diff --git a/src/clients/Elsa.Api.Client/Resources/WorkflowInstances/Enums/WorkflowSubStatus.cs b/src/clients/Elsa.Api.Client/Resources/WorkflowInstances/Enums/WorkflowSubStatus.cs
index ccb9a48533..41f174cbf3 100644
--- a/src/clients/Elsa.Api.Client/Resources/WorkflowInstances/Enums/WorkflowSubStatus.cs
+++ b/src/clients/Elsa.Api.Client/Resources/WorkflowInstances/Enums/WorkflowSubStatus.cs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ public enum WorkflowSubStatus
     /// The workflow is currently suspended and waiting for external stimuli to resume.   
     /// </summary>
     Suspended,
-    
+
     /// <summary>
     /// The workflow completed successfully.
     /// </summary>
@@ -40,4 +40,9 @@ public enum WorkflowSubStatus
     /// The instance is resumable and will be picked up by the runtime's shell-activation recovery scan.
     /// </summary>
     Interrupted,
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Cancellation was requested and is being processed.
+    /// </summary>
+    Cancelling,
+}
diff --git a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/Contexts/WorkflowExecutionContext.cs b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/Contexts/WorkflowExecutionContext.cs
index 19373143f7..2ec4fd366d 100644
--- a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/Contexts/WorkflowExecutionContext.cs
+++ b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/Contexts/WorkflowExecutionContext.cs
@@ -703,6 +703,7 @@ private WorkflowStatus GetMainStatus(WorkflowSubStatus subStatus) =>
             WorkflowSubStatus.Faulted => WorkflowStatus.Finished,
             WorkflowSubStatus.Finished => WorkflowStatus.Finished,
             WorkflowSubStatus.Suspended => WorkflowStatus.Running,
+            WorkflowSubStatus.Cancelling => WorkflowStatus.Running,
             _ => throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(subStatus), subStatus, null)
         };
 
diff --git a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/Enums/WorkflowSubStatus.cs b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/Enums/WorkflowSubStatus.cs
index 2c96e8ba7c..4d86a8499c 100644
--- a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/Enums/WorkflowSubStatus.cs
+++ b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Core/Enums/WorkflowSubStatus.cs
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ public enum WorkflowSubStatus
     /// The workflow is currently suspended and waiting for external stimuli to resume.   
     /// </summary>
     Suspended,
-    
+
     /// <summary>
     /// The workflow completed successfully.
     /// </summary>
@@ -43,4 +43,9 @@ public enum WorkflowSubStatus
     /// sub-status with a stale liveness timestamp.
     /// </summary>
     Interrupted,
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Cancellation was requested and is being processed.
+    /// </summary>
+    Cancelling,
+}
diff --git a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Services/WorkflowCancellationService.cs b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Services/WorkflowCancellationService.cs
index 552b75323a..6f7d3f68d9 100644
--- a/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Services/WorkflowCancellationService.cs
+++ b/src/modules/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime/Services/WorkflowCancellationService.cs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+using Elsa.Common;
 using Elsa.Common.Models;
 using Elsa.Workflows.Management;
 using Elsa.Workflows.Management.Entities;
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ namespace Elsa.Workflows.Runtime;
 public class WorkflowCancellationService(
     IWorkflowDefinitionService workflowDefinitionService,
     IWorkflowInstanceStore workflowInstanceStore,
+    ISystemClock systemClock,
     IWorkflowCancellationDispatcher dispatcher)
     : IWorkflowCancellationService
 {
@@ -67,19 +69,47 @@ public async Task<int> CancelWorkflowByDefinitionAsync(string definitionId, Vers
 
     private async Task<int> CancelWorkflows(IList<WorkflowInstance> workflowInstances, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
     {
-        var tasks = workflowInstances.Where(i => i.Status != WorkflowStatus.Finished)
+        var cancellableWorkflowInstances = workflowInstances.Where(i => i.Status != WorkflowStatus.Finished).ToList();
+        var instanceIds = workflowInstances.Select(i => i.Id).ToList();
+
+        await MarkWorkflowInstancesAsCancellingAsync(cancellableWorkflowInstances, cancellationToken);
+
+        var tasks = cancellableWorkflowInstances
             .Select(i => dispatcher.DispatchAsync(new DispatchCancelWorkflowRequest
             {
                 WorkflowInstanceId = i.Id
             }, cancellationToken)).ToList();
 
-        var instanceIds = workflowInstances.Select(i => i.Id).ToList();
         await CancelChildWorkflowInstances(instanceIds, cancellationToken);
         await Task.WhenAll(tasks);
 
         return tasks.Count;
     }
 
+    private async Task MarkWorkflowInstancesAsCancellingAsync(ICollection<WorkflowInstance> workflowInstances, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    {
+        if (workflowInstances.Count == 0)
+            return;
+
+        var now = systemClock.UtcNow;
+
+        foreach (var workflowInstance in workflowInstances)
+        {
+            workflowInstance.Status = WorkflowStatus.Running;
+            workflowInstance.SubStatus = WorkflowSubStatus.Cancelling;
+            workflowInstance.UpdatedAt = now;
+
+            if (workflowInstance.WorkflowState is not null)
+            {
+                workflowInstance.WorkflowState.Status = WorkflowStatus.Running;
+                workflowInstance.WorkflowState.SubStatus = WorkflowSubStatus.Cancelling;
+                workflowInstance.WorkflowState.UpdatedAt = now;
+            }
+        }
+
+        await workflowInstanceStore.SaveManyAsync(workflowInstances, cancellationToken);
+    }
+
     private async Task CancelChildWorkflowInstances(IEnumerable<string> workflowInstanceIds, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
     {
         var tasks = new List<Task<int>>();
@@ -101,4 +131,4 @@ private async Task CancelChildWorkflowInstances(IEnumerable<string> workflowInst
 
         await Task.WhenAll(tasks);
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/test/unit/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime.UnitTests/Services/WorkflowCancellationServiceTests.cs b/test/unit/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime.UnitTests/Services/WorkflowCancellationServiceTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6df3348b7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/Elsa.Workflows.Runtime.UnitTests/Services/WorkflowCancellationServiceTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+using Elsa.Common;
+using Elsa.Common.Models;
+using Elsa.Workflows.Management;
+using Elsa.Workflows.Management.Entities;
+using Elsa.Workflows.Management.Filters;
+using Elsa.Workflows.Runtime.Requests;
+using Elsa.Workflows.Runtime.Responses;
+using Elsa.Workflows.State;
+using NSubstitute;
+
+namespace Elsa.Workflows.Runtime.UnitTests.Services;
+
+public class WorkflowCancellationServiceTests
+{
+    private readonly IWorkflowDefinitionService _workflowDefinitionService = Substitute.For<IWorkflowDefinitionService>();
+    private readonly IWorkflowInstanceStore _workflowInstanceStore = Substitute.For<IWorkflowInstanceStore>();
+    private readonly ISystemClock _systemClock = Substitute.For<ISystemClock>();
+    private readonly IWorkflowCancellationDispatcher _dispatcher = Substitute.For<IWorkflowCancellationDispatcher>();
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task CancelWorkflowsAsync_MarksNonFinishedInstancesAsCancellingBeforeDispatchingCancellation()
+    {
+        var now = new DateTimeOffset(2026, 5, 22, 17, 0, 0, TimeSpan.Zero);
+        var events = new List<string>();
+        var suspendedInstance = CreateInstance("workflow-1", WorkflowStatus.Running, WorkflowSubStatus.Suspended);
+        var finishedInstance = CreateInstance("workflow-2", WorkflowStatus.Finished, WorkflowSubStatus.Finished);
+        var instances = new[] { suspendedInstance, finishedInstance };
+        var service = CreateService();
+
+        _systemClock.UtcNow.Returns(now);
+        _workflowInstanceStore
+            .FindManyAsync(Arg.Any<WorkflowInstanceFilter>(), Arg.Any<CancellationToken>())
+            .Returns(callInfo =>
+            {
+                var filter = callInfo.ArgAt<WorkflowInstanceFilter>(0);
+                var matchesRequestedIds = filter.Ids?.Any() == true;
+                IEnumerable<WorkflowInstance> result = matchesRequestedIds ? instances : Array.Empty<WorkflowInstance>();
+                return new ValueTask<IEnumerable<WorkflowInstance>>(result);
+            });
+        _workflowInstanceStore
+            .SaveManyAsync(Arg.Any<IEnumerable<WorkflowInstance>>(), Arg.Any<CancellationToken>())
+            .Returns(_ =>
+            {
+                events.Add("save");
+                return ValueTask.CompletedTask;
+            });
+        _dispatcher
+            .DispatchAsync(Arg.Any<DispatchCancelWorkflowRequest>(), Arg.Any<CancellationToken>())
+            .Returns(_ =>
+            {
+                events.Add("dispatch");
+                return Task.FromResult(new DispatchCancelWorkflowsResponse());
+            });
+
+        var count = await service.CancelWorkflowsAsync(new[] { "workflow-1", "workflow-2" });
+
+        Assert.Equal(1, count);
+        Assert.Equal(new[] { "save", "dispatch" }, events);
+        Assert.Equal(WorkflowStatus.Running, suspendedInstance.Status);
+        Assert.Equal(WorkflowSubStatus.Cancelling, suspendedInstance.SubStatus);
+        Assert.Equal(now, suspendedInstance.UpdatedAt);
+        Assert.Equal(WorkflowStatus.Running, suspendedInstance.WorkflowState.Status);
+        Assert.Equal(WorkflowSubStatus.Cancelling, suspendedInstance.WorkflowState.SubStatus);
+        Assert.Equal(now, suspendedInstance.WorkflowState.UpdatedAt);
+        Assert.Equal(WorkflowSubStatus.Finished, finishedInstance.SubStatus);
+
+        await _workflowInstanceStore.Received(1).SaveManyAsync(
+            Arg.Is<IEnumerable<WorkflowInstance>>(items =>
+                items.Count() == 1 &&
+                items.Single().Id == suspendedInstance.Id),
+            Arg.Any<CancellationToken>());
+        await _dispatcher.Received(1).DispatchAsync(
+            Arg.Is<DispatchCancelWorkflowRequest>(request => request.WorkflowInstanceId == suspendedInstance.Id),
+            Arg.Any<CancellationToken>());
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task CancelWorkflowAsync_ReturnsFalseWithoutDispatching_WhenInstanceDoesNotExist()
+    {
+        var service = CreateService();
+        _workflowInstanceStore
+            .FindAsync(Arg.Any<WorkflowInstanceFilter>(), Arg.Any<CancellationToken>())
+            .Returns(new ValueTask<WorkflowInstance?>((WorkflowInstance?)null));
+
+        var result = await service.CancelWorkflowAsync("missing-workflow");
+
+        Assert.False(result);
+        await _workflowInstanceStore.DidNotReceive().SaveManyAsync(Arg.Any<IEnumerable<WorkflowInstance>>(), Arg.Any<CancellationToken>());
+        await _dispatcher.DidNotReceive().DispatchAsync(Arg.Any<DispatchCancelWorkflowRequest>(), Arg.Any<CancellationToken>());
+    }
+
+    private WorkflowCancellationService CreateService() => new(_workflowDefinitionService, _workflowInstanceStore, _systemClock, _dispatcher);
+
+    private static WorkflowInstance CreateInstance(string id, WorkflowStatus status, WorkflowSubStatus subStatus)
+    {
+        var workflowState = new WorkflowState
+        {
+            Id = id,
+            Status = status,
+            SubStatus = subStatus
+        };
+
+        return new()
+        {
+            Id = id,
+            DefinitionId = "definition-1",
+            DefinitionVersionId = "definition-version-1",
+            Status = status,
+            SubStatus = subStatus,
+            WorkflowState = workflowState
+        };
+    }
+}