diff --git a/src/ingest/indexer/shard.rs b/src/ingest/indexer/shard.rs
index a40e8bf..c2548cf 100644
--- a/src/ingest/indexer/shard.rs
+++ b/src/ingest/indexer/shard.rs
@@ -451,6 +451,14 @@ impl FirehoseWorker {
             .get(keys::repo_key(did))
             .into_diagnostic()?
         else {
+            // whatever erased the row is the last word, so the key it left behind goes now
+            // instead of on its next run
+            ctx.txn
+                .transition_pending_key(did, pending_key, GaugeState::Synced)?;
+            ctx.state
+                .db
+                .indexer
+                .stage_pending_remove(&mut ctx.txn.batch, did, pending_key);
             return Ok(false);
         };
         let repo_state = crate::db::deser_repo_state(&bytes)?.into_static();
@@ -777,6 +785,27 @@ mod tests {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn a_backfill_whose_repo_row_is_gone_comes_off_the_queue() -> Result<()> {
+        let (_tmp, state, did) = queued_repo(&RepoState::backfilling(), 7, 7)?;
+        state
+            .db
+            .repos
+            .remove(keys::repo_key(&did))
+            .into_diagnostic()?;
+
+        assert!(!finish_on_a_shard(&state, &did, keys::pending_key(7)).await?);
+        assert!(
+            !state
+                .db
+                .indexer
+                .is_pending(&keys::pending_key(7))
+                .into_diagnostic()?
+        );
+        state.db.indexer.assert_pending_dids_match();
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn resync_buffer_commit_msgpack_round_trip_preserves_path() {
         let cid = CidLink::from(jacquard_repo::mst::util::compute_cid(b"commit").unwrap());