diff --git a/src/controller/retention/controller.go b/src/controller/retention/controller.go
index 986268e58..4ec607a40 100644
--- a/src/controller/retention/controller.go
+++ b/src/controller/retention/controller.go
@@ -23,7 +23,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/controller/event/operator"
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/jobservice/job"
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/jobservice/logger"
+	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/lib"
+	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/lib/orm"
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/lib/q"
+	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/lib/retry"
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/pkg"
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/pkg/project"
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/pkg/repository"
@@ -80,6 +83,7 @@ type defaultController struct {
 	projectManager project.Manager
 	repositoryMgr  repository.Manager
 	scheduler      scheduler.Scheduler
+	wp             *lib.WorkerPool
 }
 
 const (
@@ -248,21 +252,49 @@ func (r *defaultController) TriggerRetentionExec(ctx context.Context, policyID i
 		"dry_run":  dryRun,
 		"operator": operator.FromContext(ctx),
 	}
+
 	id, err := r.execMgr.Create(ctx, job.RetentionVendorType, policyID, trigger, extra)
-	if num, err := r.launcher.Launch(ctx, p, id, dryRun); err != nil {
-		if err1 := r.execMgr.StopAndWait(ctx, id, 10*time.Second); err1 != nil {
-			logger.Errorf("failed to stop the retention execution %d: %v", id, err1)
-		}
-		if err1 := r.execMgr.MarkError(ctx, id, err.Error()); err1 != nil {
-			logger.Errorf("failed to mark error for the retention execution %d: %v", id, err1)
-		}
+	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
-	} else if num == 0 {
-		// no candidates, mark the execution as done directly
-		if err := r.execMgr.MarkDone(ctx, id, "no resources for retention"); err != nil {
-			logger.Errorf("failed to mark done for the execution %d: %v", id, err)
-		}
 	}
+
+	go func() {
+		r.wp.GetWorker()
+		defer r.wp.ReleaseWorker()
+		// copy the context to request a new ormer
+		ctx = orm.Copy(ctx)
+		// as we start a new transaction in the goroutine, the execution record may not
+		// be inserted yet, wait until it is ready before continue
+		if err := retry.Retry(func() error {
+			_, err := r.execMgr.Get(ctx, id)
+			return err
+		}); err != nil {
+			markErr := r.execMgr.MarkError(ctx, id, fmt.Sprintf(
+				"failed to wait the execution record to be inserted: %v", err))
+			if markErr != nil {
+				logger.Errorf("failed to mark the status of execution %d to error: %v", id, markErr)
+			}
+			return
+		}
+
+		if num, err := r.launcher.Launch(ctx, p, id, dryRun); err != nil {
+			logger.Errorf("failed to launch the retention jobs, err: %v", err)
+
+			if err = r.execMgr.StopAndWait(ctx, id, 10*time.Second); err != nil {
+				logger.Errorf("failed to stop the retention execution %d: %v", id, err)
+			}
+
+			if err = r.execMgr.MarkError(ctx, id, err.Error()); err != nil {
+				logger.Errorf("failed to mark error for the retention execution %d: %v", id, err)
+			}
+		} else if num == 0 {
+			// no candidates, mark the execution as done directly
+			if err := r.execMgr.MarkDone(ctx, id, "no resources for retention"); err != nil {
+				logger.Errorf("failed to mark done for the execution %d: %v", id, err)
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
 	return id, err
 }
 
@@ -434,5 +466,6 @@ func NewController() Controller {
 		projectManager: pkg.ProjectMgr,
 		repositoryMgr:  pkg.RepositoryMgr,
 		scheduler:      scheduler.Sched,
+		wp:             lib.NewWorkerPool(10),
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/controller/retention/controller_test.go b/src/controller/retention/controller_test.go
index 2088feb07..6261d4534 100644
--- a/src/controller/retention/controller_test.go
+++ b/src/controller/retention/controller_test.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/common/dao"
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/jobservice/job"
+	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/lib"
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/lib/orm"
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/lib/q"
 	"github.com/goharbor/harbor/src/pkg/retention"
@@ -238,6 +239,7 @@ func (s *ControllerTestSuite) TestExecution() {
 		projectManager: projectMgr,
 		repositoryMgr:  repositoryMgr,
 		scheduler:      retentionScheduler,
+		wp:             lib.NewWorkerPool(10),
 	}
 
 	p1 := &policy.Metadata{