diff --git a/src/simsopt/solve/mpi.py b/src/simsopt/solve/mpi.py
index 0f6a6988b..86976b470 100644
--- a/src/simsopt/solve/mpi.py
+++ b/src/simsopt/solve/mpi.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
     MPI = None
 
 from .._core.optimizable import Optimizable
+from .._core.util import Struct
 from ..util.mpi import MpiPartition
 from .._core.finite_difference import MPIFiniteDifference
 from ..objectives.least_squares import LeastSquaresProblem
@@ -209,8 +210,13 @@ def _f_proc0(x):
                 x0 = np.copy(prob.x)
                 logger.info("Using finite difference method implemented in "
                             "SIMSOPT for evaluating gradient")
-                result = least_squares(_f_proc0, x0, jac=fd.jac, verbose=2,
-                                       **kwargs)
+                try:
+                    result = least_squares(_f_proc0, x0, jac=fd.jac, verbose=2,
+                                           **kwargs)
+                except:
+                    print("Failure on proc0_world")
+                    result = Struct()
+                    result.x = x0
 
     else:
         leaders_action = lambda mpi, data: None
@@ -230,8 +236,9 @@ def _f_proc0(x):
     if mpi.proc0_world:
         x = result.x
 
-        objective_file.close()
-        if save_residuals:
+        if objective_file is not None:
+            objective_file.close()
+        if save_residuals and residuals_file is not None:
             residuals_file.close()
 
     datalog_started = False
diff --git a/tests/solve/test_mpi.py b/tests/solve/test_mpi.py
index e98574714..d0bfb4b37 100755
--- a/tests/solve/test_mpi.py
+++ b/tests/solve/test_mpi.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
     MPI = None
 
 from simsopt._core.optimizable import Optimizable
+from simsopt._core import ObjectiveFailure
 from simsopt.objectives.least_squares import LeastSquaresProblem
 if MPI is not None:
     from simsopt.util.mpi import MpiPartition
@@ -87,6 +88,12 @@ def f1(self):
     return_fn_map = {'f0': f0, 'f1': f1}
 
 
+class FailingOptimizable(Optimizable):
+    def residuals(self):
+        raise ObjectiveFailure("foo")
+        return self.x - np.array([10, 9, 8, 7])
+
+
 @unittest.skipIf(MPI is None, "Requires mpi4py")
 class MPISolveTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
@@ -137,3 +144,18 @@ def test_parallel_optimization_with_grad(self):
                             self.assertAlmostEqual(prob.x[0], 1)
                             self.assertAlmostEqual(prob.x[1], 1)
 
+    def test_objective_failure_with_mpi(self):
+        """
+        If the objective function fails on the first evaluation, make sure the code does not hang.
+        """
+        with ScratchDir("."):
+            for ngroups in range(1, 4):
+                mpi = MpiPartition(ngroups)
+
+                opt = FailingOptimizable(x0=np.array([5, 6, 7, 8.0]))
+
+                prob = LeastSquaresProblem.from_tuples(
+                    [(opt.residuals, 0, 1)]
+                )
+
+                least_squares_mpi_solve(prob, mpi, grad=True)
\ No newline at end of file