diff -r 04d4c291484b -r b5d56f522ea3 src/nabble/model/SiteImpl.java
--- a/src/nabble/model/SiteImpl.java	Sat Jul 11 21:30:58 2020 -0600
+++ b/src/nabble/model/SiteImpl.java	Sat Jul 11 21:39:52 2020 -0600
@@ -1013,15 +1013,19 @@
 			File file = backup();
 			// Don't sent the deletion email if the site has only one node
 			if (getRootNode().getDescendantCount() > 1) {
-				Template template = getTemplate( "site deletion email",
-					BasicNamespace.class, NabbleNamespace.class
-				);
-				Map<String,Object> params = new HashMap<String,Object>();
-				params.put("file",file.getName());
-				template.run( TemplatePrintWriter.NULL, params,
-					new BasicNamespace(template),
-					new NabbleNamespace(this)
-				);
+				try {
+					Template template = getTemplate( "site deletion email",
+						BasicNamespace.class, NabbleNamespace.class
+					);
+					Map<String,Object> params = new HashMap<String,Object>();
+					params.put("file",file.getName());
+					template.run( TemplatePrintWriter.NULL, params,
+						new BasicNamespace(template),
+						new NabbleNamespace(this)
+					);
+				} catch(RuntimeException e ) {
+					logger.error("deletion email failed",e);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		kill();