diff --git a/radicle-node/src/tests/e2e.rs b/radicle-node/src/tests/e2e.rs
index bb6e62e0..3a55f181 100644
--- a/radicle-node/src/tests/e2e.rs
+++ b/radicle-node/src/tests/e2e.rs
@@ -327,6 +327,52 @@ fn test_fetch_trusted_remotes() {
     assert!(bob_remotes.contains(&alice.id));
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_fetch_preserve_owned_refs() {
+    logger::init(log::Level::Debug);
+
+    let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+    let mut alice = Node::init(tmp.path());
+    let bob = Node::init(tmp.path());
+    let acme = alice.project("acme", "");
+    let mut alice = alice.spawn(service::Config::default());
+    let mut bob = bob.spawn(service::Config::default());
+
+    alice.connect(&bob);
+    converge([&alice, &bob]);
+
+    assert!(bob.handle.track_repo(acme, Scope::Trusted).unwrap());
+    assert!(bob.handle.track_node(alice.id, None).unwrap());
+
+    let result = bob.handle.fetch(acme, alice.id).unwrap();
+    assert!(result.is_success());
+
+    log::debug!(target: "test", "Fetch complete with {}", bob.id);
+
+    alice.issue(acme, "Bug", "Bugs, bugs, bugs");
+
+    let before = alice
+        .storage
+        .repository(acme)
+        .unwrap()
+        .references_of(&alice.id)
+        .unwrap();
+
+    // Fetch shouldn't prune any of our own refs.
+    let result = alice.handle.fetch(acme, bob.id).unwrap();
+    let updated = result.success().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(updated, vec![]);
+
+    let after = alice
+        .storage
+        .repository(acme)
+        .unwrap()
+        .references_of(&alice.id)
+        .unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(before, after);
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_clone() {
     logger::init(log::Level::Debug);
diff --git a/radicle-node/src/worker/fetch.rs b/radicle-node/src/worker/fetch.rs
index 2b496a56..eeb20c4a 100644
--- a/radicle-node/src/worker/fetch.rs
+++ b/radicle-node/src/worker/fetch.rs
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ pub struct StagingPhaseFinal<'a> {
     production: &'a Storage,
     /// The delegates and tracked remotes that the fetch is being
     /// performed for. These are passed through from the
-    /// [`StagingPhaseInitial::namespaces`], if the variant is `Many`.
+    /// [`StagingPhaseInitial::namespaces`], if the variant is `Trusted`.
     trusted: HashSet<RemoteId>,
     _tmp: tempfile::TempDir,
 }
@@ -141,9 +141,6 @@ impl<'a> StagingPhaseInitial<'a> {
             StagedRepository::Fetching(repo) => {
                 log::debug!(target: "worker", "Loading remotes for fetching");
                 match self.namespaces.clone() {
-                    // Nb. Namespaces::One is not constructed in
-                    // namespaces_for so it's safe to just bundle this
-                    // with Namespaces::All
                     Namespaces::All => {
                         let mut trusted = repo.remote_ids()?.collect::<Result<HashSet<_>, _>>()?;
                         trusted.extend(repo.delegates()?.map(PublicKey::from));
@@ -232,7 +229,7 @@ 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();
-        log::debug!(target: "worker", "running transfer fetch");
+
         let callbacks = ref_updates(&mut updates);
         {
             let specs = verifications
@@ -259,15 +256,23 @@ impl<'a> StagingPhaseFinal<'a> {
                 })
                 .collect::<Vec<_>>();
             log::debug!(target: "worker", "Transferring staging to production {url}");
+
             let mut opts = git::raw::FetchOptions::default();
             opts.remote_callbacks(callbacks);
-            opts.prune(git::raw::FetchPrune::On);
+            // Nb. To prevent refs owned by the local node from being deleted from the stored
+            // copy if they are not on the remote side, we turn pruning off.
+            // However, globally turning off pruning isn't a ideal either, so a better solution
+            // should be devised.
+            opts.prune(git::raw::FetchPrune::Off);
+
             remote.fetch(&specs, Some(&mut opts), None)?;
         }
         let head = production.set_head()?;
         log::debug!(target: "worker", "Head for {} set to {head}", production.id);
+
         let head = production.set_identity_head()?;
         log::debug!(target: "worker", "'refs/rad/id' for {} set to {head}", production.id);
+
         Ok(updates)
     }