diff --git a/app/models/domain.rb b/app/models/domain.rb
index d42b13b28..6cd0f7c4a 100644
--- a/app/models/domain.rb
+++ b/app/models/domain.rb
@@ -285,20 +285,21 @@ class Domain < ActiveRecord::Base
     end
 
     def start_delete_period
-      STDOUT << "#{Time.zone.now.utc} - Setting delete_candidate to domains\n" unless Rails.env.test?
+      begin
+        STDOUT << "#{Time.zone.now.utc} - Setting delete_candidate to domains\n" unless Rails.env.test?
 
-      d = Domain.where('delete_at <= ?', Time.zone.now)
-      marked = 0
-      d.each do |domain|
-        next unless domain.delete_candidateable?
-        domain.statuses << DomainStatus::DELETE_CANDIDATE
-        STDOUT << "#{Time.zone.now.utc} Domain.start_delete_period: ##{domain.id} (#{domain.name}) #{domain.changes}\n" unless Rails.env.test?
-        domain.save
-        marked += 1
+        d = Domain.where('delete_at <= ?', Time.zone.now)
+        marked = 0
+        d.each do |domain|
+          next unless domain.delete_candidateable?
+          domain.statuses << DomainStatus::DELETE_CANDIDATE
+          STDOUT << "#{Time.zone.now.utc} Domain.start_delete_period: ##{domain.id} (#{domain.name}) #{domain.changes}\n" unless Rails.env.test?
+          domain.save
+          marked += 1
+        end
+      ensure # the operator should see what was accomplished
+        STDOUT << "#{Time.zone.now.utc} - Finished setting delete_candidate -  #{marked} out of #{d.count} successfully set\n" unless Rails.env.test?
       end
-
-      return if Rails.env.test?
-      STDOUT << "#{Time.zone.now.utc} - Finished setting delete_candidate -  #{marked} out of #{d.count} successfully set\n"
     end
 
     # rubocop:disable Rails/FindEach