diff --git a/distributed/worker.py b/distributed/worker.py
index fdc43f8f626..8986baa2902 100644
--- a/distributed/worker.py
+++ b/distributed/worker.py
@@ -2114,9 +2114,11 @@ def transition_released_waiting(self, ts, *, stimulus_id):
     def transition_fetch_flight(self, ts, worker, *, stimulus_id):
         if self.validate:
             assert ts.state == "fetch"
-            assert ts.who_has
             assert ts.key not in self.data_needed
 
+        if not ts.who_has:
+            return {ts: "missing"}, []
+
         ts.done = False
         ts.state = "flight"
         ts.coming_from = worker
@@ -3237,6 +3239,11 @@ def release_key(
             ts.nbytes = None
             ts._previous = None
             ts._next = None
+            ts.exception = None
+            ts.exception_text = ""
+            ts.traceback = None
+            ts.traceback_text = ""
+            self._missing_dep_flight.discard(ts)
             ts.done = False
 
             self._executing.discard(ts)
@@ -3883,7 +3890,7 @@ def validate_task_missing(self, ts):
         assert not ts.who_has
         assert not ts.done
         assert not any(ts.key in has_what for has_what in self.has_what.values())
-        assert ts.key in self._missing_dep_flight
+        assert ts in self._missing_dep_flight
 
     def validate_task_cancelled(self, ts):
         assert ts.key not in self.data
@@ -3973,7 +3980,7 @@ def validate_state(self):
                     assert (
                         ts_wait.state
                         in READY | {"executing", "flight", "fetch", "missing"}
-                        or ts_wait.key in self._missing_dep_flight
+                        or ts_wait in self._missing_dep_flight
                         or ts_wait.who_has.issubset(self.in_flight_workers)
                     ), (ts, ts_wait, self.story(ts), self.story(ts_wait))
                 if ts.state == "memory":