diff --git a/bdb/file.c b/bdb/file.c
index fddec2150b..283cbe3301 100644
--- a/bdb/file.c
+++ b/bdb/file.c
@@ -3744,7 +3744,7 @@ static void delete_log_files_int(bdb_state_type *bdb_state)
             bdb_state->attr->log_delete_low_headroom_breaktime) {
         logmsg(LOGMSG_WARN, "low_headroom, but tried %d times and giving up\n",
                bdb_state->attr->log_delete_low_headroom_breaktime);
-        return;
+        goto send_local_lowfilenum;
     }
 
     delete_adjacent = 1;
@@ -4057,6 +4057,8 @@ static void delete_log_files_int(bdb_state_type *bdb_state)
 
         free(list);
     }
+
+send_local_lowfilenum:
     if (list == NULL || send_filenum == 0) {
         DB_LOGC *logc;
         DBT logrec;