diff --git a/api/src/opentrons/hardware_control/backends/ot3controller.py b/api/src/opentrons/hardware_control/backends/ot3controller.py
index 4dd1e814b8e..1b90e086dca 100644
--- a/api/src/opentrons/hardware_control/backends/ot3controller.py
+++ b/api/src/opentrons/hardware_control/backends/ot3controller.py
@@ -192,6 +192,8 @@
     FirmwareUpdateRequiredError,
     FailedGripperPickupError,
     LiquidNotFoundError,
+    CommunicationError,
+    PythonException,
 )
 
 from .subsystem_manager import SubsystemManager
@@ -1186,7 +1188,14 @@ async def update_engaged_axes(self) -> None:
     async def is_motor_engaged(self, axis: Axis) -> bool:
         node = axis_to_node(axis)
         result = await get_motor_enabled(self._messenger, {node})
-        engaged = result[node]
+        try:
+            engaged = result[node]
+        except KeyError as ke:
+            raise CommunicationError(
+                message=f"No response from {node.name} for motor engagement query",
+                detail={"node": node.name},
+                wrapping=[PythonException(ke)],
+            ) from ke
         self._engaged_axes.update({axis: engaged})
         return engaged