--- a/buildfarm/release/release-runner.py
+++ b/buildfarm/release/release-runner.py
@@ -526,16 +526,17 @@ def main(options):
                 os.symlink(target, symlink)
 
     # TODO: this won't work for Thunderbird...do we care?
     branch = release["branch"].split("/")[-1]
     branchConfig = readBranchConfig(path.join(configs_workdir, "mozilla"), branch=branch)
 
     rc = 0
     for release in rr.new_releases:
+        graph_id = slugId()
         try:
             rr.update_status(release, 'Generating task graph')
             l10n_changesets = parsePlainL10nChangesets(rr.get_release_l10n(release["name"]))
 
             kwargs = {
                 "public_key": docker_worker_key,
                 "version": release["version"],
                 "next_version": bump_version(release["version"]),
@@ -571,39 +572,39 @@ def main(options):
                 "push_to_releases_enabled": True,
                 "push_to_releases_automatic": branchConfig['push_to_releases_automatic'],
                 "beetmover_candidates_bucket": branchConfig["beetmover_buckets"][release["product"]],
             }
             if extra_balrog_submitter_params:
                 kwargs["extra_balrog_submitter_params"] = extra_balrog_submitter_params
 
             validate_graph_kwargs(queue, gpg_key_path, **kwargs)
-
-            graph_id = slugId()
             graph = make_task_graph(**kwargs)
-
             rr.update_status(release, "Submitting task graph")
-
             log.info("Task graph generated!")
             import pprint
             log.debug(pprint.pformat(graph, indent=4, width=160))
             print scheduler.createTaskGraph(graph_id, graph)
 
             rr.mark_as_completed(release)
             email_release_drivers(smtp_server=smtp_server, from_=notify_from,
                                   to=notify_to, release=release,
                                   graph_id=graph_id)
         except:
             # We explicitly do not raise an error here because there's no
             # reason not to start other releases if creating the Task Graph
             # fails for another one. We _do_ need to set this in order to exit
             # with the right code, though.
             rc = 2
-            rr.update_status(release, 'Failed to start release promotion')
-            log.exception("Failed to start release promotion for {}: ".format(release))
+            rr.mark_as_failed(
+                release,
+                'Failed to start release promotion (graph ID: %s)' % graph_id)
+            log.exception(
+                "Failed to start release promotion for graph {} {}: ".format(
+                    graph_id, release))
 
     if rc != 0:
         sys.exit(rc)
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     parser = OptionParser(__doc__)
     parser.add_option('-l', '--lockfile', dest='lockfile',
                       default=path.join(os.getcwd(), ".release-runner.lock"))