diff --git a/lib/workers/branch/index.js b/lib/workers/branch/index.js
index 42ec44e3a0ba8defc859b81179a8edcaae67a289..e2d0b321a1c32e7347085aee57f56509af7d53ae 100644
--- a/lib/workers/branch/index.js
+++ b/lib/workers/branch/index.js
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ async function ensureBranch(config) {
     logger.info(`Automerging branch`);
     try {
       await api.mergeBranch(branchName, config.automergeType);
+      return false; // Branch no longer exists
     } catch (err) {
       logger.error({ err }, `Failed to automerge branch`);
       throw err;
diff --git a/test/workers/branch/index.spec.js b/test/workers/branch/index.spec.js
index 40e33c75d908d37ba2eb17a7d808f700f8305511..973c92ca9d59267f39ce737280a4bfaff39ce92f 100644
--- a/test/workers/branch/index.spec.js
+++ b/test/workers/branch/index.spec.js
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ describe('workers/branch', () => {
       config.api.mergeBranch = jest.fn();
       config.automergeEnabled = true;
       config.automergeType = 'branch-push';
-      expect(await branchWorker.ensureBranch(config)).toBe(true);
+      expect(await branchWorker.ensureBranch(config)).toBe(false);
       expect(branchWorker.getParentBranch.mock.calls.length).toBe(1);
       expect(config.api.getBranchStatus.mock.calls.length).toBe(1);
       expect(config.api.mergeBranch.mock).toMatchSnapshot();