diff --git a/core/sdk-core/src/main/java/software/amazon/awssdk/core/internal/waiters/AsyncWaiterExecutor.java b/core/sdk-core/src/main/java/software/amazon/awssdk/core/internal/waiters/AsyncWaiterExecutor.java
index cde52f85d22a..de4be0440134 100644
--- a/core/sdk-core/src/main/java/software/amazon/awssdk/core/internal/waiters/AsyncWaiterExecutor.java
+++ b/core/sdk-core/src/main/java/software/amazon/awssdk/core/internal/waiters/AsyncWaiterExecutor.java
@@ -104,10 +104,21 @@ private void runAsyncPollingFunction(Supplier<CompletableFuture<T>> asyncPolling
                             future.completeExceptionally(new UnsupportedOperationException());
                     }
                 } else {
-                    future.completeExceptionally(executorHelper.noneMatchException(responseOrException));
+                    Optional<Throwable> t = responseOrException.right();
+                    if (t.isPresent() && t.get() instanceof Error) {
+                        future.completeExceptionally(t.get());
+                    } else {
+                        future.completeExceptionally(executorHelper.noneMatchException(responseOrException));
+                    }
                 }
             } catch (Throwable t) {
-                future.completeExceptionally(SdkClientException.create("Encountered unexpected exception.", t));
+                Throwable cause = t instanceof CompletionException ? t.getCause() : t;
+
+                if (cause instanceof Error) {
+                    future.completeExceptionally(cause);
+                } else {
+                    future.completeExceptionally(SdkClientException.create("Encountered unexpected exception.", cause));
+                }
             }
         });
     }
diff --git a/test/codegen-generated-classes-test/src/test/java/software/amazon/awssdk/services/waiters/WaitersAsyncFunctionalTest.java b/test/codegen-generated-classes-test/src/test/java/software/amazon/awssdk/services/waiters/WaitersAsyncFunctionalTest.java
index 4b958d34b329..d114f66c7d82 100644
--- a/test/codegen-generated-classes-test/src/test/java/software/amazon/awssdk/services/waiters/WaitersAsyncFunctionalTest.java
+++ b/test/codegen-generated-classes-test/src/test/java/software/amazon/awssdk/services/waiters/WaitersAsyncFunctionalTest.java
@@ -198,6 +198,13 @@ public void failureException_shouldThrowException() {
             .hasCauseInstanceOf(SdkClientException.class);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void errorShouldNotBeWrapped() {
+        when(asyncClient.allTypes(any(AllTypesRequest.class))).thenReturn(CompletableFutureUtils.failedFuture(new OutOfMemoryError()));
+        assertThatThrownBy(() -> asyncWaiter.waitUntilAllTypesSuccess(SdkBuilder::build).join())
+            .hasCauseInstanceOf(Error.class);
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void closeWaiterCreatedWithClient_clientDoesNotClose() {
         asyncWaiter.close();