diff --git a/rollout/replicaset.go b/rollout/replicaset.go
index 7d9a71f62a..401e1b579d 100644
--- a/rollout/replicaset.go
+++ b/rollout/replicaset.go
@@ -35,9 +35,13 @@ func (c *rolloutContext) removeScaleDownDelay(rs *appsv1.ReplicaSet) error {
 	}
 	patch := fmt.Sprintf(removeScaleDownAtAnnotationsPatch, v1alpha1.DefaultReplicaSetScaleDownDeadlineAnnotationKey)
 	_, err := c.kubeclientset.AppsV1().ReplicaSets(rs.Namespace).Patch(ctx, rs.Name, patchtypes.JSONPatchType, []byte(patch), metav1.PatchOptions{})
-	if err == nil {
-		c.log.Infof("Removed '%s' annotation from RS '%s'", v1alpha1.DefaultReplicaSetScaleDownDeadlineAnnotationKey, rs.Name)
-		c.replicaSetInformer.GetIndexer().Update(rs)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error removing scale-down-deadline annotation from RS '%s': %w", rs.Name, err)
+	}
+	c.log.Infof("Removed '%s' annotation from RS '%s'", v1alpha1.DefaultReplicaSetScaleDownDeadlineAnnotationKey, rs.Name)
+	err = c.replicaSetInformer.GetIndexer().Update(rs)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error updating replicaset informer in removeScaleDownDelay: %w", err)
 	}
 	return err
 }
@@ -60,9 +64,13 @@ func (c *rolloutContext) addScaleDownDelay(rs *appsv1.ReplicaSet, scaleDownDelay
 	deadline := timeutil.MetaNow().Add(scaleDownDelaySeconds).UTC().Format(time.RFC3339)
 	patch := fmt.Sprintf(addScaleDownAtAnnotationsPatch, v1alpha1.DefaultReplicaSetScaleDownDeadlineAnnotationKey, deadline)
 	rs, err := c.kubeclientset.AppsV1().ReplicaSets(rs.Namespace).Patch(ctx, rs.Name, patchtypes.JSONPatchType, []byte(patch), metav1.PatchOptions{})
-	if err == nil {
-		c.log.Infof("Set '%s' annotation on '%s' to %s (%s)", v1alpha1.DefaultReplicaSetScaleDownDeadlineAnnotationKey, rs.Name, deadline, scaleDownDelaySeconds)
-		c.replicaSetInformer.GetIndexer().Update(rs)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error adding scale-down-deadline annotation to RS '%s': %w", rs.Name, err)
+	}
+	c.log.Infof("Set '%s' annotation on '%s' to %s (%s)", v1alpha1.DefaultReplicaSetScaleDownDeadlineAnnotationKey, rs.Name, deadline, scaleDownDelaySeconds)
+	err = c.replicaSetInformer.GetIndexer().Update(rs)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error updating replicaset informer in addScaleDownDelay: %w", err)
 	}
 	return err
 }
diff --git a/rollout/replicaset_test.go b/rollout/replicaset_test.go
index 3d87cf3132..d93fa7c546 100644
--- a/rollout/replicaset_test.go
+++ b/rollout/replicaset_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package rollout
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -134,8 +135,9 @@ func TestReconcileNewReplicaSet(t *testing.T) {
 		abortScaleDownAnnotated    bool
 		abortScaleDownDelayPassed  bool
 		expectedNewReplicas        int
+		failRSUpdate               bool
+		abort                      bool
 	}{
-
 		{
 			name:            "New Replica Set matches rollout replica: No scale",
 			rolloutReplicas: 10,
@@ -163,6 +165,7 @@ func TestReconcileNewReplicaSet(t *testing.T) {
 			newReplicas:     10,
 			// ScaleDownOnAbort:           true,
 			abortScaleDownDelaySeconds: 5,
+			abort:                      true,
 			abortScaleDownAnnotated:    true,
 			abortScaleDownDelayPassed:  true,
 			scaleExpected:              true,
@@ -174,6 +177,7 @@ func TestReconcileNewReplicaSet(t *testing.T) {
 			newReplicas:     8,
 			// ScaleDownOnAbort:           true,
 			abortScaleDownDelaySeconds: 5,
+			abort:                      true,
 			abortScaleDownAnnotated:    true,
 			abortScaleDownDelayPassed:  false,
 			scaleExpected:              false,
@@ -184,10 +188,20 @@ func TestReconcileNewReplicaSet(t *testing.T) {
 			rolloutReplicas:            10,
 			newReplicas:                10,
 			abortScaleDownDelaySeconds: 5,
+			abort:                      true,
 			abortScaleDownAnnotated:    false,
 			scaleExpected:              false,
 			expectedNewReplicas:        0,
 		},
+		{
+			name:                       "Fail to update RS: No scale and add default annotation",
+			rolloutReplicas:            10,
+			newReplicas:                10,
+			scaleExpected:              false,
+			failRSUpdate:               true,
+			abort:                      true,
+			abortScaleDownDelaySeconds: -1,
+		},
 	}
 	for i := range tests {
 		test := tests[i]
@@ -199,6 +213,12 @@ func TestReconcileNewReplicaSet(t *testing.T) {
 			fake := fake.Clientset{}
 			k8sfake := k8sfake.Clientset{}
 
+			if test.failRSUpdate {
+				k8sfake.PrependReactor("patch", "replicasets", func(action core.Action) (handled bool, ret runtime.Object, err error) {
+					return true, &appsv1.ReplicaSet{}, fmt.Errorf("should not patch replica set")
+				})
+			}
+
 			f := newFixture(t)
 			defer f.Close()
 			f.objects = append(f.objects, rollout)
@@ -227,14 +247,21 @@ func TestReconcileNewReplicaSet(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			}
 			roCtx.enqueueRolloutAfter = func(obj any, duration time.Duration) {}
+
+			rollout.Status.Abort = test.abort
+			roCtx.stableRS.Status.AvailableReplicas = int32(test.rolloutReplicas)
+			rollout.Spec.Strategy = v1alpha1.RolloutStrategy{
+				BlueGreen: &v1alpha1.BlueGreenStrategy{
+					AbortScaleDownDelaySeconds: &test.abortScaleDownDelaySeconds,
+				},
+			}
+
 			if test.abortScaleDownDelaySeconds > 0 {
-				rollout.Status.Abort = true
 				rollout.Spec.Strategy = v1alpha1.RolloutStrategy{
 					BlueGreen: &v1alpha1.BlueGreenStrategy{
 						AbortScaleDownDelaySeconds: &test.abortScaleDownDelaySeconds,
 					},
 				}
-
 				if test.abortScaleDownAnnotated {
 					var deadline string
 					if test.abortScaleDownDelayPassed {
@@ -246,7 +273,19 @@ func TestReconcileNewReplicaSet(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 			}
 
+			if test.abortScaleDownDelaySeconds < 0 {
+				rollout.Spec.Strategy = v1alpha1.RolloutStrategy{
+					BlueGreen: &v1alpha1.BlueGreenStrategy{
+						AbortScaleDownDelaySeconds: nil,
+					},
+				}
+			}
+
 			scaled, err := roCtx.reconcileNewReplicaSet()
+			if test.failRSUpdate {
+				assert.Error(t, err)
+				return
+			}
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 				return
diff --git a/rollout/sync.go b/rollout/sync.go
index 25c0c14813..2baeac1698 100644
--- a/rollout/sync.go
+++ b/rollout/sync.go
@@ -91,7 +91,10 @@ func (c *rolloutContext) syncReplicaSetRevision() (*appsv1.ReplicaSet, error) {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error updating replicaset revision: %v", err)
 		}
 		c.log.Infof("Synced revision on ReplicaSet '%s' to '%s'", rs.Name, newRevision)
-		c.replicaSetInformer.GetIndexer().Update(rs)
+		err = c.replicaSetInformer.GetIndexer().Update(rs)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error updating replicaset informer in syncReplicaSetRevision: %w", err)
+		}
 		return rs, nil
 	}
 
@@ -372,12 +375,21 @@ func (c *rolloutContext) scaleReplicaSet(rs *appsv1.ReplicaSet, newScale int32,
 		if fullScaleDown && !c.shouldDelayScaleDownOnAbort() {
 			delete(rsCopy.Annotations, v1alpha1.DefaultReplicaSetScaleDownDeadlineAnnotationKey)
 		}
+
 		rs, err = c.kubeclientset.AppsV1().ReplicaSets(rsCopy.Namespace).Update(ctx, rsCopy, metav1.UpdateOptions{})
-		if err == nil && sizeNeedsUpdate {
+		if err != nil {
+			return scaled, rs, fmt.Errorf("error updating replicaset %s: %w", rs.Name, err)
+		}
+		err = c.replicaSetInformer.GetIndexer().Update(rs)
+		if err != nil {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("error updating replicaset informer in scaleReplicaSet: %w", err)
+			return scaled, rs, err
+		}
+
+		if sizeNeedsUpdate {
 			scaled = true
 			revision, _ := replicasetutil.Revision(rs)
 			c.recorder.Eventf(rollout, record.EventOptions{EventReason: conditions.ScalingReplicaSetReason}, conditions.ScalingReplicaSetMessage, scalingOperation, rs.Name, revision, oldScale, newScale)
-			c.replicaSetInformer.GetIndexer().Update(rs)
 		}
 	}
 	return scaled, rs, err