diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.rst b/RELEASE_NOTES.rst
index 503a6c675..bb287f4a5 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES.rst
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.rst
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ Highlights:
 * `ad9910`: The maximum amplitude scale factor is now `0x3fff` (was `0x3ffe`
   before).
 * Applets now restart if they are running and a ccb call changes their spec
+* Experiment results are now always saved to HDF5, even if run() fails.
 
 Breaking changes:
 
diff --git a/artiq/master/scheduler.py b/artiq/master/scheduler.py
index a1c16715f..7da7c401d 100644
--- a/artiq/master/scheduler.py
+++ b/artiq/master/scheduler.py
@@ -115,7 +115,6 @@ class Run:
     run = _mk_worker_method("run")
     resume = _mk_worker_method("resume")
     analyze = _mk_worker_method("analyze")
-    write_results = _mk_worker_method("write_results")
 
 
 class RunPool:
@@ -309,13 +308,8 @@ class AnalyzeStage(TaskObject):
             try:
                 await run.analyze()
             except:
-                logger.error("got worker exception in analyze stage of RID %d."
-                             " Results will still be saved.", run.rid)
-                log_worker_exception()
-            try:
-                await run.write_results()
-            except:
-                logger.error("failed to write results of RID %d.", run.rid)
+                logger.error("got worker exception in analyze stage of RID %d.",
+                             run.rid)
                 log_worker_exception()
             self.delete_cb(run.rid)
 
diff --git a/artiq/master/worker.py b/artiq/master/worker.py
index 9480af8f4..36d5a202f 100644
--- a/artiq/master/worker.py
+++ b/artiq/master/worker.py
@@ -293,10 +293,6 @@ class Worker:
     async def analyze(self):
         await self._worker_action({"action": "analyze"})
 
-    async def write_results(self, timeout=15.0):
-        await self._worker_action({"action": "write_results"},
-                                  timeout)
-
     async def examine(self, rid, file, timeout=20.0):
         self.rid = rid
         self.filename = os.path.basename(file)
diff --git a/artiq/master/worker_impl.py b/artiq/master/worker_impl.py
index 5ee78eb35..784e4297a 100644
--- a/artiq/master/worker_impl.py
+++ b/artiq/master/worker_impl.py
@@ -252,6 +252,16 @@ def main():
     exp_inst = None
     repository_path = None
 
+    def write_results():
+        filename = "{:09}-{}.h5".format(rid, exp.__name__)
+        with h5py.File(filename, "w") as f:
+            dataset_mgr.write_hdf5(f)
+            f["artiq_version"] = artiq_version
+            f["rid"] = rid
+            f["start_time"] = start_time
+            f["run_time"] = run_time
+            f["expid"] = pyon.encode(expid)
+
     device_mgr = DeviceManager(ParentDeviceDB,
                                virtual_devices={"scheduler": Scheduler(),
                                                 "ccb": CCB()})
@@ -292,27 +302,20 @@ def main():
                 put_completed()
             elif action == "run":
                 run_time = time.time()
-                exp_inst.run()
+                try:
+                    exp_inst.run()
+                except:
+                    # Only write results in run() on failure; on success wait
+                    # for end of analyze stage.
+                    write_results()
+                    raise
                 put_completed()
             elif action == "analyze":
                 try:
                     exp_inst.analyze()
-                except:
-                    # make analyze failure non-fatal, as we may still want to
-                    # write results afterwards
-                    put_exception_report()
-                else:
                     put_completed()
-            elif action == "write_results":
-                filename = "{:09}-{}.h5".format(rid, exp.__name__)
-                with h5py.File(filename, "w") as f:
-                    dataset_mgr.write_hdf5(f)
-                    f["artiq_version"] = artiq_version
-                    f["rid"] = rid
-                    f["start_time"] = start_time
-                    f["run_time"] = run_time
-                    f["expid"] = pyon.encode(expid)
-                put_completed()
+                finally:
+                    write_results()
             elif action == "examine":
                 examine(ExamineDeviceMgr, ExamineDatasetMgr, obj["file"])
                 put_completed()