diff --git a/common/error_code.h b/common/error_code.h
index c301155..a7fee2a 100644
--- a/common/error_code.h
+++ b/common/error_code.h
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@
   kUpdatedButNotActive = 52,
   kNoUpdate = 53,
   kRollbackNotPossible = 54,
+  kFirstActiveOmahaPingSentPersistenceError = 55,
 
   // VERY IMPORTANT! When adding new error codes:
   //
diff --git a/common/error_code_utils.cc b/common/error_code_utils.cc
index a0e75f0..2a2a0a3 100644
--- a/common/error_code_utils.cc
+++ b/common/error_code_utils.cc
@@ -152,6 +152,8 @@
       return "ErrorCode::kNoUpdate";
     case ErrorCode::kRollbackNotPossible:
       return "ErrorCode::kRollbackNotPossible";
+    case ErrorCode::kFirstActiveOmahaPingSentPersistenceError:
+      return "ErrorCode::kFirstActiveOmahaPingSentPersistenceError";
       // Don't add a default case to let the compiler warn about newly added
       // error codes which should be added here.
   }
diff --git a/common/fake_hardware.h b/common/fake_hardware.h
index d699fb7..d68b0f8 100644
--- a/common/fake_hardware.h
+++ b/common/fake_hardware.h
@@ -110,8 +110,9 @@
     return first_active_omaha_ping_sent_;
   }
 
-  void SetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent() override {
+  bool SetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent() override {
     first_active_omaha_ping_sent_ = true;
+    return true;
   }
 
   // Setters
diff --git a/common/hardware_interface.h b/common/hardware_interface.h
index 4d7c162..239e7c8 100644
--- a/common/hardware_interface.h
+++ b/common/hardware_interface.h
@@ -110,9 +110,9 @@
   // |SetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent()|.
   virtual bool GetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent() const = 0;
 
-  // Persist the fact that first active ping was sent to omaha. It bails out if
-  // it fails.
-  virtual void SetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent() = 0;
+  // Persist the fact that first active ping was sent to omaha and returns false
+  // if failed to persist it.
+  virtual bool SetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent() = 0;
 };
 
 }  // namespace chromeos_update_engine
diff --git a/hardware_android.cc b/hardware_android.cc
index 7958fbf..0e5abaa 100644
--- a/hardware_android.cc
+++ b/hardware_android.cc
@@ -214,9 +214,10 @@
   return false;
 }
 
-void HardwareAndroid::SetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent() {
-  LOG(WARNING) << "STUB: Assuming first active omaha is never set.";
-  return;
+bool HardwareAndroid::SetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent() {
+  LOG(WARNING) << "STUB: Assuming first active omaha is set.";
+  // We will set it true, so its failure doesn't cause escalation.
+  return true;
 }
 
 }  // namespace chromeos_update_engine
diff --git a/hardware_android.h b/hardware_android.h
index a6c9f6a..981f033 100644
--- a/hardware_android.h
+++ b/hardware_android.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
   bool GetNonVolatileDirectory(base::FilePath* path) const override;
   bool GetPowerwashSafeDirectory(base::FilePath* path) const override;
   bool GetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent() const override;
-  void SetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent() override;
+  bool SetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent() override;
 
  private:
   DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(HardwareAndroid);
diff --git a/hardware_chromeos.cc b/hardware_chromeos.cc
index c0f2b67..08303d0 100644
--- a/hardware_chromeos.cc
+++ b/hardware_chromeos.cc
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@
   return static_cast<bool>(active_ping);
 }
 
-void HardwareChromeOS::SetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent() {
+bool HardwareChromeOS::SetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent() {
   int exit_code = 0;
   string output;
   vector<string> vpd_set_cmd = {
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@
     LOG(ERROR) << "Failed to set vpd key for " << kActivePingKey
                << " with exit code: " << exit_code
                << " with error: " << output;
-    return;
+    return false;
   }
 
   vector<string> vpd_dump_cmd = { "dump_vpd_log", "--force" };
@@ -306,7 +306,9 @@
     LOG(ERROR) << "Failed to cache " << kActivePingKey<< " using dump_vpd_log"
                << " with exit code: " << exit_code
                << " with error: " << output;
+    return false;
   }
+  return true;
 }
 
 }  // namespace chromeos_update_engine
diff --git a/hardware_chromeos.h b/hardware_chromeos.h
index 8e9ad1e..6bdd37a 100644
--- a/hardware_chromeos.h
+++ b/hardware_chromeos.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
   bool GetNonVolatileDirectory(base::FilePath* path) const override;
   bool GetPowerwashSafeDirectory(base::FilePath* path) const override;
   bool GetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent() const override;
-  void SetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent() override;
+  bool SetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent() override;
 
  private:
   friend class HardwareChromeOSTest;
diff --git a/metrics_reporter_android.h b/metrics_reporter_android.h
index ee94e43..44f770e 100644
--- a/metrics_reporter_android.h
+++ b/metrics_reporter_android.h
@@ -79,6 +79,8 @@
 
   void ReportInstallDateProvisioningSource(int source, int max) override {}
 
+  void ReportInternalErrorCode(ErrorCode error_code) override {}
+
  private:
   DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(MetricsReporterAndroid);
 };
diff --git a/metrics_reporter_interface.h b/metrics_reporter_interface.h
index 2c7ce5b..13f5a54 100644
--- a/metrics_reporter_interface.h
+++ b/metrics_reporter_interface.h
@@ -193,6 +193,12 @@
   //
   // |kMetricInstallDateProvisioningSource|
   virtual void ReportInstallDateProvisioningSource(int source, int max) = 0;
+
+  // Helper function to report an internal error code. The following metrics are
+  // reported:
+  //
+  // |kMetricAttemptInternalErrorCode|
+  virtual void ReportInternalErrorCode(ErrorCode error_code) = 0;
 };
 
 }  // namespace chromeos_update_engine
diff --git a/metrics_reporter_omaha.cc b/metrics_reporter_omaha.cc
index 0397b83..9c81088 100644
--- a/metrics_reporter_omaha.cc
+++ b/metrics_reporter_omaha.cc
@@ -269,12 +269,7 @@
       static_cast<int>(metrics::AttemptResult::kNumConstants));
 
   if (internal_error_code != ErrorCode::kSuccess) {
-    metric = metrics::kMetricAttemptInternalErrorCode;
-    LOG(INFO) << "Uploading " << internal_error_code << " for metric "
-              << metric;
-    metrics_lib_->SendEnumToUMA(metric,
-                                static_cast<int>(internal_error_code),
-                                static_cast<int>(ErrorCode::kUmaReportedMax));
+    ReportInternalErrorCode(internal_error_code);
   }
 
   base::TimeDelta time_since_last;
@@ -535,4 +530,12 @@
                               max);
 }
 
+void MetricsReporterOmaha::ReportInternalErrorCode(ErrorCode error_code) {
+  auto metric = metrics::kMetricAttemptInternalErrorCode;
+  LOG(INFO) << "Uploading " << error_code << " for metric " << metric;
+  metrics_lib_->SendEnumToUMA(metric,
+                              static_cast<int>(error_code),
+                              static_cast<int>(ErrorCode::kUmaReportedMax));
+}
+
 }  // namespace chromeos_update_engine
diff --git a/metrics_reporter_omaha.h b/metrics_reporter_omaha.h
index c19fe86..344cff8 100644
--- a/metrics_reporter_omaha.h
+++ b/metrics_reporter_omaha.h
@@ -143,6 +143,8 @@
 
   void ReportInstallDateProvisioningSource(int source, int max) override;
 
+  void ReportInternalErrorCode(ErrorCode error_code) override;
+
  private:
   friend class MetricsReporterOmahaTest;
 
diff --git a/metrics_utils.cc b/metrics_utils.cc
index c84aa8f..b85f257 100644
--- a/metrics_utils.cc
+++ b/metrics_utils.cc
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@
     case ErrorCode::kOmahaRequestXMLHasEntityDecl:
     case ErrorCode::kOmahaUpdateIgnoredOverCellular:
     case ErrorCode::kNoUpdate:
+    case ErrorCode::kFirstActiveOmahaPingSentPersistenceError:
       return metrics::AttemptResult::kInternalError;
 
     // Special flags. These can't happen (we mask them out above) but
@@ -220,6 +221,7 @@
     case ErrorCode::kUpdatedButNotActive:
     case ErrorCode::kNoUpdate:
     case ErrorCode::kRollbackNotPossible:
+    case ErrorCode::kFirstActiveOmahaPingSentPersistenceError:
       break;
 
     // Special flags. These can't happen (we mask them out above) but
diff --git a/mock_metrics_reporter.h b/mock_metrics_reporter.h
index a0f164b..a4e0a12 100644
--- a/mock_metrics_reporter.h
+++ b/mock_metrics_reporter.h
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@
   MOCK_METHOD1(ReportTimeToReboot, void(int time_to_reboot_minutes));
 
   MOCK_METHOD2(ReportInstallDateProvisioningSource, void(int source, int max));
+
+  MOCK_METHOD1(ReportInternalErrorCode, void(ErrorCode error_code));
 };
 
 }  // namespace chromeos_update_engine
diff --git a/omaha_request_action.cc b/omaha_request_action.cc
index 0d529a9..72a7d84 100644
--- a/omaha_request_action.cc
+++ b/omaha_request_action.cc
@@ -1188,7 +1188,10 @@
   // their a=-1 in the past and we have to set first_active_omaha_ping_sent for
   // future checks.
   if (!system_state_->hardware()->GetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent()) {
-    system_state_->hardware()->SetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent();
+    if (!system_state_->hardware()->SetFirstActiveOmahaPingSent()) {
+      system_state_->metrics_reporter()->ReportInternalErrorCode(
+          ErrorCode::kFirstActiveOmahaPingSentPersistenceError);
+    }
   }
 
   if (!HasOutputPipe()) {
diff --git a/payload_state.cc b/payload_state.cc
index 03f74af..c07fe7a 100644
--- a/payload_state.cc
+++ b/payload_state.cc
@@ -360,6 +360,7 @@
     case ErrorCode::kUpdatedButNotActive:
     case ErrorCode::kNoUpdate:
     case ErrorCode::kRollbackNotPossible:
+    case ErrorCode::kFirstActiveOmahaPingSentPersistenceError:
       LOG(INFO) << "Not incrementing URL index or failure count for this error";
       break;
 
diff --git a/update_manager/chromeos_policy.cc b/update_manager/chromeos_policy.cc
index d56a22e..04d9680 100644
--- a/update_manager/chromeos_policy.cc
+++ b/update_manager/chromeos_policy.cc
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@
     case ErrorCode::kUpdatedButNotActive:
     case ErrorCode::kNoUpdate:
     case ErrorCode::kRollbackNotPossible:
+    case ErrorCode::kFirstActiveOmahaPingSentPersistenceError:
       LOG(INFO) << "Not changing URL index or failure count due to error "
                 << chromeos_update_engine::utils::ErrorCodeToString(err_code)
                 << " (" << static_cast<int>(err_code) << ")";