diff --git a/ee/app/models/ee/repository.rb b/ee/app/models/ee/repository.rb
index 35e069a5a5cb7625b9e66cbc4a9caf26b7991f95..bbfd304d50f818dd3d9343e9a8a5c965c6f6c7b4 100644
--- a/ee/app/models/ee/repository.rb
+++ b/ee/app/models/ee/repository.rb
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ 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 9e5bc7687b5ed6fe09cd9e4088bc6f7248c27d13..4c124ad269372c6399bf02260cfd879bfe56d1f0 100644
--- a/ee/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
+++ b/ee/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
@@ -372,12 +372,28 @@ 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:)