diff --git a/git-remote-rclone b/git-remote-rclone
index 0b30902..5226be9 100755
--- a/git-remote-rclone
+++ b/git-remote-rclone
@@ -130,10 +130,22 @@ class RCloneRemote(object):
         synced = self.workdir / 'synced'
         repo_hash = self.get_remote_state()
 
-        if synced.exists() and not repo_hash:
-            # we had it sync'ed before, but now it is gone from the remote
-            # remove sync stamp, but leave any local mirror untouched as it's the only copy
-            synced.unlink()
+        if not repo_hash:
+            remote_refs = self.get_remote_refs()
+            if not remote_refs:
+                # The remote is empty. Any local mirror and mark files are cache
+                # from an earlier state and must not constrain a new push.
+                self.log('Remote repository is empty; resetting local mirror cache')
+                rmtree(str(self.workdir), ignore_errors=True)
+                self.workdir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+                self.marks_git.touch()
+                self.marks_rclone.touch()
+                return
+
+            if synced.exists():
+                # The archive disappeared but refs remain. Keep the local mirror
+                # as the only possible copy, but invalidate the sync stamp.
+                synced.unlink()
             return
 
         if synced.exists():
diff --git a/tests/test.sh b/tests/test.sh
index d8db292..5b33c00 100755
--- a/tests/test.sh
+++ b/tests/test.sh
@@ -170,6 +170,31 @@ test_conflict()
 	reset_repo "${SECOND_REPO}"
 }
 
+test_recreate_empty_remote()
+{
+	set -xe
+	local remote_url="${1?missing remote_url}"
+
+	setup_remote_repo
+	setup_repo "${remote_url}"
+	append_data "${FIRST_REPO}" "${TEST_FILE1}" "first history"
+	create_commit "${FIRST_REPO}"
+	push_repo "${FIRST_REPO}"
+
+	# Remove the remote contents while retaining the helper's local cache.
+	rm -rf "${REMOTE_REPO}"
+	mkdir -p "${REMOTE_REPO}"
+
+	# Replace the local branch with unrelated history and push to the now-empty
+	# remote. A stale mirror cache must not cause fast-import to reject it.
+	git -C "${FIRST_REPO}" checkout --orphan replacement
+	git -C "${FIRST_REPO}" rm -rf .
+	append_data "${FIRST_REPO}" "${TEST_FILE1}" "replacement history"
+	create_commit "${FIRST_REPO}"
+	git -C "${FIRST_REPO}" branch -M master
+	push_repo "${FIRST_REPO}"
+}
+
 print_test_started()
 {
 	local test="${1?missing test}"
@@ -215,6 +240,9 @@ tests()
 	run_test test_3way_merge "${remote_type}"
 	run_test test_conflict "${remote_type}"
 	run_test test_pull_repo "${remote_type}"
+	if [ "${remote_type}" = "plain" ]; then
+		run_test test_recreate_empty_remote "${remote_type}" "${remote_url}"
+	fi
 }
 
 main()