diff --git a/radicle-node/src/tests/e2e.rs b/radicle-node/src/tests/e2e.rs
index 3e9554d7..42011068 100644
--- a/radicle-node/src/tests/e2e.rs
+++ b/radicle-node/src/tests/e2e.rs
@@ -205,13 +205,16 @@ fn test_replication_no_delegates() {
     let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
     let alice = Node::init(tmp.path());
     let mut bob = Node::init(tmp.path());
-    let (repo, _) = fixtures::repository(tmp.path().join("acme"));
 
-    let acme = bob.project_from("acme", "", &repo);
-
-    // Populate repo, but don't sign the refs.
-    let branches = fixtures::populate(&repo, 1);
-    git::push(&repo, "rad", branches.iter().map(|b| (b, b))).unwrap();
+    let acme = bob.project("acme", "");
+    // Delete one of the signed refs.
+    bob.storage
+        .repository_mut(acme)
+        .unwrap()
+        .reference(&bob.id, &git::qualified!("refs/heads/master"))
+        .unwrap()
+        .delete()
+        .unwrap();
 
     let mut alice = alice.spawn(service::Config::default());
     let bob = bob.spawn(service::Config::default());
diff --git a/radicle-node/src/worker/fetch.rs b/radicle-node/src/worker/fetch.rs
index 444e07d3..3f9d4229 100644
--- a/radicle-node/src/worker/fetch.rs
+++ b/radicle-node/src/worker/fetch.rs
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ enum VerifiedRemote {
         // Nb. unused but we want to ensure that we verify the identity
         _doc: Doc<Verified>,
         remote: Remote<Verified>,
+        /// Unsigned refs.
+        unsigned: Vec<git::RefString>,
     },
 }
 
@@ -251,6 +253,7 @@ impl<'a> StagingPhaseFinal<'a> {
         let url = url::File::new(self.repo.path().to_path_buf()).to_string();
         let mut remote = production.backend.remote_anonymous(&url)?;
         let mut updates = Vec::new();
+        let mut delete = HashSet::new();
 
         let callbacks = ref_updates(&mut updates);
         let remotes = {
@@ -266,10 +269,15 @@ impl<'a> StagingPhaseFinal<'a> {
                         );
                         vec![]
                     }
-                    VerifiedRemote::Success { remote, .. } => {
+                    VerifiedRemote::Success {
+                        remote, unsigned, ..
+                    } => {
                         let ns = remote.id.to_namespace();
                         let mut refspecs = vec![];
 
+                        // Unsigned refs should be deleted.
+                        delete.insert((remote.id, unsigned));
+
                         //  First add the standard git refs.
                         let heads = ns.join(git::refname!("refs/heads"));
                         let cobs = ns.join(git::refname!("refs/cobs"));
@@ -338,8 +346,22 @@ impl<'a> StagingPhaseFinal<'a> {
             // should be devised.
             opts.prune(git::raw::FetchPrune::Off);
 
+            // Fetch into production copy.
             remote.fetch(&specs, Some(&mut opts), None)?;
 
+            // Delete unsigned refs.
+            for (namespace, unsigned) in delete {
+                for refstr in unsigned {
+                    let q = git::Qualified::from_refstr(&refstr)
+                        .expect("StagingPhaseFinal::transfer: unsigned references are qualified");
+
+                    if let Ok(mut r) = production.reference(&namespace, &q) {
+                        log::debug!(target: "worker", "Deleting unsigned ref {namespace}/{q}..");
+
+                        r.delete()?;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
             fetching
         };
         let head = production.set_head()?;
@@ -363,7 +385,11 @@ impl<'a> StagingPhaseFinal<'a> {
                 let remote_id = remote.id;
                 let verification = match self.repo.identity_doc_of(&remote_id) {
                     Ok(doc) => match self.repo.validate_remote(&remote) {
-                        Ok(()) => VerifiedRemote::Success { _doc: doc, remote },
+                        Ok(unsigned) => VerifiedRemote::Success {
+                            _doc: doc,
+                            remote,
+                            unsigned,
+                        },
                         Err(e) => VerifiedRemote::Failed {
                             reason: e.to_string(),
                         },
diff --git a/radicle/src/storage.rs b/radicle/src/storage.rs
index d0aea081..ea33f4de 100644
--- a/radicle/src/storage.rs
+++ b/radicle/src/storage.rs
@@ -304,10 +304,11 @@ pub trait ReadRepository {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    /// Validate all the remote's references in the repository, checking that they are signed as
-    /// part of the remote's signed refs. Also verify that no signed reference is missing from the
-    /// repository.
-    fn validate_remote(&self, remote: &Remote<Verified>) -> Result<(), VerifyError>;
+    /// Validates a remote's signed refs and identity.
+    ///
+    /// Returns any ref found under that remote that isn't signed.
+    /// If a signed ref is missing from the repository, an error is returned.
+    fn validate_remote(&self, remote: &Remote<Verified>) -> Result<Vec<RefString>, VerifyError>;
 
     /// Get the head of this repository.
     ///
diff --git a/radicle/src/storage/git.rs b/radicle/src/storage/git.rs
index 579dcf30..8a6909f3 100644
--- a/radicle/src/storage/git.rs
+++ b/radicle/src/storage/git.rs
@@ -202,8 +202,6 @@ pub enum VerifyError {
     InvalidIdentity(#[from] IdentityError),
     #[error("refs error: {0}")]
     Refs(#[from] refs::Error),
-    #[error("unknown reference `{1}` in remote `{0}`")]
-    UnknownRef(RemoteId, git::RefString),
     #[error("missing reference `{1}` in remote `{0}`")]
     MissingRef(RemoteId, git::RefString),
     #[error("git: {0}")]
@@ -371,9 +369,10 @@ impl ReadRepository for Repository {
         .get(&self.backend)
     }
 
-    fn validate_remote(&self, remote: &Remote<Verified>) -> Result<(), VerifyError> {
+    fn validate_remote(&self, remote: &Remote<Verified>) -> Result<Vec<RefString>, VerifyError> {
         // Contains a copy of the signed refs of this remote.
-        let mut refs = BTreeMap::from((*remote.refs).clone());
+        let mut signed = BTreeMap::from((*remote.refs).clone());
+        let mut unsigned = Vec::new();
 
         // Check all repository references, making sure they are present in the signed refs map.
         for (refname, oid) in self.references_of(&remote.id)? {
@@ -381,24 +380,24 @@ impl ReadRepository for Repository {
             if refname == refs::SIGREFS_BRANCH.to_ref_string() {
                 continue;
             }
-            let signed_oid = refs
-                .remove(&refname)
-                .ok_or_else(|| VerifyError::UnknownRef(remote.id, refname.clone()))?;
-
-            if oid != signed_oid {
-                return Err(VerifyError::InvalidRefTarget(remote.id, refname, *oid));
+            if let Some(signed_oid) = signed.remove(&refname) {
+                if oid != signed_oid {
+                    return Err(VerifyError::InvalidRefTarget(remote.id, refname, *oid));
+                }
+            } else {
+                unsigned.push(refname);
             }
         }
 
         // The refs that are left in the map, are ones that were signed, but are not
         // in the repository. If any are left, bail.
-        if let Some((name, _)) = refs.into_iter().next() {
+        if let Some((name, _)) = signed.into_iter().next() {
             return Err(VerifyError::MissingRef(remote.id, name));
         }
         // Finally, verify the identity history of remote.
         self.identity_of(&remote.id)?.verified(self.id)?;
 
-        Ok(())
+        Ok(unsigned)
     }
 
     fn reference(
diff --git a/radicle/src/test/storage.rs b/radicle/src/test/storage.rs
index 5f54d2ef..b09eff65 100644
--- a/radicle/src/test/storage.rs
+++ b/radicle/src/test/storage.rs
@@ -140,8 +140,11 @@ impl ReadRepository for MockRepository {
         todo!()
     }
 
-    fn validate_remote(&self, _remote: &Remote<Verified>) -> Result<(), VerifyError> {
-        Ok(())
+    fn validate_remote(
+        &self,
+        _remote: &Remote<Verified>,
+    ) -> Result<Vec<fmt::RefString>, VerifyError> {
+        Ok(vec![])
     }
 
     fn path(&self) -> &std::path::Path {