diff --git a/torchx/schedulers/slurm_scheduler.py b/torchx/schedulers/slurm_scheduler.py
index e74afb6ac..7fd926d99 100644
--- a/torchx/schedulers/slurm_scheduler.py
+++ b/torchx/schedulers/slurm_scheduler.py
@@ -73,6 +73,15 @@ def appstate_from_slurm_state(slurm_state: str) -> AppState:
     return SLURM_STATES.get(slurm_state, AppState.UNKNOWN)
 
 
+def get_appstate_from_job(job: dict[str, object]) -> AppState:
+    # Prior to slurm-23.11, job_state was a string and not a list
+    job_state = job.get("job_state", None)
+    if isinstance(job_state, list):
+        return appstate_from_slurm_state(job_state[0])
+    else:
+        return appstate_from_slurm_state(str(job_state))
+
+
 def version() -> Tuple[int, int]:
     """
     Uses ``sinfo --version`` to get the slurm version. If the command fails, it
@@ -666,7 +675,7 @@ def _describe_squeue(self, app_id: str) -> Optional[DescribeAppResponse]:
 
             entrypoint = job["command"]
             image = job["current_working_directory"]
-            state = appstate_from_slurm_state(job["job_state"][0])
+            state = get_appstate_from_job(job)
 
             job_resources = job["job_resources"]
 
@@ -881,7 +890,7 @@ def _list_squeue(self) -> List[ListAppResponse]:
             out.append(
                 ListAppResponse(
                     app_id=str(job["job_id"]),
-                    state=SLURM_STATES[job["job_state"][0]],
+                    state=get_appstate_from_job(job),
                     name=job["name"],
                 )
             )
diff --git a/torchx/schedulers/test/slurm_scheduler_test.py b/torchx/schedulers/test/slurm_scheduler_test.py
index fb1096454..16e457b39 100644
--- a/torchx/schedulers/test/slurm_scheduler_test.py
+++ b/torchx/schedulers/test/slurm_scheduler_test.py
@@ -547,8 +547,14 @@ def test_list_sacct(self, run: MagicMock) -> None:
 
     @patch("subprocess.run")
     def test_list_squeue(self, run: MagicMock) -> None:
+        # First job is patched with a string-type job state
         run.return_value.stdout = b"""{
   "jobs": [
+    {
+        "job_id": 1233,
+        "name": "bar",
+        "job_state": "FAILED"
+    },
     {
         "job_id": 1234,
         "name": "foo",
@@ -588,6 +594,7 @@ def test_list_squeue(self, run: MagicMock) -> None:
 }"""
         scheduler = create_scheduler("foo")
         expected_apps = [
+            ListAppResponse(app_id="1233", state=AppState.FAILED, name="bar"),
             ListAppResponse(app_id="1234", state=AppState.FAILED, name="foo"),
             ListAppResponse(app_id="1235", state=AppState.FAILED, name="foo"),
             ListAppResponse(app_id="1236", state=AppState.RUNNING, name="foo-0"),
@@ -1128,3 +1135,30 @@ def test_describe_squeue_nodes_as_string(self) -> None:
 
             assert result is not None
             assert result.roles_statuses[0].replicas[0].hostname == "compute-node-123"
+
+    def test_describe_squeue_handles_string_state(self) -> None:
+        """Test that describe handles job state as string (i.e. for SLURM <= 23.02)."""
+
+        # Mock legacy slurm response with job_state as a string
+        mock_job_data = {
+            "jobs": [
+                {
+                    "name": "test-job-0",
+                    "job_state": "TIMEOUT",
+                    "job_resources": {"nodes": "compute-node-123"},
+                    "command": "/bin/echo",
+                    "current_working_directory": "/tmp",
+                }
+            ]
+        }
+
+        with patch("subprocess.check_output") as mock_subprocess:
+            mock_subprocess.return_value = json.dumps(mock_job_data)
+
+            scheduler = SlurmScheduler("test")
+            result = scheduler._describe_squeue("123")
+
+            assert result is not None
+            assert result.app_id == "123"
+            # should have a valid parsed state
+            assert result.state == AppState.FAILED