diff --git a/src/decision-engine/index.js b/src/decision-engine/index.js
index 90565a8a..b873e9dd 100644
--- a/src/decision-engine/index.js
+++ b/src/decision-engine/index.js
@@ -120,17 +120,21 @@ class DecisionEngine {
       return
     }
 
-    // Send the message
-    await this.network.sendMessage(peerId, msg)
+    try {
+      // Send the message
+      await this.network.sendMessage(peerId, msg)
+
+      // Peform sent message accounting
+      for (const block of blocks.values()) {
+        this.messageSent(peerId, block)
+      }
+    } catch (err) {
+      this._log.error(err)
+    }
 
     // Free the tasks up from the request queue
     this._requestQueue.tasksDone(peerId, tasks)
 
-    // Peform sent message accounting
-    for (const block of blocks.values()) {
-      this.messageSent(peerId, block)
-    }
-
     // Trigger the next round of task processing
     this._scheduleProcessTasks()
   }
diff --git a/test/decision-engine/decision-engine.js b/test/decision-engine/decision-engine.js
index eb9e5a31..eec8dcf4 100644
--- a/test/decision-engine/decision-engine.js
+++ b/test/decision-engine/decision-engine.js
@@ -683,4 +683,50 @@ describe('Engine', () => {
       }
     }
   })
+
+  it('survives not being able to send a message to peer', async () => {
+    let r
+    const failToSendPromise = new Promise((resolve) => {
+      r = resolve
+    })
+
+    const network = mockNetwork()
+    network.sendMessage = () => {
+      r()
+      throw new Error('Something is b0rken')
+    }
+
+    // who is in the network
+    const us = await newEngine(network)
+    const them = await newEngine()
+
+    // add a block to our blockstore
+    const data = Buffer.from(`this is message ${Date.now()}`)
+    const hash = await multihashing(data, 'sha2-256')
+    const cid = new CID(hash)
+    const block = new Block(data, cid)
+    await us.engine.blockstore.put(block)
+
+    // receive a message with a want for our block
+    await us.engine.messageReceived(them.peer, {
+      blocks: [],
+      wantlist: [{
+        cid,
+        priority: 1,
+        wantType: 'wanty'
+      }]
+    })
+
+    // should have added a task for the remote peer
+    const tasks = us.engine._requestQueue._byPeer.get(them.peer.toB58String())
+
+    expect(tasks).to.have.property('_pending').that.has.property('length', 1)
+
+    // wait for us.network.sendMessage to be called
+    await failToSendPromise
+
+    // should be done processing
+    expect(tasks).to.have.property('_pending').that.has.property('length', 0)
+    expect(tasks).to.have.property('_active').that.has.property('size', 0)
+  })
 })