diff --git a/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/index.spec.ts b/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/index.spec.ts
index 9909f810f159b4bb962fbd0519773060c32ba66e..db50a395d846de6679ec10ae9073aaf42f6ef1c8 100644
--- a/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/index.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/index.spec.ts
@@ -120,13 +120,37 @@ describe('manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/index', () => {
       const packageLock = JSON.parse(res.files['package-lock.json']);
       expect(packageLock.dependencies.express.version).toBe('4.1.0');
     });
-    it('returns if already remediated', async () => {
+    it('returns already-updated if already remediated exactly', async () => {
       config.depName = 'mime';
       config.currentVersion = '1.2.10';
       config.newVersion = '1.2.11';
       const res = await updateLockedDependency(config);
       expect(res.status).toBe('already-updated');
     });
+    it('returns already-updated if already remediated higher', async () => {
+      config.depName = 'mime';
+      config.currentVersion = '1.2.9';
+      config.newVersion = '1.2.10';
+      config.allowHigherOrRemoved = true;
+      const res = await updateLockedDependency(config);
+      expect(res.status).toBe('already-updated');
+    });
+    it('returns already-updated if not found', async () => {
+      config.depName = 'notfound';
+      config.currentVersion = '1.2.9';
+      config.newVersion = '1.2.10';
+      config.allowHigherOrRemoved = true;
+      const res = await updateLockedDependency(config);
+      expect(res.status).toBe('already-updated');
+    });
+    it('returns update-failed if other, lower version found', async () => {
+      config.depName = 'mime';
+      config.currentVersion = '1.2.5';
+      config.newVersion = '1.2.15';
+      config.allowHigherOrRemoved = true;
+      const res = await updateLockedDependency(config);
+      expect(res.status).toBe('update-failed');
+    });
     it('remediates mime', async () => {
       config.depName = 'mime';
       config.currentVersion = '1.2.11';
diff --git a/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/package-lock/get-locked.spec.ts b/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/package-lock/get-locked.spec.ts
index 619975e72429dec22bdef1caf12776293d970c5b..3c3e3c303665ca36c8c1641485768d8e093246ae 100644
--- a/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/package-lock/get-locked.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/package-lock/get-locked.spec.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ describe('manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/package-lock/get-locked', () => {
         },
       ]);
     });
+    it('finds any version', () => {
+      expect(getLockedDependencies(packageLockJson, 'send', null)).toHaveLength(
+        2
+      );
+    });
     it('finds bundled dependency', () => {
       expect(
         getLockedDependencies(bundledPackageLockJson, 'ansi-regex', '3.0.0')
diff --git a/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/package-lock/get-locked.ts b/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/package-lock/get-locked.ts
index d726174ad7e752db3e054fe19bd93051e2c5ccf7..82acfdea1a36da458f142d0a7b3e3d29e4d3fe93 100644
--- a/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/package-lock/get-locked.ts
+++ b/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/package-lock/get-locked.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import type { PackageLockDependency, PackageLockOrEntry } from './types';
 export function getLockedDependencies(
   entry: PackageLockOrEntry,
   depName: string,
-  currentVersion: string,
+  currentVersion: string | null,
   bundled = false
 ): PackageLockDependency[] {
   let res: PackageLockDependency[] = [];
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ export function getLockedDependencies(
       return [];
     }
     const dep = dependencies[depName];
-    if (dep?.version === currentVersion) {
+    if (dep && (currentVersion === null || dep?.version === currentVersion)) {
       if (bundled || entry.bundled) {
         dep.bundled = true;
       }
diff --git a/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/package-lock/index.ts b/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/package-lock/index.ts
index d910f84b00141d9c6b29e7d6dc15104d1de5f5dd..d54dae102306f6845d1174776bf4021c924238b7 100644
--- a/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/package-lock/index.ts
+++ b/lib/manager/npm/update/locked-dependency/package-lock/index.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export async function updateLockedDependency(
     lockFile,
     lockFileContent,
     allowParentUpdates = true,
+    allowHigherOrRemoved = false,
   } = config;
   logger.debug(
     `npm.updateLockedDependency: ${depName}@${currentVersion} -> ${newVersion} [${lockFile}]`
@@ -66,10 +67,42 @@ export async function updateLockedDependency(
         );
         status = 'already-updated';
       } else {
-        logger.debug(
-          `${depName}@${currentVersion} not found in ${lockFile} - cannot update`
-        );
-        status = 'update-failed';
+        if (allowHigherOrRemoved) {
+          // it's acceptable if the package is no longer present
+          const anyVersionLocked = getLockedDependencies(
+            packageLockJson,
+            depName,
+            null
+          );
+          if (anyVersionLocked.length) {
+            if (
+              anyVersionLocked.every((dep) =>
+                semver.isGreaterThan(dep.version, newVersion)
+              )
+            ) {
+              logger.debug(
+                `${depName} found in ${lockFile} with higher version - looks like it's already updated`
+              );
+              status = 'already-updated';
+            } else {
+              logger.debug(
+                { anyVersionLocked },
+                `Found alternative versions of qs`
+              );
+              status = 'update-failed';
+            }
+          } else {
+            logger.debug(
+              `${depName} not found in ${lockFile} - looks like it's already removed`
+            );
+            status = 'already-updated';
+          }
+        } else {
+          logger.debug(
+            `${depName}@${currentVersion} not found in ${lockFile} - cannot update`
+          );
+          status = 'update-failed';
+        }
       }
       // Don't return {} if we're a parent update or else the whole update will fail
       // istanbul ignore if: too hard to replicate
diff --git a/lib/manager/types.ts b/lib/manager/types.ts
index 05857baa5ef0387971a2e33620c0acc5ba0edad6..29bf3e04ceccb7ff4130ae016f098a9568f9491e 100644
--- a/lib/manager/types.ts
+++ b/lib/manager/types.ts
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ export interface UpdateLockedConfig {
   currentVersion?: string;
   newVersion?: string;
   allowParentUpdates?: boolean;
+  allowHigherOrRemoved?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface UpdateLockedResult {
diff --git a/lib/workers/branch/get-updated.ts b/lib/workers/branch/get-updated.ts
index 2a596f47588de9b3c0a8f9745034398ea746e0ac..2eebdd09b0d49d34024ef6e4b44b07110a2e8417 100644
--- a/lib/workers/branch/get-updated.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/branch/get-updated.ts
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ export async function getUpdatedPackageFiles(
         packageFileContent,
         lockFileContent,
         allowParentUpdates: true,
+        allowHigherOrRemoved: true,
       });
       if (reuseExistingBranch && status !== 'already-updated') {
         logger.debug(