diff --git a/src/simulation/LoadGenerator.cpp b/src/simulation/LoadGenerator.cpp
index bef7d70f91..4828c0a7d7 100644
--- a/src/simulation/LoadGenerator.cpp
+++ b/src/simulation/LoadGenerator.cpp
@@ -352,11 +352,11 @@ LoadGenerator::start(GeneratedLoadConfig& cfg)
             {
                 // start is incomplete, so reset to avoid leaving the
                 // LoadGenerator in an invalid state.
-                reset();
-                throw std::runtime_error(
-                    "Before running MODE::SOROBAN_INVOKE, please run "
-                    "MODE::SOROBAN_INVOKE_SETUP to set up your contract "
-                    "first.");
+                CLOG_ERROR(LoadGen, "Before running MODE::SOROBAN_INVOKE, "
+                                    "please run MODE::SOROBAN_INVOKE_SETUP to "
+                                    "set up your contract first.");
+                emitFailure(/*resetSoroban=*/true);
+                return;
             }
             releaseAssert(mContractInstances.empty());
             releaseAssert(mAccountsAvailable.size() >= cfg.nAccounts);
diff --git a/src/simulation/test/LoadGeneratorTests.cpp b/src/simulation/test/LoadGeneratorTests.cpp
index 11d16cd437..e8373e24b2 100644
--- a/src/simulation/test/LoadGeneratorTests.cpp
+++ b/src/simulation/test/LoadGeneratorTests.cpp
@@ -225,17 +225,18 @@ TEST_CASE("generate soroban load", "[loadgen][soroban]")
     SECTION("misconfigured soroban loadgen mode usage")
     {
         // Users are required to run SOROBAN_INVOKE_SETUP_LOAD before running
-        // SOROBAN_INVOKE_LOAD. Running a SOROBAN_INVOKE_LOAD without a prior
-        // SOROBAN_INVOKE_SETUP_LOAD should throw a helpful exception explaining
-        // the misconfiguration.
-        auto invokeLoadCfg =
-            GeneratedLoadConfig::txLoad(LoadGenMode::SOROBAN_INVOKE,
-                                        /* nAccounts*/ 1, /* numSorobanTxs */ 1,
-                                        /* txRate */ 1);
-        REQUIRE_THROWS_WITH(
-            loadGen.generateLoad(invokeLoadCfg),
-            "Before running MODE::SOROBAN_INVOKE, please run "
-            "MODE::SOROBAN_INVOKE_SETUP to set up your contract first.");
+        // SOROBAN_INVOKE_LOAD. If they do not, load generation will fail. An
+        // error message will be logged and `loadgen.run.failed` will be
+        // incremented.
+        auto invokeLoadCfg = GeneratedLoadConfig::txLoad(
+            LoadGenMode::SOROBAN_INVOKE,
+            /* nAccounts */ 1, /* numSorobanTxs */ 1,
+            /* txRate */ 1);
+        auto& loadGenFailed =
+            app.getMetrics().NewMeter({"loadgen", "run", "failed"}, "run");
+        auto failedCount = loadGenFailed.count();
+        loadGen.generateLoad(invokeLoadCfg);
+        REQUIRE(loadGenFailed.count() == failedCount + 1);
     }
     int64_t numTxsBefore = getSuccessfulTxCount();