diff --git a/usd/importer.py b/usd/importer.py
index 12a825b..8bd1c88 100755
--- a/usd/importer.py
+++ b/usd/importer.py
@@ -813,33 +813,42 @@ class USDImport:
         unapplied_parent_commit = str(self.local_repo.get_import_tag(spi.version).peel().id)
         # Assume no patches to apply
         applied_import_tree_hash = unapplied_import_tree_hash
-        for (applied_import_tree_hash, patch_name, patch_desc) in self.import_patches_applied_tree(spi):
-            # special case for .pc removal
-            if patch_name is None:
-                msg = b'%b.' % (patch_desc.encode())
-            else:
-                if patch_desc is None:
-                    patch_desc = '%s\n\nNo DEP3 Subject or Description header found' % patch_name
-                msg = b'%b\n\nGbp-Pq: %b.' % (patch_desc.encode(), patch_name.encode())
-            commit_tree = ['git', 'commit-tree', applied_import_tree_hash,
-                           '-p', unapplied_parent_commit
-                          ]
-
-            commit_env = copy.copy(self.local_repo.env)
-            commit_env.update(
-                self.local_repo.get_commit_environment(applied_import_tree_hash, spi)
+        try:
+            for (applied_import_tree_hash, patch_name, patch_desc) in self.import_patches_applied_tree(spi):
+                # special case for .pc removal
+                if patch_name is None:
+                    msg = b'%b.' % (patch_desc.encode())
+                else:
+                    if patch_desc is None:
+                        patch_desc = '%s\n\nNo DEP3 Subject or Description header found' % patch_name
+                    msg = b'%b\n\nGbp-Pq: %b.' % (patch_desc.encode(), patch_name.encode())
+                commit_tree = ['git', 'commit-tree', applied_import_tree_hash,
+                               '-p', unapplied_parent_commit
+                              ]
+
+                commit_env = copy.copy(self.local_repo.env)
+                commit_env.update(
+                    self.local_repo.get_commit_environment(applied_import_tree_hash, spi)
+                                 )
+                with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile() as fp:
+                    fp.write(msg)
+                    fp.flush()
+                    commit_tree += ['-F', fp.name]
+                    cp = run(commit_tree, env=commit_env)
+
+                unapplied_parent_commit = decode_binary(cp.stdout).strip()
+
+                logging.info('Committed patch-application of %s as %s',
+                             patch_name, unapplied_parent_commit
+                            )
+        except:
+            logging.exception('Unable to import patches-applied %s' %
+                              spi.version
                              )
-            with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile() as fp:
-                fp.write(msg)
-                fp.flush()
-                commit_tree += ['-F', fp.name]
-                cp = run(commit_tree, env=commit_env)
-
-            unapplied_parent_commit = decode_binary(cp.stdout).strip()
-
-            logging.info('Committed patch-application of %s as %s',
-                         patch_name, unapplied_parent_commit
-                        )
+            # orphan if we can't get to patches-applied state
+            applied_publish_parent_commit = None
+            applied_changelog_parent_commit = None
+            unapplied_parent_commit = None
 
         self.commit_applied_patches_import(
             spi,