diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/multisite/validation/MultisiteReplicationFetchFilter.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/multisite/validation/MultisiteReplicationFetchFilter.java
index 6f90b6c..a620dce 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/multisite/validation/MultisiteReplicationFetchFilter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/multisite/validation/MultisiteReplicationFetchFilter.java
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@
         gitRepositoryManager.openRepository(Project.nameKey(projectName))) {
       RefDatabase refDb = repository.getRefDatabase();
       return refs.stream()
-          .filter(ref -> !hasBeenRemovedFromGlobalRefDb(projectName, ref))
           .filter(
               ref -> {
                 if (shouldNotBeTrackedAnymoreOnGlobalRefDb(ref)) {
@@ -88,6 +87,28 @@
                             ref,
                             oid.getName()));
 
+                try {
+                  Ref localRef = refDb.exactRef(ref);
+                  if (localRef == null
+                      && foundAsZeroInSharedRefDb(Project.nameKey(projectName), ref)) {
+                    repLog.info(
+                        "{}:{} was removed locally and is set to zeros in the shared-refdb and thus"
+                            + " will NOT BE fetched",
+                        projectName,
+                        ref);
+                    return false;
+                  }
+                } catch (IOException ioe) {
+                  String message =
+                      String.format(
+                          "Cannot dereference ref '%s' for project '%s' therefore will NOT BE"
+                              + " fetched",
+                          ref, projectName);
+                  repLog.error(message);
+                  logger.atSevere().withCause(ioe).log("%s", message);
+                  return false;
+                }
+
                 return !localRefOid.isPresent();
               })
           .collect(Collectors.toSet());
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/multisite/validation/MultisiteReplicationFetchFilterTest.java b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/multisite/validation/MultisiteReplicationFetchFilterTest.java
index e09f6f6..2216544 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/multisite/validation/MultisiteReplicationFetchFilterTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/multisite/validation/MultisiteReplicationFetchFilterTest.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.eq;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.atLeastOnce;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.doReturn;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.times;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
@@ -147,7 +148,7 @@
     Set<String> filteredRefsToFetch = fetchFilter.filter(project, refsToFetch);
 
     assertThat(filteredRefsToFetch).hasSize(1);
-    verify(sharedRefDatabaseMock, times(3))
+    verify(sharedRefDatabaseMock, atLeastOnce())
         .get(eq(projectName), eq(temporaryOutdated), eq(String.class));
   }
 
@@ -172,12 +173,6 @@
   @Test
   public void shouldNotFilterOutWhenRefsMultisiteVersionIsPresentInSharedRefDb() throws Exception {
     String refsMultisiteVersionRef = ProjectVersionRefUpdate.MULTI_SITE_VERSIONING_REF;
-    RevCommit multiSiteVersionRef = newRef(refsMultisiteVersionRef);
-
-    doReturn(Optional.of(multiSiteVersionRef.getId().getName()))
-        .when(sharedRefDatabaseMock)
-        .get(eq(projectName), eq(refsMultisiteVersionRef), eq(String.class));
-
     Set<String> refsToFetch = Set.of(refsMultisiteVersionRef);
 
     MultisiteReplicationFetchFilter fetchFilter =
@@ -188,7 +183,7 @@
   }
 
   @Test
-  public void shouldFilterOutWhenRefIsDeletedInTheSharedRefDb() throws Exception {
+  public void shouldNotFilterOutWhenRefIsDeletedInTheSharedRefDb() throws Exception {
     String temporaryOutdated = "refs/heads/temporaryOutdated";
     newRef(temporaryOutdated);
 
@@ -201,8 +196,8 @@
         new MultisiteReplicationFetchFilter(sharedRefDatabaseMock, gitRepositoryManager, config);
     Set<String> filteredRefsToFetch = fetchFilter.filter(project, refsToFetch);
 
-    assertThat(filteredRefsToFetch).hasSize(0);
-    verify(sharedRefDatabaseMock).get(eq(projectName), any(), any());
+    assertThat(filteredRefsToFetch).hasSize(1);
+    verify(sharedRefDatabaseMock, atLeastOnce()).get(eq(projectName), any(), any());
   }
 
   @Test