diff --git a/lib/handlers/pubrec.js b/lib/handlers/pubrec.js
index 62365889..5c914dd6 100644
--- a/lib/handlers/pubrec.js
+++ b/lib/handlers/pubrec.js
@@ -20,12 +20,10 @@ function handlePubrec (client, packet, done) {
 
   function reply (err) {
     if (err) {
-      // TODO is this ok?
-      client._onError(err)
-      return
+      done(err)
+    } else {
+      write(client, pubrel, done)
     }
-
-    write(client, pubrel, done)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/test/qos2.js b/test/qos2.js
index 119a54cc..64e23628 100644
--- a/test/qos2.js
+++ b/test/qos2.js
@@ -143,6 +143,23 @@ test('publish QoS 2 throws error on write', function (t) {
   })
 })
 
+test('pubrec handler calls done when outgoingUpdate fails (clean=false)', function (t) {
+  t.plan(1)
+
+  const s = connect(setup(), { clean: false })
+  t.tearDown(s.broker.close.bind(s.broker))
+
+  var handle = require('../lib/handlers/pubrec.js')
+
+  s.broker.persistence.outgoingUpdate = function (client, pubrel, done) {
+    done(Error('throws error'))
+  }
+
+  handle(s.client, { messageId: 42 }, function done () {
+    t.pass('calls done on error')
+  })
+})
+
 test('client.publish with clean=true subscribption QoS 2', function (t) {
   t.plan(8)