diff --git a/radicle-fetch/src/lib.rs b/radicle-fetch/src/lib.rs
index 41b07d54..376e2bb2 100644
--- a/radicle-fetch/src/lib.rs
+++ b/radicle-fetch/src/lib.rs
@@ -59,11 +59,12 @@ where
     if local == remote {
         return Err(Error::ReplicateSelf);
     }
-    let state = FetchState::default();
     let handshake = handle
         .transport
         .handshake()
         .map_err(|err| Error::Handshake { err })?;
+    let state = FetchState::default();
+
     // N.b. ensure that we ignore the local peer's key.
     handle.blocked.extend([local]);
     state
@@ -90,18 +91,7 @@ where
         .transport
         .handshake()
         .map_err(|err| Error::Handshake { err })?;
-    let mut state = FetchState::default();
-    state
-        .run_stage(
-            handle,
-            &handshake,
-            &stage::CanonicalId {
-                remote,
-                limit: limit.special,
-            },
-        )
-        .map_err(|e| Error::from(state::error::Protocol::from(e)))?;
-
+    let state = FetchState::default();
     state
         .run(handle, &handshake, limit, remote, None)
         .map_err(Error::Protocol)
diff --git a/radicle-fetch/src/state.rs b/radicle-fetch/src/state.rs
index 6495d9c9..218bcc95 100644
--- a/radicle-fetch/src/state.rs
+++ b/radicle-fetch/src/state.rs
@@ -378,6 +378,18 @@ impl FetchState {
     where
         S: transport::ConnectionStream,
     {
+        // N.b. we always fetch the `rad/id` since our delegate set
+        // might be further ahead than theirs, e.g. we are the
+        // deciding vote on adding a delegate.
+        self.run_stage(
+            handle,
+            &handshake,
+            &stage::CanonicalId {
+                remote,
+                limit: limit.special,
+            },
+        )?;
+
         // N.b. The error case here should not happen. In the case of
         // a `clone` we have asked for refs/rad/id and ensured it was
         // fetched. In the case of `pull` the repository should have