diff --git a/common/util.go b/common/util.go
index d672e8d4cfe..bc12bd55b29 100644
--- a/common/util.go
+++ b/common/util.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ package common
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
 	"math/rand"
@@ -244,14 +245,22 @@ func ToServiceTransientError(err error) error {
 
 // IsServiceTransientError checks if the error is a transient error.
 func IsServiceTransientError(err error) bool {
-	switch err.(type) {
-	case *types.InternalServiceError:
+
+	var (
+		typesInternalServiceError    *types.InternalServiceError
+		typesServiceBusyError        *types.ServiceBusyError
+		typesShardOwnershipLostError *types.ShardOwnershipLostError
+		yarpcErrorsStatus            *yarpcerrors.Status
+	)
+
+	switch {
+	case errors.As(err, &typesInternalServiceError):
 		return true
-	case *types.ServiceBusyError:
+	case errors.As(err, &typesServiceBusyError):
 		return true
-	case *types.ShardOwnershipLostError:
+	case errors.As(err, &typesShardOwnershipLostError):
 		return true
-	case *yarpcerrors.Status:
+	case errors.As(err, &yarpcErrorsStatus):
 		// We only selectively retry the following yarpc errors client can safe retry with a backoff
 		if yarpcerrors.IsUnavailable(err) ||
 			yarpcerrors.IsUnknown(err) ||
diff --git a/common/util_test.go b/common/util_test.go
index 5934bf2a5f9..fa1e0fb6cac 100644
--- a/common/util_test.go
+++ b/common/util_test.go
@@ -46,23 +46,53 @@ import (
 	"github.com/uber/cadence/common/types"
 )
 
-func TestIsServiceTransientError_ContextTimeout(t *testing.T) {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Millisecond)
-	defer cancel()
-	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
-
-	require.False(t, IsServiceTransientError(ctx.Err()))
-}
-
-func TestIsServiceTransientError_YARPCDeadlineExceeded(t *testing.T) {
-	yarpcErr := yarpcerrors.DeadlineExceededErrorf("yarpc deadline exceeded")
-	require.False(t, IsServiceTransientError(yarpcErr))
-}
+func TestIsServiceTransientError(t *testing.T) {
+	for name, c := range map[string]struct {
+		err  error
+		want bool
+	}{
+		"ContextTimeout": {
+			err:  context.DeadlineExceeded,
+			want: false,
+		},
+		"YARPCDeadlineExceeded": {
+			err:  yarpcerrors.DeadlineExceededErrorf("yarpc deadline exceeded"),
+			want: false,
+		},
+		"YARPCUnavailable": {
+			err:  yarpcerrors.UnavailableErrorf("yarpc unavailable"),
+			want: true,
+		},
+		"YARPCUnavailable wrapped": {
+			err:  fmt.Errorf("wrapped err: %w", yarpcerrors.UnavailableErrorf("yarpc unavailable")),
+			want: true,
+		},
+		"YARPCUnknown": {
+			err:  yarpcerrors.UnknownErrorf("yarpc unknown"),
+			want: true,
+		},
+		"YARPCInternal": {
+			err:  yarpcerrors.InternalErrorf("yarpc internal"),
+			want: true,
+		},
+		"ContextCancel": {
+			err:  context.Canceled,
+			want: false,
+		},
+		"ServiceBusyError": {
+			err:  &types.ServiceBusyError{},
+			want: true,
+		},
+		"ShardOwnershipLostError": {
+			err:  &types.ShardOwnershipLostError{},
+			want: true,
+		},
+	} {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			require.Equal(t, c.want, IsServiceTransientError(c.err))
+		})
+	}
 
-func TestIsServiceTransientError_ContextCancel(t *testing.T) {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	cancel()
-	require.False(t, IsServiceTransientError(ctx.Err()))
 }
 
 func TestIsContextTimeoutError(t *testing.T) {