diff --git a/lib/site-log.js b/lib/site-log.js
index 52d9c90..be2f54e 100644
--- a/lib/site-log.js
+++ b/lib/site-log.js
@@ -82,36 +82,36 @@ class SiteLog {
 
   async writeLog (level, message, metadata) {
     const NOW = new Date();
+    const ctimestamp = color.black(moment(NOW).format('YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss.SSS'));
+    const ccomponentSlug = color.cyan(this.component.slug);
+    const cmessage = color.darkGray(message);
+
+    let clevel = level.padEnd(5);
+    switch (level) {
+      case 'debug':
+        clevel = color.black(clevel);
+        break;
+      case 'info':
+        clevel = color.green(clevel);
+        break;
+      case 'warn':
+        clevel = color.yellow(clevel);
+        break;
+      case 'alert':
+        clevel = color.red(clevel);
+        break;
+      case 'error':
+        clevel = color.bgRed.white(clevel);
+        break;
+      case 'crit':
+        clevel = color.bgRed.yellow(clevel);
+        break;
+      case 'fatal':
+        clevel = color.bgRed.black(clevel);
+        break;
+    }
 
     if (process.env.DTP_LOG_CONSOLE === 'enabled') {
-      let clevel = level.padEnd(5);
-      switch (level) {
-        case 'debug':
-          clevel = color.black(clevel);
-          break;
-        case 'info':
-          clevel = color.green(clevel);
-          break;
-        case 'warn':
-          clevel = color.yellow(clevel);
-          break;
-        case 'alert':
-          clevel = color.red(clevel);
-          break;
-        case 'error':
-          clevel = color.bgRed.white(clevel);
-          break;
-        case 'crit':
-          clevel = color.bgRed.yellow(clevel);
-          break;
-        case 'fatal':
-          clevel = color.bgRed.black(clevel);
-          break;
-      }
-
-      const ctimestamp = color.black(moment(NOW).format('YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss.SSS'));
-      const ccomponentSlug = color.cyan(this.component.slug);
-      const cmessage = color.darkGray(message);
       if (metadata) {
         console.log(`${ctimestamp} ${clevel} ${ccomponentSlug} ${cmessage}`, util.inspect(metadata, false, Infinity, true));
       } else {
@@ -120,7 +120,16 @@ class SiteLog {
     }
 
     if (LogModel && (process.env.DTP_LOG_MONGODB === 'enabled')) {
-      await LogModel.create({ created: NOW, level, component: this.component, message, metadata });
+      try {
+        await LogModel.create({ created: NOW, level, component: this.component, message, metadata });
+      } catch (error) {
+        console.log(
+          'failed to write log entry to MongoDB',
+          `${ctimestamp} ${clevel} ${ccomponentSlug} ${cmessage}`,
+          { error },
+        );
+        // fall through
+      }
     }
 
     if (LogStream && (process.env.DTP_LOG_FILE === 'enabled')) {