diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/handle-existing.ts b/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/handle-existing.ts
index aa99ace74af5c8a92c710962ef70885d6e5def7e..bc7a79deb7c00ec817a24ec868753cca5b7160b3 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/handle-existing.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/handle-existing.ts
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@ export async function handleClosedPr(
         await scm.deleteBranch(config.branchName);
       }
     }
-  } else if (pr.state === 'merged') {
-    logger.debug(`Merged PR with PrNo: ${pr.number} is blocking this branch`);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.spec.ts b/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.spec.ts
index 4a438e25442d8668a9313e6e252c1f470ff0c3eb..7ec2535e19f3f6c09bc35c6308f0eb2405018135 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.spec.ts
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ describe('workers/repository/update/branch/index', () => {
       expect(scm.deleteBranch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     });
 
-    it('skips branch if merged PR found', async () => {
+    it('allows branch even if merged PR found', async () => {
       const pr = partial<Pr>({
         number: 13,
         state: 'merged',
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ describe('workers/repository/update/branch/index', () => {
       await branchWorker.processBranch(config);
       expect(reuse.shouldReuseExistingBranch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
       expect(logger.debug).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-        `Merged PR with PrNo: ${pr.number} is blocking this branch`
+        `Matching PR #${pr.number} was merged previously`
       );
     });
 
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.ts b/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.ts
index 003da47bb0c4ba2de3262c8334a6c7f33165dcbc..b66fd7850efbe15a4d036be9b08a4e5e2249553c 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/update/branch/index.ts
@@ -155,8 +155,7 @@ export async function processBranch(
         config.automerge = false;
         config.automergedPreviously = true;
       }
-    }
-    if (!branchPr && existingPr && !dependencyDashboardCheck) {
+    } else if (!branchPr && existingPr && !dependencyDashboardCheck) {
       logger.debug(
         { prTitle: config.prTitle },
         'Closed PR already exists. Skipping branch.'