diff --git a/services/issue/status.go b/services/issue/status.go
index 5b8d21274d688..64fbccd26a8a7 100644
--- a/services/issue/status.go
+++ b/services/issue/status.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models/db"
 	user_model "code.gitea.io/gitea/models/user"
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/log"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/notification"
 )
 
@@ -15,10 +16,9 @@ import (
 func ChangeStatus(issue *models.Issue, doer *user_model.User, closed bool) error {
 	comment, err := issue.ChangeStatus(doer, closed)
 	if err != nil {
-		// Don't return an error when dependencies are open as this would let the push fail
-		if models.IsErrDependenciesLeft(err) {
-			if closed {
-				return models.FinishIssueStopwatchIfPossible(db.DefaultContext, doer, issue)
+		if models.IsErrDependenciesLeft(err) && closed {
+			if err := models.FinishIssueStopwatchIfPossible(db.DefaultContext, doer, issue); err != nil {
+				log.Error("Unable to stop stopwatch for issue[%d]#%d: %v", issue.ID, issue.Index, err)
 			}
 		}
 		return err
diff --git a/services/pull/merge.go b/services/pull/merge.go
index 34cab2fd71060..f6a6415bff77a 100644
--- a/services/pull/merge.go
+++ b/services/pull/merge.go
@@ -105,7 +105,10 @@ func Merge(pr *models.PullRequest, doer *user_model.User, baseGitRepo *git.Repos
 		close := ref.RefAction == references.XRefActionCloses
 		if close != ref.Issue.IsClosed {
 			if err = issue_service.ChangeStatus(ref.Issue, doer, close); err != nil {
-				return err
+				// Allow ErrDependenciesLeft
+				if !models.IsErrDependenciesLeft(err) {
+					return err
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/services/pull/pull.go b/services/pull/pull.go
index c1844372ea0cc..db3533ebe4252 100644
--- a/services/pull/pull.go
+++ b/services/pull/pull.go
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ func CloseBranchPulls(doer *user_model.User, repoID int64, branch string) error
 
 	var errs errlist
 	for _, pr := range prs {
-		if err = issue_service.ChangeStatus(pr.Issue, doer, true); err != nil && !models.IsErrPullWasClosed(err) {
+		if err = issue_service.ChangeStatus(pr.Issue, doer, true); err != nil && !models.IsErrPullWasClosed(err) && !models.IsErrDependenciesLeft(err) {
 			errs = append(errs, err)
 		}
 	}