diff --git a/src/commands/reject.ts b/src/commands/reject.ts
index 8eab2f1..e1b0bbf 100644
--- a/src/commands/reject.ts
+++ b/src/commands/reject.ts
@@ -98,11 +98,13 @@ export default class RejectCommand extends SlashCommand {
 
     const rejectionResult = await forceReject(member, submission, template)
 
-    if (rejectionResult.error) {
-      if (rejectionResult.message === 'didnt-run-cleanup' && template.location() === 'thread') {
+    if (rejectionResult.outcome !== 'success') {
+      // Cleanup was not selected to run. This is controlled by the templates (public templates are not cleaned up)
+      if (rejectionResult.outcome === 'cleanup-not-run') {
         return commandLog.info({
           type: 'text',
-          content: 'Could not cleanup, submission was errored. Please cleanup manually.',
+          content: `Did not clean up the project messages/threads, that operation is not applicable for the chosen template. 
+Please clean up manually by closing the thread, and deleting the submission message.`,
           ctx,
           extraOpts: {
             ephemeral: false
@@ -110,6 +112,8 @@ export default class RejectCommand extends SlashCommand {
         })
       }
 
+      // The template actually hit an error, log it and tell users to send the message themselves
+
       const templatedReason = template.execute({
         user: `<@${submission.authorId}>`,
         name: submission.name
@@ -132,13 +136,6 @@ export default class RejectCommand extends SlashCommand {
         content: rejectionResult.message,
         ctx: submission
       })
-
-      return
     }
-
-    assert(
-      rejectionResult.outcome === 'instant-reject',
-      'result did not have outcome instant-reject'
-    )
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/vote/action.ts b/src/vote/action.ts
index bd5bc77..a3ee71b 100644
--- a/src/vote/action.ts
+++ b/src/vote/action.ts
@@ -265,6 +265,21 @@ export async function reject (
   }
 }
 
+interface RejectionOk {
+  outcome: 'success'
+}
+
+interface RejectionErr {
+  outcome: 'error'
+  message: string
+}
+
+interface RejectionCleanupNotRun {
+  outcome: 'cleanup-not-run'
+}
+
+export type RejectionResult = RejectionOk | RejectionErr | RejectionCleanupNotRun
+
 /**
  * Forcefully reject a submission, this will run cleanup for the submission.
  */
@@ -273,7 +288,7 @@ export async function forceReject (
   // Could be in the pending state, we will just ignore warnings if that is the case
   submission: ValidatedSubmission | PendingSubmission,
   template: RejectionTemplate
-): Promise<VoteModificationResult> {
+): Promise<RejectionResult> {
   // Do not allow paused submissions to be rejected, this should be checked by the caller
   // Errored submissions are acceptable because invalid-id cases will be in the error state
   // This case should be validated by callers
@@ -295,6 +310,7 @@ export async function forceReject (
         user: `<@${submission.authorId}>`,
         name: submission.name
       })
+
       await runCatching(
         async () =>
           await publicLogs.send({
@@ -326,7 +342,7 @@ export async function forceReject (
     }
   } catch (err) {
     return {
-      error: true,
+      outcome: 'error',
       message: `Failed to send rejection message: ${err}`
     }
   }
@@ -366,12 +382,11 @@ export async function forceReject (
     ctx: submission
   })
 
+  await updateSubmissionState(submission, 'DENIED')
+
   if (!shouldRunCleanup) {
-    // Not an ideal abort from here, but it's the easiest way to go about it.
-    // This is an extreme edge case for the API design to handle.
     return {
-      error: true,
-      message: 'didnt-run-cleanup'
+      outcome: 'cleanup-not-run'
     }
   }
 
@@ -383,8 +398,7 @@ export async function forceReject (
     }, 'suppress')
 
     return {
-      error: false,
-      outcome: 'instant-reject'
+      outcome: 'success'
     }
   }
 
@@ -401,8 +415,7 @@ export async function forceReject (
     }, 'suppress')
 
     return {
-      error: false,
-      outcome: 'instant-reject'
+      outcome: 'success'
     }
   }