Disclosed herein are systems and methods for query-attempt assignment in a database environment. In an embodiment, a database platform includes first and second database query managers respectively configured to manage external and internal tasks of the database platform. The first database query manager receives a query directed to database data in a client account of the database platform, and an attempt to execute the query is assigned to one or more execution nodes. Based on determining that the attempt was unsuccessful, the database platform transfers the query to the second database manager, which assigns a first retry attempt to execute the query to one or more execution nodes.