diff --git a/ee/app/models/ee/repository.rb b/ee/app/models/ee/repository.rb
index 131c9f4fd3c99299337b185783e028db34d3cf00..a797ca9a0c00f161cb5a46a4b978ab34256e4ce0 100644
--- a/ee/app/models/ee/repository.rb
+++ b/ee/app/models/ee/repository.rb
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ def update_root_ref(remote_url, authorization)
       root_ref = find_remote_root_ref(remote_url, authorization)
       change_head(root_ref) if root_ref.present?
     rescue ::Gitlab::Git::Repository::NoRepository => e
-      ::Gitlab::AppLogger.error("Error updating root ref for repository #{full_path} (#{container.id}): #{e.message}.")
+      ::Gitlab::AppLogger.info("Error updating root ref for repository #{full_path} (#{container.id}): #{e.message}.")
       nil
     end
 
diff --git a/ee/spec/models/repository_spec.rb b/ee/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
index 999ad9ec2a2529f3ebba1bd43967425c164a7c35..015631825dec23057ab086c90663f8a6425f8941 100644
--- a/ee/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
+++ b/ee/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
@@ -370,12 +370,28 @@ def create_remote_branch(remote_name, branch_name, target)
         .not_to change { project.default_branch }
     end
 
-    it 'does not raise error when repository does not exist' do
-      allow(repository).to receive(:find_remote_root_ref)
-        .with(url, auth)
-        .and_raise(Gitlab::Git::Repository::NoRepository)
+    context 'when project repo is missing' do
+      before do
+        allow(repository).to receive(:find_remote_root_ref)
+          .with(url, auth)
+          .and_raise(Gitlab::Git::Repository::NoRepository)
+      end
 
-      expect { repository.update_root_ref(url, auth) }.not_to raise_error
+      it 'logs a message' do
+        expect(Gitlab::AppLogger)
+          .to receive(:info)
+          .with(/Error updating root ref for repository/)
+
+        repository.update_root_ref(url, auth)
+      end
+
+      it 'returns nil when NoRepository exception is raised' do
+        expect(repository.update_root_ref(url, auth)).to be_nil
+      end
+
+      it 'does not raise error' do
+        expect { repository.update_root_ref(url, auth) }.not_to raise_error
+      end
     end
 
     def stub_find_remote_root_ref(repository, ref:)