diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index a8b28d6..01b6b24 100755
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,40 +1,83 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env node
 require('shelljs/global');
 
-// require npm user
-// bump package version
-// commit
-// create tag
-// push commit & tag
-// publish
+var path = require('path');
+
+// npm version (bump version, commit, make tag)
+// echo npm publish
+//  - if successful, push commit & tag
+//  - if failed, undo commit & tag
 
 function usage() {
-  echo("");
-  echo("  Usage: node " + process.argv[1] + " <major|minor|patch>");
+  echo('');
+  echo('  Usage: node ' + process.argv[1] + ' <major|minor|patch>');
 }
 
 config.silent = true;
 function run(version) {
-  var npm_user = exec('npm whoami').trimRight();
-  var is_collaborator = exec('npm access ls-collaborators').grep('.*' + npm_user + '.*:.*write.*').trimRight();
-  var is_owner = exec('npm owner ls').grep('.*' + npm_user + ' <.*').trimRight();
-
-  if (npm_user) {
-    config.silent = false;
-    if (is_collaborator || is_owner) {
-      echo('Publishing new ' + version + ' version as ' + npm_user + '.');
+  config.silent = false;
+  config.fatal = true;
+  try {
+    // TODO(nfischer): only allow releases from master branch (issue #4)
+    echo('Publishing new ' + version + ' version');
+    echo('');
+    exec('npm version ' + version);
+  } catch (e) {
+    echo('');
+    echo('Unable to bump version, is your repo clean?');
+    exit(1);
+  }
+
+  try {
+    exec('npm publish');
+  } catch (e) {
+    config.fatal = false;
+    echo('');
+    echo('Unable to publish, restoring previous repo state');
+
+    // Clean up
+    var newVersion = require(path.resolve('.', 'package.json')).version;
+    var tagName = 'v' + newVersion;
+
+    // Delete the tag and undo the commit
+    echo('Removing git tag...');
+    exec('git tag -d ' + tagName);
+    echo('Removing git commit...');
+    exec('git reset --hard HEAD~1');
+    var npm_user = exec('npm whoami', { silent: true }).trimRight();
+    if (npm_user.toString() === '') {
+      config.silent = false;
       echo('');
-      exec('npm version ' + version);
-      exec('git push');
-      exec('git push --follow-tags');
-      exec('npm publish');
-    } else {
+      echo('You must be logged in to NPM to publish, run "npm login" first.');
+      exit(1);
+    }
+    config.silent = true;
+    var is_collaborator = exec('npm access ls-collaborators')
+                               .grep('.*' + npm_user + '.*:.*write.*')
+                               .trimRight();
+    var is_owner = exec('npm owner ls').grep('.*' + npm_user + ' <.*')
+                        .trimRight();
+    if (is_collaborator + is_owner === '') {
+      // Neither collaborator nor owner
+      config.silent = false;
       echo(npm_user + ' does not have NPM write access. Request access from one of these fine folk:');
       echo('');
       exec('npm owner ls');
+      exit(1);
     }
-  } else {
-    echo('You must be logged in to NPM to publish, run "npm login" first.');
+
+    echo('Unknown error: ' + e);
+  }
+
+  config.silent = false;
+  try {
+    // TODO(nfischer): this currently requires upstream tracking (issue #2)
+    exec('git push');
+    exec('git push --tags');
+  } catch (e) {
+    echo('');
+    echo('Version has been released, but commit/tag could not be pushed.');
+    echo('Please push these manually.');
   }
 }