diff --git a/src/internal/connector/graph_connector.go b/src/internal/connector/graph_connector.go
index 42d4ece0f..989459dcb 100644
--- a/src/internal/connector/graph_connector.go
+++ b/src/internal/connector/graph_connector.go
@@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ func (gc *GraphConnector) RestoreMessages(ctx context.Context, dcs []data.Collec
 		attempts, successes int
 		errs                error
 	)
+	gc.incrementAwaitingMessages()
 
 	for _, dc := range dcs {
 		// must be user.GetId(), PrimaryName no longer works 6-15-2022
@@ -302,7 +303,10 @@ func (gc *GraphConnector) RestoreMessages(ctx context.Context, dcs []data.Collec
 	}
 
 	status := support.CreateStatus(ctx, support.Restore, attempts, successes, len(pathCounter), errs)
-	gc.SetStatus(*status)
+	// set the channel asynchronously so that this func doesn't block.
+	go func(cos *support.ConnectorOperationStatus) {
+		gc.statusCh <- cos
+	}(status)
 	logger.Ctx(ctx).Debug(gc.PrintableStatus())
 	return errs
 }
@@ -356,19 +360,13 @@ func (gc *GraphConnector) serializeMessages(ctx context.Context, user string) (m
 	return collections, err
 }
 
-// SetStatus helper function
-func (gc *GraphConnector) SetStatus(cos support.ConnectorOperationStatus) {
-	gc.status = &cos
-}
-
 // AwaitStatus updates status field based on item within statusChannel.
 func (gc *GraphConnector) AwaitStatus() *support.ConnectorOperationStatus {
 	if gc.awaitingMessages > 0 {
 		gc.status = <-gc.statusCh
 		atomic.AddInt32(&gc.awaitingMessages, -1)
-		return gc.status
 	}
-	return nil
+	return gc.status
 }
 
 // Status returns the current status of the graphConnector operaion.
diff --git a/src/internal/connector/graph_connector_disconnected_test.go b/src/internal/connector/graph_connector_disconnected_test.go
index 9268ebf1e..44956460f 100644
--- a/src/internal/connector/graph_connector_disconnected_test.go
+++ b/src/internal/connector/graph_connector_disconnected_test.go
@@ -93,14 +93,20 @@ func (suite *DisconnectedGraphConnectorSuite) TestInterfaceAlignment() {
 }
 
 func (suite *DisconnectedGraphConnectorSuite) TestGraphConnector_Status() {
-	gc := GraphConnector{}
+	gc := GraphConnector{
+		statusCh: make(chan *support.ConnectorOperationStatus),
+	}
 	suite.Equal(len(gc.PrintableStatus()), 0)
-	status := support.CreateStatus(
-		context.Background(),
-		support.Restore,
-		12, 9, 8,
-		support.WrapAndAppend("tres", errors.New("three"), support.WrapAndAppend("arc376", errors.New("one"), errors.New("two"))))
-	gc.SetStatus(*status)
+	gc.incrementAwaitingMessages()
+	go func() {
+		status := support.CreateStatus(
+			context.Background(),
+			support.Restore,
+			12, 9, 8,
+			support.WrapAndAppend("tres", errors.New("three"), support.WrapAndAppend("arc376", errors.New("one"), errors.New("two"))))
+		gc.statusCh <- status
+	}()
+	gc.AwaitStatus()
 	suite.Greater(len(gc.PrintableStatus()), 0)
 	suite.Greater(gc.Status().ObjectCount, 0)
 }
diff --git a/src/internal/operations/restore.go b/src/internal/operations/restore.go
index b8b6f5b0f..e75c36646 100644
--- a/src/internal/operations/restore.go
+++ b/src/internal/operations/restore.go
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ func (op *RestoreOperation) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 		stats.writeErr = errors.Wrap(err, "restoring service data")
 		return stats.writeErr
 	}
-	stats.gc = gc.Status()
+	stats.gc = gc.AwaitStatus()
 
 	op.Status = Successful
 	return nil
@@ -139,7 +139,8 @@ func (op *RestoreOperation) persistResults(
 	stats *restoreStats,
 ) {
 	op.Status = Successful
-	if stats.readErr != nil || stats.writeErr != nil {
+	if (stats.readErr != nil || stats.writeErr != nil) &&
+		(stats.gc == nil || stats.gc.Successful == 0) {
 		op.Status = Failed
 	}
 	op.Results.ReadErrors = stats.readErr
@@ -148,7 +149,7 @@ func (op *RestoreOperation) persistResults(
 	op.Results.ItemsRead = len(stats.cs) // TODO: file count, not collection count
 
 	if stats.gc != nil {
-		op.Results.ItemsWritten = stats.gc.ObjectCount
+		op.Results.ItemsWritten = stats.gc.Successful
 	}
 
 	op.Results.StartedAt = started
diff --git a/src/internal/operations/restore_test.go b/src/internal/operations/restore_test.go
index 6fe6af4f5..611808798 100644
--- a/src/internal/operations/restore_test.go
+++ b/src/internal/operations/restore_test.go
@@ -59,13 +59,13 @@ func (suite *RestoreOpSuite) TestRestoreOperation_PersistResults() {
 
 	op.persistResults(now, &stats)
 
-	assert.Equal(t, op.Status, Failed)
-	assert.Equal(t, op.Results.ItemsRead, len(stats.cs))
-	assert.Equal(t, op.Results.ReadErrors, stats.readErr)
-	assert.Equal(t, op.Results.ItemsWritten, stats.gc.ObjectCount)
-	assert.Equal(t, op.Results.WriteErrors, stats.writeErr)
-	assert.Equal(t, op.Results.StartedAt, now)
-	assert.Less(t, now, op.Results.CompletedAt)
+	assert.Equal(t, op.Status, Failed, "status")
+	assert.Equal(t, op.Results.ItemsRead, len(stats.cs), "items read")
+	assert.Equal(t, op.Results.ReadErrors, stats.readErr, "read errors")
+	assert.Equal(t, op.Results.ItemsWritten, stats.gc.Successful, "items written")
+	assert.Equal(t, op.Results.WriteErrors, stats.writeErr, "write errors")
+	assert.Equal(t, op.Results.StartedAt, now, "started at")
+	assert.Less(t, now, op.Results.CompletedAt, "completed at")
 }
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------