diff --git a/example-setup/broker/Dockerfile b/example-setup/broker/Dockerfile
index b79470c..67eecd9 100644
--- a/example-setup/broker/Dockerfile
+++ b/example-setup/broker/Dockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM gerritcodereview/gerrit:3.6.3-almalinux8
+FROM gerritcodereview/gerrit:3.7.2-almalinux8
 
 USER root
 
diff --git a/example-setup/http/Dockerfile b/example-setup/http/Dockerfile
index 77fed72..afadb4f 100644
--- a/example-setup/http/Dockerfile
+++ b/example-setup/http/Dockerfile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM gerritcodereview/gerrit:3.6.3-almalinux8
+FROM gerritcodereview/gerrit:3.7.2-almalinux8
 
 USER root
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/ReplicationQueue.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/ReplicationQueue.java
index ef95596..cdef514 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/ReplicationQueue.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/ReplicationQueue.java
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 
 package com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.replication.pull;
 
+import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS;
+
 import com.google.auto.value.AutoValue;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
 import com.google.common.collect.Queues;
@@ -38,6 +40,7 @@
 import com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.replication.pull.api.data.RevisionData;
 import com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.replication.pull.api.exception.MissingParentObjectException;
 import com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.replication.pull.client.FetchApiClient;
+import com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.replication.pull.client.FetchRestApiClient;
 import com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.replication.pull.client.HttpResult;
 import com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.replication.pull.filter.ApplyObjectsRefsFilter;
 import com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.replication.pull.filter.ExcludedRefsFilter;
@@ -288,7 +291,7 @@
       }
 
       if (!callSuccessful) {
-        callFetch(source, project, refName, state);
+        callFetch(source, project, refName, state, FetchRestApiClient.FORCE_ASYNC);
       }
     };
   }
@@ -334,7 +337,7 @@
           state);
     }
 
-    return (source) -> callFetch(source, project, refName, state);
+    return (source) -> callFetch(source, project, refName, state, false);
   }
 
   private boolean callSendObject(
@@ -461,7 +464,11 @@
   }
 
   private boolean callFetch(
-      Source source, Project.NameKey project, String refName, ReplicationState state) {
+      Source source,
+      Project.NameKey project,
+      String refName,
+      ReplicationState state,
+      boolean forceAsyncCall) {
     boolean resultIsSuccessful = true;
     if (source.wouldFetchProject(project) && source.wouldFetchRef(refName)) {
       for (String apiUrl : source.getApis()) {
@@ -470,7 +477,13 @@
           FetchApiClient fetchClient = fetchClientFactory.create(source);
           repLog.info("Pull replication REST API fetch to {} for {}:{}", apiUrl, project, refName);
           Context<String> timer = fetchMetrics.startEnd2End(source.getRemoteConfigName());
-          HttpResult result = fetchClient.callFetch(project, refName, uri);
+          HttpResult result =
+              fetchClient.callFetch(
+                  project,
+                  refName,
+                  uri,
+                  MILLISECONDS.toNanos(System.currentTimeMillis()),
+                  forceAsyncCall);
           long elapsedMs = TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS.toMillis(timer.stop());
           boolean resultSuccessful = result.isSuccessful();
           repLog.info(
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/api/PullReplicationFilter.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/api/PullReplicationFilter.java
index d0e5c10..f501e90 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/api/PullReplicationFilter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/api/PullReplicationFilter.java
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@
     } catch (AuthException e) {
       RestApiServlet.replyError(
           httpRequest, httpResponse, SC_FORBIDDEN, e.getMessage(), e.caching(), e);
-    } catch (MalformedJsonException | JsonParseException e) {
+    } catch (MalformedJsonException | JsonParseException | IllegalArgumentException e) {
       logger.atFine().withCause(e).log("REST call failed on JSON parsing");
       RestApiServlet.replyError(
           httpRequest, httpResponse, SC_BAD_REQUEST, "Invalid json in request", e);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/client/FetchApiClient.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/client/FetchApiClient.java
index f7ed4cb..38d5d57 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/client/FetchApiClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/client/FetchApiClient.java
@@ -32,12 +32,17 @@
   }
 
   HttpResult callFetch(
-      Project.NameKey project, String refName, URIish targetUri, long startTimeNanos)
+      Project.NameKey project,
+      String refName,
+      URIish targetUri,
+      long startTimeNanos,
+      boolean forceAsyncCall)
       throws ClientProtocolException, IOException;
 
   default HttpResult callFetch(Project.NameKey project, String refName, URIish targetUri)
       throws ClientProtocolException, IOException {
-    return callFetch(project, refName, targetUri, MILLISECONDS.toNanos(System.currentTimeMillis()));
+    return callFetch(
+        project, refName, targetUri, MILLISECONDS.toNanos(System.currentTimeMillis()), false);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/client/FetchRestApiClient.java b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/client/FetchRestApiClient.java
index 7607e4b..5579415 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/client/FetchRestApiClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/client/FetchRestApiClient.java
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@
 import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.URIish;
 
 public class FetchRestApiClient implements FetchApiClient, ResponseHandler<HttpResult> {
+  public static final boolean FORCE_ASYNC = true;
+
   private static final FluentLogger logger = FluentLogger.forEnclosingClass();
   static String GERRIT_ADMIN_PROTOCOL_PREFIX = "gerrit+";
 
@@ -107,15 +109,31 @@
     this.urlAuthenticationPrefix = bearerTokenProvider.get().map(br -> "").orElse("a/");
   }
 
-  /* (non-Javadoc)
-   * @see com.googlesource.gerrit.plugins.replication.pull.client.FetchApiClient#callFetch(com.google.gerrit.entities.Project.NameKey, java.lang.String, org.eclipse.jgit.transport.URIish)
-   */
   @Override
   public HttpResult callFetch(
-      Project.NameKey project, String refName, URIish targetUri, long startTimeNanos)
+      NameKey project,
+      String refName,
+      URIish targetUri,
+      long startTimeNanos,
+      boolean forceAsyncFetch)
+      throws ClientProtocolException, IOException {
+    return doCallFetch(
+        project,
+        refName,
+        targetUri,
+        startTimeNanos,
+        forceAsyncFetch || !syncRefsFilter.match(refName));
+  }
+
+  private HttpResult doCallFetch(
+      Project.NameKey project,
+      String refName,
+      URIish targetUri,
+      long startTimeNanos,
+      boolean callAsync)
       throws IOException {
     String url = formatUrl(targetUri.toString(), project, "fetch");
-    Boolean callAsync = !syncRefsFilter.match(refName);
+
     HttpPost post = new HttpPost(url);
     post.setEntity(
         new StringEntity(
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/ReplicationQueueTest.java b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/ReplicationQueueTest.java
index a07aa55..3d4d531 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/ReplicationQueueTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/googlesource/gerrit/plugins/replication/pull/ReplicationQueueTest.java
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
 import java.util.Optional;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.lib.ObjectId;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.storage.file.FileBasedConfig;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.URIish;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.util.FS;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -152,7 +153,6 @@
         .thenReturn(successfulHttpResult);
     when(successfulHttpResult.isSuccessful()).thenReturn(true);
     when(httpResult.isSuccessful()).thenReturn(true);
-    when(fetchHttpResult.isSuccessful()).thenReturn(true);
     when(httpResult.isProjectMissing(any())).thenReturn(false);
     when(applyObjectsRefsFilter.match(any())).thenReturn(false);
 
@@ -250,31 +250,31 @@
 
   @Test
   public void shouldFallbackToCallFetchWhenIOException() throws Exception {
-    Event event = new TestEvent("refs/changes/01/1/meta");
+    RefUpdatedEvent event = new TestEvent("refs/changes/01/1/meta");
     objectUnderTest.start();
 
     when(revReader.read(any(), any(), anyString(), anyInt())).thenThrow(IOException.class);
 
     objectUnderTest.onEvent(event);
 
-    verify(fetchRestApiClient).callFetch(any(), anyString(), any());
+    verifyFallbackToRestApiClientFetchAsync(event);
   }
 
   @Test
   public void shouldFallbackToCallFetchWhenLargeRef() throws Exception {
-    Event event = new TestEvent("refs/changes/01/1/1");
+    RefUpdatedEvent event = new TestEvent("refs/changes/01/1/1");
     objectUnderTest.start();
 
     when(revReader.read(any(), any(), anyString(), anyInt())).thenReturn(Optional.empty());
 
     objectUnderTest.onEvent(event);
 
-    verify(fetchRestApiClient).callFetch(any(), anyString(), any());
+    verifyFallbackToRestApiClientFetchAsync(event);
   }
 
   @Test
   public void shouldFallbackToCallFetchWhenParentObjectIsMissing() throws Exception {
-    Event event = new TestEvent("refs/changes/01/1/1");
+    RefUpdatedEvent event = new TestEvent("refs/changes/01/1/1");
     objectUnderTest.start();
 
     when(httpResult.isSuccessful()).thenReturn(false);
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@
 
     objectUnderTest.onEvent(event);
 
-    verify(fetchRestApiClient).callFetch(any(), anyString(), any());
+    verifyFallbackToRestApiClientFetchAsync(event);
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -486,4 +486,14 @@
       return projectName;
     }
   }
+
+  private void verifyFallbackToRestApiClientFetchAsync(RefUpdatedEvent event) throws IOException {
+    verify(fetchRestApiClient)
+        .callFetch(
+            eq(event.getProjectNameKey()),
+            eq(event.getRefName()),
+            any(URIish.class),
+            any(Long.class),
+            eq(FetchRestApiClient.FORCE_ASYNC));
+  }
 }