diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index b8376bc..3f5dda8 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -181,8 +181,6 @@ async function processFiles(files: string[], ctx: Context): Promise<Result> {
       const rewrites = await buildRewrites(analysis, filePath, ctx);
       if (rewrites.size === 0) continue;
 
-      markRewrittenBarrels(analysis, filePath, rewrites, ctx);
-
       const rewriteContext = { ...baseRewriteContext, singleQuote: detectSingleQuote(analysis.sourceFile) };
       const content = applyRewrites(analysis.sourceFile, rewrites, filePath, rewriteContext);
 
@@ -193,6 +191,7 @@ async function processFiles(files: string[], ctx: Context): Promise<Result> {
       if (ctx.write && !ctx.check) {
         await write(filePath, content);
       }
+      markRewrittenBarrels(analysis, filePath, rewrites, ctx);
       modified.push(filePath);
     } catch (error) {
       const err = error instanceof Error ? error : new Error(String(error));
diff --git a/test/integration/write-failure.test.ts b/test/integration/write-failure.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..223b621
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/integration/write-failure.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+import { test, type TestContext } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import fs, { mkdtemp, readFile, realpath, rm, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { existsSync } from "node:fs";
+import { syncBuiltinESMExports } from "node:module";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { unbarrelify } from "../../src/index.ts";
+
+async function createProject(t: TestContext, consumers: string[]) {
+  const dir = await realpath(await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), "unbarrelify-write-failure-")));
+  t.after(() => rm(dir, { recursive: true }));
+  const barrel = join(dir, "barrel.ts");
+  const original = 'import { value } from "./barrel.ts";\nconsole.log(value);\n';
+  await writeFile(join(dir, "value.ts"), "export const value = 42;\n");
+  await writeFile(barrel, 'export { value } from "./value.ts";\n');
+  for (const name of consumers) await writeFile(join(dir, name), original);
+  return { dir, barrel, original };
+}
+
+for (const consumers of [["failed.ts"], ["written.ts", "failed.ts"]]) {
+  test(`keeps a barrel when writing one of ${consumers.length} consumers fails`, async (t) => {
+    const { dir, barrel, original } = await createProject(t, consumers);
+    const failed = join(dir, "failed.ts");
+    const originalWrite = fs.writeFile;
+    const writeError = Object.assign(new Error("simulated write failure"), { code: "EACCES" });
+    let failedWrites = 0;
+    const errors = t.mock.method(console, "error", () => {});
+    const writer = t.mock.method(fs, "writeFile", async (...args: Parameters<typeof fs.writeFile>) => {
+      if (args[0] === failed) {
+        failedWrites++;
+        throw writeError;
+      }
+      return originalWrite(...args);
+    });
+    syncBuiltinESMExports();
+
+    try {
+      const result = await unbarrelify({ cwd: dir, files: ["*.ts"], ext: ".ts", write: true });
+
+      assert.equal(failedWrites, 1, "the failure must occur during the consumer write");
+      assert.ok(errors.mock.calls.some((call) => call.arguments.includes(writeError.message)));
+      assert.equal(await readFile(failed, "utf-8"), original);
+      assert.ok(existsSync(barrel), "the unchanged consumer still needs its barrel");
+      assert.ok(!result.deleted.includes(barrel));
+      assert.ok(!result.modified.includes(failed));
+      assert.ok(result.preserved.some((entry) => entry.path === barrel && entry.consumers.includes(failed)));
+
+      if (consumers.includes("written.ts")) {
+        const written = join(dir, "written.ts");
+        assert.ok(result.modified.includes(written));
+        assert.ok((await readFile(written, "utf-8")).includes('from "./value.ts"'));
+      }
+    } finally {
+      writer.mock.restore();
+      syncBuiltinESMExports();
+    }
+  });
+}
+
+for (const options of [{ write: true }, { write: false }, { write: true, check: true }]) {
+  test(`retains successful rewrite behavior for ${JSON.stringify(options)}`, async (t) => {
+    const { dir, barrel, original } = await createProject(t, ["consumer.ts"]);
+    const consumer = join(dir, "consumer.ts");
+    const result = await unbarrelify({ cwd: dir, files: ["*.ts"], ext: ".ts", ...options });
+
+    assert.deepEqual(result.modified, [consumer]);
+    assert.deepEqual(result.deleted, [barrel]);
+    const writes = options.write && !options.check;
+    assert.equal(existsSync(barrel), !writes);
+    const content = await readFile(consumer, "utf-8");
+    if (writes) assert.ok(content.includes('from "./value.ts"'));
+    else assert.equal(content, original);
+  });
+}