diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/SubmittingPlayer.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/SubmittingPlayer.cs
index 6c5f7fab9e..aea3bf6d5c 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/SubmittingPlayer.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/SubmittingPlayer.cs
@@ -274,6 +274,16 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
                 return Task.CompletedTask;
             }
 
+            // if the user never hit anything, this score should not be counted in any way.
+            if (!score.ScoreInfo.Statistics.Any(s => s.Key.IsHit() && s.Value > 0))
+            {
+                Logger.Log("No hits registered, skipping score submission");
+                return Task.CompletedTask;
+            }
+
+            // mind the timing of this.
+            // once `scoreSubmissionSource` is created, it is presumed that submission is taking place in the background,
+            // so all exceptional circumstances that would disallow submission must be handled above.
             lock (scoreSubmissionLock)
             {
                 if (scoreSubmissionSource != null)
@@ -282,10 +292,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
                 scoreSubmissionSource = new TaskCompletionSource<bool>();
             }
 
-            // if the user never hit anything, this score should not be counted in any way.
-            if (!score.ScoreInfo.Statistics.Any(s => s.Key.IsHit() && s.Value > 0))
-                return Task.CompletedTask;
-
             Logger.Log($"Beginning score submission (token:{token.Value})...");
             var request = CreateSubmissionRequest(score, token.Value);