if ($XHC) { # unconditionally retrieving pct + rank for now
xdb($self); # populate {nshards}
my @margs = ($self->xh_args, xh_opt($opt));
- my $rd = $XHC->mkreq(undef, 'mset', @margs, $qry_str);
- PublicInbox::XhcMset->maybe_new($rd, $self, $cb, @args);
+ my $ret = eval {
+ my $rd = $XHC->mkreq(undef, 'mset', @margs, $qry_str);
+ PublicInbox::XhcMset->maybe_new($rd, $self, $cb, @args);
+ };
+ $cb->(@args, undef, $@) if $@;
+ $ret;
} else { # synchronous
my $mset = $self->mset($qry_str, $opt);
$cb->(@args, $mset);