diff --git a/app/models/event.rb b/app/models/event.rb
index 7a09e9d2da4179e946b32a2823148315d9ec9db0..f67c21377ca8649928e38cee74d0fae1ab33703b 100644
--- a/app/models/event.rb
+++ b/app/models/event.rb
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ def body?
   end
 
   def reset_project_activity
-    return unless project
+    return unless project_id.present?
 
     # Don't bother updating if we know the project was updated recently.
     return if recent_update?
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ def reset_project_activity
       .where('last_activity_at <= ?', RESET_PROJECT_ACTIVITY_INTERVAL.ago)
       .touch_all(:last_activity_at, time: created_at)
 
-    Gitlab::InactiveProjectsDeletionWarningTracker.new(project.id).reset
+    Gitlab::InactiveProjectsDeletionWarningTracker.new(project_id).reset
   end
 
   def authored_by?(user)