diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/finalise/validate.js b/lib/workers/repository/finalise/validate.js
index 1d4848331ed095082b495acbb556e37a97e9a22e..2ae1720b86ddaea122380fc4a28ed3a9bd426cdc 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/finalise/validate.js
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/finalise/validate.js
@@ -36,7 +36,12 @@ async function validatePrs(config) {
         'PR has renovate files'
       );
       for (const file of renovateFiles) {
-        const content = await platform.getFile(file, pr.sha || pr.branchName);
+        let content;
+        try {
+          content = await platform.getFile(file, pr.sha || pr.branchName);
+        } catch (err) /* istanbul ignore next */ {
+          content = await platform.getFile(file, pr.branchName);
+        }
         let parsed;
         try {
           parsed = JSON.parse(content);
@@ -95,14 +100,19 @@ async function validatePrs(config) {
         logger.debug('Skipping branch status for forked PR');
       }
     } catch (err) {
-      logger.warn(
-        {
-          err,
-          prNo: pr.number,
-          branchName: pr.branchName,
-        },
-        'Error checking PR'
-      );
+      // istanbul ignore if
+      if (err.message === 'repository-changed') {
+        logger.info('Cannot access PR files to check them');
+      } else {
+        logger.warn(
+          {
+            err,
+            prNo: pr.number,
+            branchName: pr.branchName,
+          },
+          'Error checking PR'
+        );
+      }
     }
   }
 }