diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index db08e764..6fde0c16 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -8755,27 +8755,39 @@ class IssueProcessor {
     listIssueComments(issueNumber, sinceDate) {
         return __awaiter(this, void 0, void 0, function* () {
             // find any comments since date on the given issue
-            const comments = yield this.client.issues.listComments({
-                owner: github.context.repo.owner,
-                repo: github.context.repo.repo,
-                issue_number: issueNumber,
-                since: sinceDate
-            });
-            return comments.data;
+            try {
+                const comments = yield this.client.issues.listComments({
+                    owner: github.context.repo.owner,
+                    repo: github.context.repo.repo,
+                    issue_number: issueNumber,
+                    since: sinceDate
+                });
+                return comments.data;
+            }
+            catch (error) {
+                core.error(`List issue comments error: ${error.message}`);
+                return Promise.resolve([]);
+            }
         });
     }
     // grab issues from github in baches of 100
     getIssues(page) {
         return __awaiter(this, void 0, void 0, function* () {
-            const issueResult = yield this.client.issues.listForRepo({
-                owner: github.context.repo.owner,
-                repo: github.context.repo.repo,
-                state: 'open',
-                labels: this.options.onlyLabels,
-                per_page: 100,
-                page
-            });
-            return issueResult.data;
+            try {
+                const issueResult = yield this.client.issues.listForRepo({
+                    owner: github.context.repo.owner,
+                    repo: github.context.repo.repo,
+                    state: 'open',
+                    labels: this.options.onlyLabels,
+                    per_page: 100,
+                    page
+                });
+                return issueResult.data;
+            }
+            catch (error) {
+                core.error(`Get issues for repo error: ${error.message}`);
+                return Promise.resolve([]);
+            }
         });
     }
     // Mark an issue as stale with a comment and a label
@@ -8788,21 +8800,36 @@ class IssueProcessor {
             // so that close calculations work correctly
             const newUpdatedAtDate = new Date();
             issue.updated_at = newUpdatedAtDate.toString();
+            // of days to wait before actually closing the issue.
+            const daysBeforeStaleInMillis = 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * this.options.daysBeforeStale;
+            const newUpdatedAtDate = new Date();
+            newUpdatedAtDate.setTime(newUpdatedAtDate.getTime() - daysBeforeStaleInMillis);
+            issue.updated_at = newUpdatedAtDate.toString();
             if (this.options.debugOnly) {
                 return;
             }
-            yield this.client.issues.createComment({
-                owner: github.context.repo.owner,
-                repo: github.context.repo.repo,
-                issue_number: issue.number,
-                body: staleMessage
-            });
-            yield this.client.issues.addLabels({
-                owner: github.context.repo.owner,
-                repo: github.context.repo.repo,
-                issue_number: issue.number,
-                labels: [staleLabel]
-            });
+            try {
+                yield this.client.issues.createComment({
+                    owner: github.context.repo.owner,
+                    repo: github.context.repo.repo,
+                    issue_number: issue.number,
+                    body: staleMessage
+                });
+            }
+            catch (error) {
+                core.error(`Error creating a comment: ${error.message}`);
+            }
+            try {
+                yield this.client.issues.addLabels({
+                    owner: github.context.repo.owner,
+                    repo: github.context.repo.repo,
+                    issue_number: issue.number,
+                    labels: [staleLabel]
+                });
+            }
+            catch (error) {
+                core.error(`Error adding a label: ${error.message}`);
+            }
         });
     }
     // Close an issue based on staleness
@@ -8814,12 +8841,17 @@ class IssueProcessor {
             if (this.options.debugOnly) {
                 return;
             }
-            yield this.client.issues.update({
-                owner: github.context.repo.owner,
-                repo: github.context.repo.repo,
-                issue_number: issue.number,
-                state: 'closed'
-            });
+            try {
+                yield this.client.issues.update({
+                    owner: github.context.repo.owner,
+                    repo: github.context.repo.repo,
+                    issue_number: issue.number,
+                    state: 'closed'
+                });
+            }
+            catch (error) {
+                core.error(`Error updating an issue: ${error.message}`);
+            }
         });
     }
     // Remove a label from an issue
@@ -8831,12 +8863,17 @@ class IssueProcessor {
             if (this.options.debugOnly) {
                 return;
             }
-            yield this.client.issues.removeLabel({
-                owner: github.context.repo.owner,
-                repo: github.context.repo.repo,
-                issue_number: issue.number,
-                name: encodeURIComponent(label) // A label can have a "?" in the name
-            });
+            try {
+                yield this.client.issues.removeLabel({
+                    owner: github.context.repo.owner,
+                    repo: github.context.repo.repo,
+                    issue_number: issue.number,
+                    name: encodeURIComponent(label) // A label can have a "?" in the name
+                });
+            }
+            catch (error) {
+                core.error(`Error removing a label: ${error.message}`);
+            }
         });
     }
     // returns the creation date of a given label on an issue (or nothing if no label existed)
diff --git a/src/IssueProcessor.ts b/src/IssueProcessor.ts
index 0ae90f6b..a21c9ad0 100644
--- a/src/IssueProcessor.ts
+++ b/src/IssueProcessor.ts
@@ -268,28 +268,38 @@ export class IssueProcessor {
     sinceDate: string
   ): Promise<Comment[]> {
     // find any comments since date on the given issue
-    const comments = await this.client.issues.listComments({
-      owner: github.context.repo.owner,
-      repo: github.context.repo.repo,
-      issue_number: issueNumber,
-      since: sinceDate
-    });
-
-    return comments.data;
+    try {
+      const comments = await this.client.issues.listComments({
+        owner: github.context.repo.owner,
+        repo: github.context.repo.repo,
+        issue_number: issueNumber,
+        since: sinceDate
+      });
+      return comments.data;
+    } catch (error) {
+      core.error(`List issue comments error: ${error.message}`);
+      return Promise.resolve([]);
+    }
   }
 
   // grab issues from github in baches of 100
   private async getIssues(page: number): Promise<Issue[]> {
-    const issueResult: OctoKitIssueList = await this.client.issues.listForRepo({
-      owner: github.context.repo.owner,
-      repo: github.context.repo.repo,
-      state: 'open',
-      labels: this.options.onlyLabels,
-      per_page: 100,
-      page
-    });
-
-    return issueResult.data;
+    try {
+      const issueResult: OctoKitIssueList = await this.client.issues.listForRepo(
+        {
+          owner: github.context.repo.owner,
+          repo: github.context.repo.repo,
+          state: 'open',
+          labels: this.options.onlyLabels,
+          per_page: 100,
+          page
+        }
+      );
+      return issueResult.data;
+    } catch (error) {
+      core.error(`Get issues for repo error: ${error.message}`);
+      return Promise.resolve([]);
+    }
   }
 
   // Mark an issue as stale with a comment and a label
@@ -313,19 +323,27 @@ export class IssueProcessor {
       return;
     }
 
-    await this.client.issues.createComment({
-      owner: github.context.repo.owner,
-      repo: github.context.repo.repo,
-      issue_number: issue.number,
-      body: staleMessage
-    });
+    try {
+      await this.client.issues.createComment({
+        owner: github.context.repo.owner,
+        repo: github.context.repo.repo,
+        issue_number: issue.number,
+        body: staleMessage
+      });
+    } catch (error) {
+      core.error(`Error creating a comment: ${error.message}`);
+    }
 
-    await this.client.issues.addLabels({
-      owner: github.context.repo.owner,
-      repo: github.context.repo.repo,
-      issue_number: issue.number,
-      labels: [staleLabel]
-    });
+    try {
+      await this.client.issues.addLabels({
+        owner: github.context.repo.owner,
+        repo: github.context.repo.repo,
+        issue_number: issue.number,
+        labels: [staleLabel]
+      });
+    } catch (error) {
+      core.error(`Error adding a label: ${error.message}`);
+    }
   }
 
   // Close an issue based on staleness
@@ -342,12 +360,16 @@ export class IssueProcessor {
       return;
     }
 
-    await this.client.issues.update({
-      owner: github.context.repo.owner,
-      repo: github.context.repo.repo,
-      issue_number: issue.number,
-      state: 'closed'
-    });
+    try {
+      await this.client.issues.update({
+        owner: github.context.repo.owner,
+        repo: github.context.repo.repo,
+        issue_number: issue.number,
+        state: 'closed'
+      });
+    } catch (error) {
+      core.error(`Error updating an issue: ${error.message}`);
+    }
   }
 
   // Remove a label from an issue
@@ -364,12 +386,16 @@ export class IssueProcessor {
       return;
     }
 
-    await this.client.issues.removeLabel({
-      owner: github.context.repo.owner,
-      repo: github.context.repo.repo,
-      issue_number: issue.number,
-      name: encodeURIComponent(label) // A label can have a "?" in the name
-    });
+    try {
+      await this.client.issues.removeLabel({
+        owner: github.context.repo.owner,
+        repo: github.context.repo.repo,
+        issue_number: issue.number,
+        name: encodeURIComponent(label) // A label can have a "?" in the name
+      });
+    } catch (error) {
+      core.error(`Error removing a label: ${error.message}`);
+    }
   }
 
   // returns the creation date of a given label on an issue (or nothing if no label existed)