diff --git a/src/server/routes/repository-private.ts b/src/server/routes/repository-private.ts
index 9258583..eceb26c 100644
--- a/src/server/routes/repository-private.ts
+++ b/src/server/routes/repository-private.ts
@@ -461,14 +461,20 @@ export function hasRepositorySourceChanged(
 }
 
 /**
- * An expired repository has had its cached files removed, so saving a valid
- * future expiration must rebuild it even when its GitHub source is unchanged.
+ * An expired or removed repository has had its cached files removed, so saving
+ * a valid future expiration must rebuild it even when its GitHub source is
+ * unchanged.
  */
-export function shouldReactivateExpiredRepository(
+export function shouldReactivateInactiveRepository(
   model: IAnonymizedRepositoryDocument,
   now = new Date()
 ): boolean {
-  if (model.status !== RepositoryStatus.EXPIRED) return false;
+  if (
+    model.status !== RepositoryStatus.EXPIRED &&
+    model.status !== RepositoryStatus.REMOVED
+  ) {
+    return false;
+  }
   if (model.options.expirationMode === "never") return true;
 
   const expirationDate = model.options.expirationDate;
@@ -504,7 +510,7 @@ router.post(
       const sourceChanged = hasRepositorySourceChanged(repo.model, repoUpdate);
 
       updateRepoModel(repo.model, repoUpdate);
-      const reactivating = shouldReactivateExpiredRepository(repo.model);
+      const reactivating = shouldReactivateInactiveRepository(repo.model);
 
       if (reactivating) {
         repo.model.anonymizeDate = new Date();
diff --git a/test/backend-reliability.test.js b/test/backend-reliability.test.js
index 4a2a15b..bd4acc2 100644
--- a/test/backend-reliability.test.js
+++ b/test/backend-reliability.test.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const {
 } = require("../src/server/routes/conference");
 const {
   hasRepositorySourceChanged,
-  shouldReactivateExpiredRepository,
+  shouldReactivateInactiveRepository,
 } = require("../src/server/routes/repository-private");
 const {
   processRemoveRepository,
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ describe("repository update source detection", function () {
   it("rebuilds an expired repository when its expiration is in the future", function () {
     const now = new Date("2026-08-20T00:00:00.000Z");
     expect(
-      shouldReactivateExpiredRepository(
+      shouldReactivateInactiveRepository(
         {
           status: "expired",
           options: {
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ describe("repository update source detection", function () {
   it("does not rebuild an expired repository with a stale expiration", function () {
     const now = new Date("2026-08-20T00:00:00.000Z");
     expect(
-      shouldReactivateExpiredRepository(
+      shouldReactivateInactiveRepository(
         {
           status: "expired",
           options: {
@@ -123,12 +123,28 @@ describe("repository update source detection", function () {
 
   it("rebuilds an expired repository configured never to expire", function () {
     expect(
-      shouldReactivateExpiredRepository({
+      shouldReactivateInactiveRepository({
         status: "expired",
         options: { expirationMode: "never" },
       })
     ).to.equal(true);
   });
+
+  it("rebuilds a removed repository when its expiration is in the future", function () {
+    const now = new Date("2026-08-20T00:00:00.000Z");
+    expect(
+      shouldReactivateInactiveRepository(
+        {
+          status: "removed",
+          options: {
+            expirationMode: "remove",
+            expirationDate: new Date("2027-01-31T04:18:02.444Z"),
+          },
+        },
+        now
+      )
+    ).to.equal(true);
+  });
 });
 
 describe("removal workers", function () {