diff --git a/src/fu-engine.c b/src/fu-engine.c
index 064b43457..151f2c9c2 100644
--- a/src/fu-engine.c
+++ b/src/fu-engine.c
@@ -1539,11 +1539,6 @@ fu_engine_install (FuEngine *self,
 		g_autoptr(GError) error_attach = NULL;
 
 		/* save to database */
-		if (!fu_history_set_device_state (self->history,
-						  fu_device_get_id (device),
-						  FWUPD_UPDATE_STATE_FAILED,
-						  error))
-			return FALSE;
 		if (!fu_history_set_device_error (self->history,
 						  fu_device_get_id (device),
 						  error_local->message,
@@ -3384,11 +3379,6 @@ fu_engine_update_history_device (FuEngine *self, FuDevice *dev_history, GError *
 	if (!fu_plugin_runner_get_results (plugin, dev, error))
 		return FALSE;
 	if (fu_device_get_update_state (dev) != FWUPD_UPDATE_STATE_NEEDS_REBOOT) {
-		if (!fu_history_set_device_state (self->history,
-						  fu_device_get_id (dev),
-						  fu_device_get_update_state (dev),
-						  error))
-			return FALSE;
 		if (!fu_history_set_device_error (self->history,
 						  fu_device_get_id (dev),
 						  fu_device_get_update_error (dev),
diff --git a/src/fu-history.c b/src/fu-history.c
index 48375793a..a60256558 100644
--- a/src/fu-history.c
+++ b/src/fu-history.c
@@ -541,8 +541,14 @@ fu_history_set_device_state (FuHistory *self,
 	if (!fu_history_load (self, error))
 		return FALSE;
 
+	/* clear the error too */
 	g_debug ("FuHistory: set update-state of %s to %s",
 		 device_id, fwupd_update_state_to_string (update_state));
+	if (update_state != FWUPD_UPDATE_STATE_FAILED) {
+		g_debug ("FuHistory: ensuring error-msg is NULL");
+		if (!fu_history_set_device_error (self, device_id, NULL, error))
+			return FALSE;
+	}
 	rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2 (self->db,
 				 "UPDATE history SET update_state = ?1 WHERE "
 				 "device_id = ?2;", -1, &stmt, NULL);
@@ -573,7 +579,15 @@ fu_history_set_device_error (FuHistory *self,
 	if (!fu_history_load (self, error))
 		return FALSE;
 
+	/* automatically set the state */
 	g_debug ("FuHistory: set error to %s: %s", device_id, error_msg);
+	if (error_msg != NULL) {
+		g_debug ("FuHistory: ensuring update-state is failed");
+		if (!fu_history_set_device_state (self, device_id,
+							 FWUPD_UPDATE_STATE_FAILED,
+							 error))
+			return FALSE;
+	}
 	rc = sqlite3_prepare_v2 (self->db,
 				 "UPDATE history SET update_error = ?1 WHERE "
 				 "device_id = ?2;", -1, &stmt, NULL);
diff --git a/src/fu-self-test.c b/src/fu-self-test.c
index 12004ae6e..cb92c6a5a 100644
--- a/src/fu-self-test.c
+++ b/src/fu-self-test.c
@@ -1224,12 +1224,6 @@ fu_history_func (void)
 	g_assert (g_file_test (filename, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS));
 
 	/* add some extra data */
-	ret = fu_history_set_device_state (history,
-					   "2ba16d10df45823dd4494ff10a0bfccfef512c9d",
-					   FWUPD_UPDATE_STATE_PENDING,
-					   &error);
-	g_assert_no_error (error);
-	g_assert (ret);
 	ret = fu_history_set_device_error (history,
 					   "2ba16d10df45823dd4494ff10a0bfccfef512c9d",
 					   "word",
@@ -1245,7 +1239,7 @@ fu_history_func (void)
 	g_assert_cmpstr (fu_device_get_id (device), ==, "2ba16d10df45823dd4494ff10a0bfccfef512c9d");
 	g_assert_cmpstr (fu_device_get_name (device), ==, "ColorHug");
 	g_assert_cmpstr (fu_device_get_version (device), ==, "3.0.1");
-	g_assert_cmpint (fu_device_get_update_state (device), ==, FWUPD_UPDATE_STATE_PENDING);
+	g_assert_cmpint (fu_device_get_update_state (device), ==, FWUPD_UPDATE_STATE_FAILED);
 	g_assert_cmpstr (fu_device_get_update_error (device), ==, "word");
 	g_assert_cmpstr (fu_device_get_guid_default (device), ==, "827edddd-9bb6-5632-889f-2c01255503da");
 	g_assert_cmpint (fu_device_get_flags (device), ==, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_INTERNAL);