diff --git a/cmd/av/tidy.go b/cmd/av/tidy.go
index 91237ed6..20fd228e 100644
--- a/cmd/av/tidy.go
+++ b/cmd/av/tidy.go
@@ -39,7 +39,16 @@ does not delete Git branches.
 		}
 
 		var ss []string
-		if len(deleted) > 0 {
+
+		hasDeleted := false
+		for _, d := range deleted {
+			if d {
+				hasDeleted = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
+
+		if hasDeleted {
 			ss = append(
 				ss,
 				colors.SuccessStyle.Render(
@@ -49,8 +58,10 @@ does not delete Git branches.
 			ss = append(ss, "")
 			ss = append(ss, "  Following branches no longer exist in the repository:")
 			ss = append(ss, "")
-			for name := range deleted {
-				ss = append(ss, "  * "+name)
+			for name, d := range deleted {
+				if d {
+					ss = append(ss, "  * "+name)
+				}
 			}
 			if len(orphaned) > 0 {
 				ss = append(ss, "")
diff --git a/internal/actions/tidy.go b/internal/actions/tidy.go
index 9f041108..3810a087 100644
--- a/internal/actions/tidy.go
+++ b/internal/actions/tidy.go
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ func TidyDB(repo *git.Repo, db meta.DB) (map[string]bool, map[string]bool, error
 		if _, err := repo.Git("show-ref", "refs/heads/"+name); err != nil {
 			// Ref doesn't exist. Should be removed.
 			deleted[name] = true
+		} else {
+			deleted[name] = false
 		}
 	}
 	orphaned := make(map[string]bool)
@@ -29,8 +31,10 @@ func TidyDB(repo *git.Repo, db meta.DB) (map[string]bool, map[string]bool, error
 		}
 	}
 
-	for name := range deleted {
-		tx.DeleteBranch(name)
+	for name, d := range deleted {
+		if d {
+			tx.DeleteBranch(name)
+		}
 	}
 	for name := range orphaned {
 		tx.DeleteBranch(name)