diff --git a/app/controllers/admin/standing_order_orders_controller.rb b/app/controllers/admin/standing_order_orders_controller.rb
index fe56c85c67..39f54edfa2 100644
--- a/app/controllers/admin/standing_order_orders_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/admin/standing_order_orders_controller.rb
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ module Admin
         end
       else
         respond_with(@standing_order_order) do |format|
-          format.json { render json: { errors: @standing_order_order.errors.full_messages }, status: :unprocessable_entity }
+          format.json { render json: { errors: [t(:could_not_cancel_the_order)] }, status: :unprocessable_entity }
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/app/models/standing_order_order.rb b/app/models/standing_order_order.rb
index 904468d21b..6572a96fa4 100644
--- a/app/models/standing_order_order.rb
+++ b/app/models/standing_order_order.rb
@@ -17,12 +17,11 @@ class StandingOrderOrder < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   def cancel
+    return false unless order.order_cycle.orders_close_at > Time.zone.now
     transaction do
-      if order.order_cycle.orders_close_at > Time.zone.now
-        self.update_column(:cancelled_at, Time.zone.now)
-        order.send('cancel') if order.complete?
-      end
-      self
+      self.update_column(:cancelled_at, Time.zone.now)
+      order.send('cancel') if order.complete?
+      true
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/admin/standing_order_orders_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/admin/standing_order_orders_controller_spec.rb
index 33fa106116..8f0b420e2a 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/admin/standing_order_orders_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/admin/standing_order_orders_controller_spec.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ describe Admin::StandingOrderOrdersController, type: :controller do
   describe 'cancel' do
     let!(:user) { create(:user, enterprise_limit: 10) }
     let!(:shop) { create(:distributor_enterprise) }
-    let!(:order) { create(:order, order_cycle: create(:simple_order_cycle)) }
+    let!(:order_cycle) { create(:simple_order_cycle, orders_close_at: 1.day.from_now) }
+    let!(:order) { create(:order, order_cycle: order_cycle) }
     let!(:standing_order) { create(:standing_order_with_items, shop: shop, orders: [order]) }
     let!(:standing_order_order) { standing_order.standing_order_orders.first }
 
@@ -38,12 +39,24 @@ describe Admin::StandingOrderOrdersController, type: :controller do
         context "with authorisation" do
           before { shop.update_attributes(owner: user) }
 
-          it 'renders the cancelled standing_order_order as json' do
-            spree_get :cancel, params
-            json_response = JSON.parse(response.body)
-            expect(json_response['status']).to eq "cancelled"
-            expect(json_response['id']).to eq standing_order_order.id
-            expect(standing_order_order.reload.cancelled_at).to be_within(5.seconds).of Time.now
+          context "when cancellation succeeds" do
+            it 'renders the cancelled standing_order_order as json' do
+              spree_get :cancel, params
+              json_response = JSON.parse(response.body)
+              expect(json_response['status']).to eq "cancelled"
+              expect(json_response['id']).to eq standing_order_order.id
+              expect(standing_order_order.reload.cancelled_at).to be_within(5.seconds).of Time.now
+            end
+          end
+
+          context "when cancellation fails" do
+            before { order_cycle.update_attributes(orders_close_at: 1.day.ago) }
+
+            it "shows an error" do
+              spree_get :cancel, params
+              json_response = JSON.parse(response.body)
+              expect(json_response['errors']).to eq ['Could not cancel the order']
+            end
           end
         end
       end
diff --git a/spec/models/standing_order_order_spec.rb b/spec/models/standing_order_order_spec.rb
index 663432a6dd..17fc13c782 100644
--- a/spec/models/standing_order_order_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/standing_order_order_spec.rb
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ describe StandingOrderOrder, type: :model do
       context "and the order has already been completed" do
         let(:order) { create(:completed_order_with_totals, order_cycle: order_cycle) }
 
-        it "sets cancelled_at to the current time, and cancels the order" do
-          standing_order_order.cancel
+        it "returns true and sets cancelled_at to the current time, and cancels the order" do
+          expect(standing_order_order.cancel).to be true
           expect(standing_order_order.reload.cancelled_at).to be_within(5.seconds).of Time.now
           expect(order.reload.state).to eq 'canceled'
         end
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ describe StandingOrderOrder, type: :model do
       context "and the order has not already been completed" do
         let(:order) { create(:order, order_cycle: order_cycle) }
 
-        it "just sets cancelled at to the current time" do
-          standing_order_order.cancel
+        it "returns true and sets cancelled at to the current time" do
+          expect(standing_order_order.cancel).to be true
           expect(standing_order_order.reload.cancelled_at).to be_within(5.seconds).of Time.now
           expect(order.reload.state).to eq 'cart'
         end
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ describe StandingOrderOrder, type: :model do
       let(:order) { create(:order, order_cycle: order_cycle) }
 
       before { order_cycle.update_attributes(orders_open_at: 3.days.ago, orders_close_at: 1.minute.ago) }
-      it "does nothing" do
-        standing_order_order.cancel
+      it "returns false and does nothing" do
+        expect(standing_order_order.cancel).to eq false
         expect(standing_order_order.reload.cancelled_at).to be nil
         expect(order.reload.state).to eq 'cart'
       end