diff --git a/lib/cli/commands/removeallorders.ts b/lib/cli/commands/removeallorders.ts
index 7bad3281b..8d2c42fe2 100644
--- a/lib/cli/commands/removeallorders.ts
+++ b/lib/cli/commands/removeallorders.ts
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ const formatOutput = (response: RemoveAllOrdersResponse.AsObject) => {
   }
 
   if (response.removedOrderIdsList.length) {
-    response.removedOrderIdsList.forEach((removedOrder => console.log(`Cancelled order with id ${removedOrder}`)));
+    response.removedOrderIdsList.forEach((removedOrder => console.log(`Removed order with id ${removedOrder}`)));
   }
   if (response.onHoldOrderIdsList.length) {
-    response.onHoldOrderIdsList.forEach((onHoldOrder => console.log(`Failed to cancel order with id ${onHoldOrder}`)));
+    response.onHoldOrderIdsList.forEach((id => console.log(`Order with id ${id} has a hold for a pending swap and will be removed afterwards`)));
   }
 
 };
diff --git a/lib/orderbook/OrderBook.ts b/lib/orderbook/OrderBook.ts
index 9e2b1fe39..bc8f86838 100644
--- a/lib/orderbook/OrderBook.ts
+++ b/lib/orderbook/OrderBook.ts
@@ -831,10 +831,10 @@ class OrderBook extends EventEmitter {
     const onHoldOrderLocalIds = [];
 
     for (const localId of this.localIdMap.keys()) {
-      try {
-        this.removeOwnOrderByLocalId(localId, true);
+      const onHoldIndicator = this.removeOwnOrderByLocalId(localId, true);
+      if (onHoldIndicator === 0) {
         removedOrderLocalIds.push(localId);
-      } catch (ex) {
+      } else {
         onHoldOrderLocalIds.push(localId);
       }
     }
@@ -876,12 +876,15 @@ class OrderBook extends EventEmitter {
         throw errors.QUANTITY_ON_HOLD(localId, order.hold);
       }
 
-      this.removeOwnOrder({
-        orderId: order.id,
-        pairId: order.pairId,
-        quantityToRemove: removableQuantity,
-      });
-      remainingQuantityToRemove -= removableQuantity;
+      if (removableQuantity > 0) {
+        // we can remove any portion of the order that's not on hold up front
+        this.removeOwnOrder({
+          orderId: order.id,
+          pairId: order.pairId,
+          quantityToRemove: removableQuantity,
+        });
+        remainingQuantityToRemove -= removableQuantity;
+      }
 
       const failedHandler = (deal: SwapDeal) => {
         if (deal.orderId === order.id) {