diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/internal/fake/actionclient.go b/pkg/reconciler/internal/fake/actionclient.go
index 610cb740..cdf5f77f 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/internal/fake/actionclient.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/internal/fake/actionclient.go
@@ -79,12 +79,14 @@ func NewActionClient() ActionClient {
 		Upgrades:   make([]UpgradeCall, 0),
 		Uninstalls: make([]UninstallCall, 0),
 		Reconciles: make([]ReconcileCall, 0),
+		MarkFaileds: make([]MarkFailedCall, 0),
 
 		HandleGet:       relFunc(errors.New("get not implemented")),
 		HandleInstall:   relFunc(errors.New("install not implemented")),
 		HandleUpgrade:   relFunc(errors.New("upgrade not implemented")),
 		HandleUninstall: uninstFunc(errors.New("uninstall not implemented")),
 		HandleReconcile: recFunc(errors.New("reconcile not implemented")),
+		HandleMarkFailed: recFunc(errors.New("mark failed not implemented")),
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/reconciler_test.go b/pkg/reconciler/reconciler_test.go
index 695063f3..cc8ae022 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/reconciler_test.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/reconciler_test.go
@@ -467,9 +467,9 @@ var _ = Describe("Reconciler", func() {
 
 			When("release is in pending state", func() {
 				It("should be marked as failed", func() {
-					r.markFailedAfter = 5 * time.Second
+					fakeClient := helmfake.NewActionClient()
+					r.markFailedAfter = 5 * time.Minute
 					r.actionClientGetter = helmclient.ActionClientGetterFunc(func (object client.Object) (helmclient.ActionInterface, error) {
-						fakeClient := helmfake.NewActionClient()
 						fakeClient.HandleGet = func() (*release.Release, error) {
 							return &release.Release{
 								Name: "example-release",
@@ -480,12 +480,22 @@ var _ = Describe("Reconciler", func() {
 								},
 							}, nil
 						}
+						fakeClient.HandleMarkFailed = func() error {
+							return nil
+						}
 						return &fakeClient, nil
 					})
 
-					result, err := r.Reconcile(ctx, req)
-					Expect(err).To(MatchRegexp("adsfsadf"))
-					Expect(result).To(Equal(reconcile.Result{}))
+					_, err := r.Reconcile(ctx, req)
+					Expect(err).ToNot(BeNil())
+					Expect(err.Error()).Should(ContainSubstring("Release is in a pending (locked) state and cannot currently be modified. Release will be marked failed to allow a roll-forward in"))
+
+					r.markFailedAfter = 1
+
+					_, err = r.Reconcile(ctx, req)
+					Expect(err).ToNot(BeNil())
+					Expect(err).To(MatchError("marked release example-release as failed to allow upgrade to succeed in next reconcile attempt"))
+					Expect(len(fakeClient.MarkFaileds)).Should(Equal(1))
 				})
 			})