diff --git a/pve/vm-core.func b/pve/vm-core.func
index 3b7c88a..9eaafe8 100644
--- a/pve/vm-core.func
+++ b/pve/vm-core.func
@@ -719,10 +719,11 @@ cleanup() {
     if declare -f post_update_to_api >/dev/null 2>&1; then
       if [[ $exit_code -ne 0 ]]; then
         post_update_to_api "failed" "$exit_code"
+      elif [[ -n "${VMID:-}" ]] && qm config "$VMID" &>/dev/null; then
+        # Clean exit with the VM in place: a script that never said so itself.
+        post_update_to_api "done" "none"
       else
-        # Exited cleanly but description()/success was never called: the user
-        # backed out of a dialog. Report as aborted - NOT "failed 1" (which
-        # produced meaningless 'General error' records with no error text).
+        # Clean exit, no VM: the user backed out of a dialog.
         post_update_to_api "aborted" "0"
       fi
     fi