diff --git a/kmod/src/server.c b/kmod/src/server.c
index 65b5d116..f4e09031 100644
--- a/kmod/src/server.c
+++ b/kmod/src/server.c
@@ -1299,12 +1299,10 @@ static int finalize_and_start_log_merge(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_l
  * is nested inside holding commits so we recheck the persistent item
  * each time we commit to make sure it's still what we think.   The
  * caller is still going to send the item to the client so we update the
- * caller's each time we make progress.  This is a best-effort attempt
- * to clean up and it's valid to leave extents in data_freed we don't
- * return errors to the caller.  The client will continue the work later
- * in get_log_trees or as the rid is reclaimed.
+ * caller's each time we make progress.  If we hit an error applying the
+ * changes we make then we can't send the log_trees to the client.
  */
-static void try_drain_data_freed(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_log_trees *lt)
+static int try_drain_data_freed(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_log_trees *lt)
 {
 	DECLARE_SERVER_INFO(sb, server);
 	struct scoutfs_super_block *super = DIRTY_SUPER_SB(sb);
@@ -1313,6 +1311,7 @@ static void try_drain_data_freed(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_log_tree
 	struct scoutfs_log_trees drain;
 	struct scoutfs_key key;
 	COMMIT_HOLD(hold);
+	bool apply = false;
 	int ret = 0;
 	int err;
 
@@ -1321,22 +1320,27 @@ static void try_drain_data_freed(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_log_tree
 	while (lt->data_freed.total_len != 0) {
 		server_hold_commit(sb, &hold);
 		mutex_lock(&server->logs_mutex);
+		apply = true;
 
 		ret = find_log_trees_item(sb, &super->logs_root, false, rid, U64_MAX, &drain);
-		if (ret < 0)
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			ret = 0;
 			break;
+		}
 
 		/* careful to only keep draining the caller's specific open trans */
 		if (drain.nr != lt->nr || drain.get_trans_seq != lt->get_trans_seq ||
 		    drain.commit_trans_seq != lt->commit_trans_seq || drain.flags != lt->flags) {
-			ret = -ENOENT;
+			ret = 0;
 			break;
 		}
 
 		ret = scoutfs_btree_dirty(sb, &server->alloc, &server->wri,
 					  &super->logs_root, &key);
-		if (ret < 0)
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			ret = 0;
 			break;
+		}
 
 		/* moving can modify and return errors, always update caller and item */
 		mutex_lock(&server->alloc_mutex);
@@ -1352,19 +1356,19 @@ static void try_drain_data_freed(struct super_block *sb, struct scoutfs_log_tree
 		BUG_ON(err < 0); /* dirtying must guarantee success */
 
 		mutex_unlock(&server->logs_mutex);
-
 		ret = server_apply_commit(sb, &hold, ret);
-		if (ret < 0) {
-			ret = 0; /* don't try to abort, ignoring ret */
+		apply = false;
+
+		if (ret < 0)
 			break;
-		}
 	}
 
-	/* try to cleanly abort and write any partial dirty btree blocks, but ignore result */
-	if (ret < 0) {
+	if (apply) {
 		mutex_unlock(&server->logs_mutex);
-		server_apply_commit(sb, &hold, 0);
+		server_apply_commit(sb, &hold, ret);
 	}
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -1572,9 +1576,9 @@ out:
 		scoutfs_err(sb, "error %d getting log trees for rid %016llx: %s",
 			    ret, rid, err_str);
 
-	/* try to drain excessive data_freed with additional commits, if needed, ignoring err */
+	/* try to drain excessive data_freed with additional commits, if needed */
 	if (ret == 0)
-		try_drain_data_freed(sb, &lt);
+		ret = try_drain_data_freed(sb, &lt);
 
 	return scoutfs_net_response(sb, conn, cmd, id, ret, &lt, sizeof(lt));
 }