diff --git a/scripts/src/cicd-branch-follower.ts b/scripts/src/cicd-branch-follower.ts
index be29098e..8d4b5254 100644
--- a/scripts/src/cicd-branch-follower.ts
+++ b/scripts/src/cicd-branch-follower.ts
@@ -703,8 +703,8 @@ async function runOnce(registry: BranchFollowerRegistry, options: ParsedOptions)
     const state = await decideAndMaybeTrigger(registry, follower, oldState, live, options);
     finishReconcileStep(decideStep, { status: state.phase === "Failed" || state.phase === "Blocked" ? "blocked" : "ok", observedSha: state.source.observedSha, targetSha: state.target.targetSha, phase: state.phase, pipelineRun: state.pipelineRun, message: state.decision });
     if (!options.dryRun || options.recordState) {
-      const pendingWriteStep = startReconcileStep(reconcileTimeline, follower.id, "state-write");
       state.command = attachReconcileTimeline(state.command, reconcileTimeline, follower.id);
+      const pendingWriteStep = startReconcileStep(reconcileTimeline, follower.id, "state-write");
       const write = writeFollowerState(registry, state, options);
       finishReconcileStep(pendingWriteStep, { status: write.exitCode === 0 ? "ok" : "failed", object: registry.controller.stateConfigMapName, exitCode: write.exitCode, reason: write.stderr || write.stdout });
       const writeSummary = stateWriteSummary(follower.id, write, pendingWriteStep.step.elapsedMs);