diff --git a/fizz/client/ClientProtocol.cpp b/fizz/client/ClientProtocol.cpp
index 4fd11e977c..df7669ae1e 100644
--- a/fizz/client/ClientProtocol.cpp
+++ b/fizz/client/ClientProtocol.cpp
@@ -286,15 +286,22 @@ Actions handleError(
     newState.writeRecordLayer() = nullptr;
     newState.readRecordLayer() = nullptr;
   });
+
+  Actions actions;
+  actions.emplace_back(std::move(transition));
+
   if (alertDesc && state.writeRecordLayer()) {
-    Alert alert(*alertDesc);
-    WriteToSocket write;
-    write.contents.emplace_back(
-        state.writeRecordLayer()->writeAlert(std::move(alert)));
-    return actions(std::move(transition), std::move(write), std::move(error));
-  } else {
-    return actions(std::move(transition), std::move(error));
+    try {
+      Alert alert(*alertDesc);
+      WriteToSocket write;
+      write.contents.emplace_back(
+          state.writeRecordLayer()->writeAlert(std::move(alert)));
+      actions.emplace_back(std::move(write));
+    } catch (...) {
+    }
   }
+  actions.emplace_back(std::move(error));
+  return actions;
 }
 
 Actions handleAppCloseImmediate(const State& state) {
diff --git a/fizz/client/test/ClientProtocolTest.cpp b/fizz/client/test/ClientProtocolTest.cpp
index d9baf56ac9..012f6b0e89 100644
--- a/fizz/client/test/ClientProtocolTest.cpp
+++ b/fizz/client/test/ClientProtocolTest.cpp
@@ -5918,6 +5918,20 @@ TEST_F(ClientProtocolTest, TestPskWithoutCerts) {
   EXPECT_EQ(state_.clientAuthRequested().value(), ClientAuthType::NotRequested);
 }
 
+TEST_F(ClientProtocolTest, HandleErrorDoesntThrow) {
+  setupAcceptingData();
+  EXPECT_CALL(*mockWrite_, _write(_, _))
+      .WillOnce(Throw(std::runtime_error("write error")));
+
+  ReportError error("some error");
+  AlertDescription ad = AlertDescription::internal_error;
+
+  auto shouldNotThrow = [&] {
+    auto actions = detail::handleError(state_, std::move(error), ad);
+    expectActions<MutateState, ReportError>(actions);
+  };
+  EXPECT_NO_THROW(shouldNotThrow());
+}
 } // namespace test
 } // namespace client
 } // namespace fizz
diff --git a/fizz/server/ServerProtocol.cpp b/fizz/server/ServerProtocol.cpp
index 66e0600886..ccf1217242 100644
--- a/fizz/server/ServerProtocol.cpp
+++ b/fizz/server/ServerProtocol.cpp
@@ -286,15 +286,22 @@ Actions handleError(
     newState.writeRecordLayer() = nullptr;
     newState.readRecordLayer() = nullptr;
   });
+
+  Actions actions;
+  actions.emplace_back(std::move(transition));
+
   if (alertDesc && state.writeRecordLayer()) {
-    Alert alert(*alertDesc);
-    WriteToSocket write;
-    write.contents.emplace_back(
-        state.writeRecordLayer()->writeAlert(std::move(alert)));
-    return actions(std::move(transition), std::move(write), std::move(error));
-  } else {
-    return actions(std::move(transition), std::move(error));
+    try {
+      Alert alert(*alertDesc);
+      WriteToSocket write;
+      write.contents.emplace_back(
+          state.writeRecordLayer()->writeAlert(std::move(alert)));
+      actions.emplace_back(std::move(write));
+    } catch (...) {
+    }
   }
+  actions.emplace_back(std::move(error));
+  return actions;
 }
 
 Actions handleAppCloseImmediate(const State& state) {
diff --git a/fizz/server/test/ServerProtocolTest.cpp b/fizz/server/test/ServerProtocolTest.cpp
index cb3474f5c2..1d0fb9ce66 100644
--- a/fizz/server/test/ServerProtocolTest.cpp
+++ b/fizz/server/test/ServerProtocolTest.cpp
@@ -6743,6 +6743,21 @@ TEST_F(ServerProtocolTest, AsyncKeyExchangeTest) {
   EXPECT_TRUE(
       std::all_of(begin(cr), end(cr), [](auto c) { return c == 0x44; }));
 }
+
+TEST_F(ServerProtocolTest, HandleErrorDoesntThrow) {
+  setUpAcceptingData();
+  EXPECT_CALL(*appWrite_, _write(_, _))
+      .WillOnce(Throw(std::runtime_error("write error")));
+
+  ReportError error("some error");
+  AlertDescription ad = AlertDescription::internal_error;
+
+  auto shouldNotThrow = [&] {
+    auto actions = detail::handleError(state_, std::move(error), ad);
+    expectActions<MutateState, ReportError>(actions);
+  };
+  EXPECT_NO_THROW(shouldNotThrow());
+}
 } // namespace test
 } // namespace server
 } // namespace fizz