diff --git a/docs/contrib/EndpointSlackTracking.md b/docs/contrib/EndpointSlackTracking.md
index 6af5736e43..41b2e198e7 100644
--- a/docs/contrib/EndpointSlackTracking.md
+++ b/docs/contrib/EndpointSlackTracking.md
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ Every step then writes `$(REPORTS_DIR)/<step>_endpoint_slack.json`, e.g.
 It works in the single-process `flow/scripts/flow.tcl` flow as well. Steps
 that just copy their input (`orfs_copy_db`, e.g. `5_3_fillcell` without fill
 cells) re-time the design if it is loaded, or else copy the previous step's
-snapshot. Intermediate `.odb` files written through `orfs_write_db` (e.g. CTS's
-`4_1_error.odb`) also get a snapshot; `*-failed` ones don't.
+snapshot. Any other `.odb` written through `orfs_write_db`, such as an
+ad-hoc checkpoint, also gets a snapshot; `*-failed` ones don't.
 
 A placed step is timed with the parasitics OpenROAD has for it: a bare
 `estimate_parasitics` estimates from the global routes when there are any,
diff --git a/flow/scripts/cts.tcl b/flow/scripts/cts.tcl
index 1010cedeed..c012f2d2d5 100644
--- a/flow/scripts/cts.tcl
+++ b/flow/scripts/cts.tcl
@@ -39,11 +39,7 @@ set_placement_padding -global \
   -left $::env(CELL_PAD_IN_SITES_DETAIL_PLACEMENT) \
   -right $::env(CELL_PAD_IN_SITES_DETAIL_PLACEMENT)
 
-set result [catch { detailed_placement_helper -quiet } msg]
-if { $result != 0 } {
-  orfs_write_db $::env(RESULTS_DIR)/4_1_error.odb
-  error "Detailed placement failed in CTS: $msg"
-}
+detailed_placement_helper -quiet
 
 log_cmd estimate_parasitics
 
@@ -60,11 +56,7 @@ if { !$::env(SKIP_CTS_REPAIR_TIMING) } {
     run_lec_test 4_rsz 4_before_rsz_lec.v 4_after_rsz_lec.v
   }
 
-  set result [catch { detailed_placement_helper -quiet } msg]
-  if { $result != 0 } {
-    orfs_write_db $::env(RESULTS_DIR)/4_1_error.odb
-    error "Detailed placement failed in CTS: $msg"
-  }
+  detailed_placement_helper -quiet
 
   log_cmd check_placement -placeable -verbose