diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-pull.c b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-pull.c
index 5f08000d05..64abc742a4 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-pull.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-pull.c
@@ -1125,6 +1125,32 @@ is_parent_commit (OtPullData *pull_data,
   return g_hash_table_contains (pull_data->commit_to_depth, checksum);
 }
 
+static gboolean
+try_missing_parent_tombstone (OtPullData       *pull_data,
+                              FetchObjectData  *fetch_data,
+                              const char       *checksum,
+                              GCancellable     *cancellable,
+                              GError          **error)
+{
+  /* If the remote repo supports tombstone commits, check if the commit
+   * was intentionally deleted.
+   */
+  if (!pull_data->has_tombstone_commits)
+    return TRUE;
+
+  if (pull_data->remote_repo_local)
+    return _ostree_repo_import_object (pull_data->repo, pull_data->remote_repo_local,
+                                       OSTREE_OBJECT_TYPE_TOMBSTONE_COMMIT,
+                                       checksum, pull_data->importflags,
+                                       cancellable, error);
+ else
+   {
+     enqueue_one_object_request (pull_data, checksum, OSTREE_OBJECT_TYPE_TOMBSTONE_COMMIT,
+                                 fetch_data->path, FALSE, FALSE, NULL);
+     return TRUE;
+   }
+}
+
 static void
 meta_fetch_on_complete (GObject           *object,
                         GAsyncResult      *result,
@@ -1167,20 +1193,16 @@ meta_fetch_on_complete (GObject           *object,
             }
 
           /* When traversing parents, do not fail on a missing commit.
-           * We may be pulling from a partial repository that ends in
-           * a dangling parent reference. */
+           * We may be pulling from a partial repository that ends in a
+           * dangling parent reference. This logic should match the
+           * local case in scan_one_metadata_object.
+           */
           else if (objtype == OSTREE_OBJECT_TYPE_COMMIT &&
                    pull_data->maxdepth != 0 &&
                    is_parent_commit (pull_data, checksum))
             {
               g_clear_error (&local_error);
-              /* If the remote repo supports tombstone commits, check if the commit was intentionally
-                 deleted.  */
-              if (pull_data->has_tombstone_commits)
-                {
-                  enqueue_one_object_request (pull_data, checksum, OSTREE_OBJECT_TYPE_TOMBSTONE_COMMIT,
-                                              fetch_data->path, FALSE, FALSE, NULL);
-                }
+              try_missing_parent_tombstone (pull_data, fetch_data, checksum, NULL, NULL);
             }
         }
 
@@ -1827,7 +1849,10 @@ scan_one_metadata_object (OtPullData                 *pull_data,
         {
           /* When traversing parents, do not fail on a missing commit.
            * We may be pulling from a partial repository that ends in a
-           * dangling parent reference.
+           * dangling parent reference. This logic should match the
+           * remote case in meta_fetch_on_complete.
+           *
+           * Note early return.
            */
           if (g_error_matches (local_error, G_IO_ERROR, G_IO_ERROR_NOT_FOUND) &&
               objtype == OSTREE_OBJECT_TYPE_COMMIT &&
@@ -1835,21 +1860,8 @@ scan_one_metadata_object (OtPullData                 *pull_data,
               is_parent_commit (pull_data, checksum))
             {
               g_clear_error (&local_error);
-
-              /* If the remote repo supports tombstone commits, check if
-               * the commit was intentionally deleted.
-               */
-              if (pull_data->has_tombstone_commits)
-                {
-                  if (!_ostree_repo_import_object (pull_data->repo, pull_data->remote_repo_local,
-                                                   OSTREE_OBJECT_TYPE_TOMBSTONE_COMMIT,
-                                                   checksum, pull_data->importflags,
-                                                   cancellable, error))
-                    return FALSE;
-                }
-
-              /* Note early return */
-              return TRUE;
+              return try_missing_parent_tombstone (pull_data, NULL, checksum,
+                                                   cancellable, error);
             }
           else
             {