diff --git a/app/workers/retire_subject_worker.rb b/app/workers/retire_subject_worker.rb
index 4906b5215..bc085009a 100644
--- a/app/workers/retire_subject_worker.rb
+++ b/app/workers/retire_subject_worker.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ def perform(workflow_id, subject_ids, reason=nil)
       Array.wrap(subject_ids).each do |subject_id|
         count = subject_workflow_status(subject_id)
         RetirementWorker.perform_async(count.id, true, reason)
+      rescue ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid
+        # need to rescue the error when folks pass in a subject id that doesn't exist
+        # but we still keep processing the whole list of subjects we have
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/workers/retire_subject_worker_spec.rb b/spec/workers/retire_subject_worker_spec.rb
index 9246ec537..b9ca1f5de 100644
--- a/spec/workers/retire_subject_worker_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/workers/retire_subject_worker_spec.rb
@@ -12,10 +12,16 @@
   let(:subject_ids) { [sms.subject_id, sms2.subject_id] }
 
   describe "#perform" do
-    it 'should handle an unknow workflow' do
+    it 'ignores an unknown workflow' do
       expect { worker.perform(-1, subject.id) }.not_to raise_error
     end
 
+    it 'ignores an unknown subject' do
+      allow(RetirementWorker).to receive(:perform_async)
+      worker.perform(workflow.id, [-1, subject.id])
+      expect(RetirementWorker).to have_received(:perform_async).once
+    end
+
     it 'should call the retirement worker with the subject workflow status resource' do
       expect(RetirementWorker)
         .to receive(:perform_async)
@@ -41,21 +47,5 @@
       expect(RetirementWorker).not_to receive(:perform_async)
       worker.perform(-1, subject.id)
     end
-
-    describe "creating the sws resource" do
-      it 'should raise if there is a problem with the workflow' do
-        allow(worker).to receive(:workflow_exists?).and_return(true)
-        expect {
-          worker.perform(-1, subject.id)
-        }.to raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid)
-      end
-
-      it 'should raise if there is a problem with the subject' do
-        allow(worker).to receive(:workflow_exists?).and_return(true)
-        expect {
-          worker.perform(workflow.id, -1)
-        }.to raise_error(ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid)
-      end
-    end
   end
 end