diff --git a/distributed/tests/test_worker.py b/distributed/tests/test_worker.py
index 0caa128c02b..9c0be0ab0f2 100644
--- a/distributed/tests/test_worker.py
+++ b/distributed/tests/test_worker.py
@@ -1890,6 +1890,15 @@ def get_thread_name():
         assert "Dask-Foo-Threads" in gpu_result
 
 
+@gen_cluster(client=True)
+async def test_bad_executor_annotation(c, s, a, b):
+    with dask.annotate(executor="bad"):
+        future = c.submit(inc, 1)
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Invalid executor 'bad'; expected one of: "):
+        await future
+    assert future.status == "error"
+
+
 @gen_cluster(client=True)
 async def test_process_executor(c, s, a, b):
     with ProcessPoolExecutor() as e:
diff --git a/distributed/worker.py b/distributed/worker.py
index 076eb1f0e8d..92ad1881b96 100644
--- a/distributed/worker.py
+++ b/distributed/worker.py
@@ -3429,17 +3429,22 @@ async def execute(self, key: str, *, stimulus_id: str) -> tuple[Recs, Instructio
 
             args2, kwargs2 = self._prepare_args_for_execution(ts, args, kwargs)
 
-            if ts.annotations is not None and "executor" in ts.annotations:
-                executor = ts.annotations["executor"]
-            else:
+            try:
+                executor = ts.annotations["executor"]  # type: ignore
+            except (TypeError, KeyError):
                 executor = "default"
-            assert executor in self.executors
+            try:
+                e = self.executors[executor]
+            except KeyError:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"Invalid executor {executor!r}; "
+                    f"expected one of: {sorted(self.executors)}"
+                )
 
             self.active_keys.add(ts.key)
 
             result: dict
             try:
-                e = self.executors[executor]
                 ts.start_time = time()
                 if iscoroutinefunction(function):
                     result = await apply_function_async(