diff --git a/lib/workers/branch/status-checks.js b/lib/workers/branch/status-checks.js
index 0488a3aa59261de6082aeb50247c860e6a6baec4..97425c43b36a8b046ec74912c2ddb9695a999ca8 100644
--- a/lib/workers/branch/status-checks.js
+++ b/lib/workers/branch/status-checks.js
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ module.exports = {
 };
 
 async function setUnpublishable(config) {
+  if (!config.unpublishSafe) {
+    return;
+  }
   let unpublishable;
   for (const upgrade of config.upgrades) {
     if (typeof upgrade.unpublishable !== 'undefined') {
@@ -21,15 +24,9 @@ async function setUnpublishable(config) {
     config.branchName,
     context
   );
-  // If status check was enabled and then is disabled, any "pending" status check needs to be set to "success"
-  const removeStatusCheck =
-    existingState === 'pending' && !config.unpublishSafe;
-  if (
-    (config.unpublishSafe || removeStatusCheck) &&
-    typeof unpublishable !== 'undefined'
-  ) {
+  if (config.unpublishSafe && typeof unpublishable !== 'undefined') {
     // Set unpublishable status check
-    const state = unpublishable || removeStatusCheck ? 'success' : 'pending';
+    const state = unpublishable ? 'success' : 'pending';
     const description = unpublishable
       ? 'Packages are at least 24 hours old'
       : 'Packages < 24 hours old can be unpublished';
diff --git a/test/workers/branch/status-checks.spec.js b/test/workers/branch/status-checks.spec.js
index d24facf7b5748c5c4e027ff89ed312c59f3e5c22..2cc53eda086119829d6922cc5799917e9e1e2543 100644
--- a/test/workers/branch/status-checks.spec.js
+++ b/test/workers/branch/status-checks.spec.js
@@ -15,20 +15,12 @@ describe('workers/branch/status-checks', () => {
     afterEach(() => {
       jest.resetAllMocks();
     });
-    it('defaults to unpublishable', async () => {
-      await setUnpublishable(config);
-      expect(platform.getBranchStatusCheck.mock.calls.length).toBe(1);
-      expect(platform.setBranchStatus.mock.calls.length).toBe(0);
-    });
-    it('finds unpublishable true', async () => {
-      config.upgrades = [{ unpublishable: true }];
+    it('returns if not configured', async () => {
       await setUnpublishable(config);
-      expect(platform.getBranchStatusCheck.mock.calls.length).toBe(1);
-      expect(platform.setBranchStatus.mock.calls.length).toBe(0);
+      expect(platform.getBranchStatusCheck.mock.calls.length).toBe(0);
     });
-    it('removes status check', async () => {
-      config.upgrades = [{ unpublishable: true }];
-      platform.getBranchStatusCheck.mockReturnValueOnce('pending');
+    it('defaults to unpublishable', async () => {
+      config.unpublishSafe = true;
       await setUnpublishable(config);
       expect(platform.getBranchStatusCheck.mock.calls.length).toBe(1);
       expect(platform.setBranchStatus.mock.calls.length).toBe(1);