constants/firebase.ts
+++ b/src/constants/firebase.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ export const FIRESTORE_FIELDS = {
 export const RETENTION_POLICY = {
     RETENTION_PERIODS: {
         RECIPES_EDITED: 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000, // 24 hours
-        JOB_STATUS: 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000, // 24 hours
+        JOB_STATUS: 30 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000, // 30 days
     },
 
     TIMESTAMP_FIELD: "timestamp",
diff --git a/src/utils/firebase.ts b/src/utils/firebase.ts
index d6c630c..caf24d9 100644
--- a/src/utils/firebase.ts
+++ b/src/utils/firebase.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
     doc,
     Timestamp,
     deleteDoc,
+    updateDoc
 } from "firebase/firestore";
 import { sortBy } from "lodash-es";
 import {
@@ -125,6 +126,13 @@ const getJobStatus = async (
     return docs[0] || undefined;
 };
 
+const updateJobStatusTimestamp = async (jobId: string) => {
+    const data = {
+        timestamp: Timestamp.now(),
+    };
+    await updateDoc(doc(db, FIRESTORE_COLLECTIONS.JOB_STATUS, jobId), data);
+};
+
 const getOutputsDirectory = async (jobId: string) => {
     const querySnapshot = await queryDocumentById(
         FIRESTORE_COLLECTIONS.JOB_STATUS,
@@ -274,4 +282,5 @@ export {
     getRecipeManifestFromFirebase,
     getRecipeDataFromFirebase,
     getOutputsDirectory,
+    updateJobStatusTimestamp,
 };