diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/server/notedb/ChangeRebuilderIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/server/notedb/ChangeRebuilderIT.java
index dc6a933a54..ed9cd90886 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/server/notedb/ChangeRebuilderIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/server/notedb/ChangeRebuilderIT.java
@@ -1275,6 +1275,28 @@ public class ChangeRebuilderIT extends AbstractDaemonTest {
     assertThat(newPs3.getCreatedOn()).isGreaterThan(ps1.getCreatedOn());
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void ignoreNoteDbStateWithNoCorrespondingRefWhenWritesAndReadsDisabled() throws Exception {
+    PushOneCommit.Result r = createChange();
+    Change.Id id = r.getChange().getId();
+    ReviewDb db = getUnwrappedDb();
+    Change c = db.changes().get(id);
+    c.setNoteDbState("deadbeefdeadbeefdeadbeefdeadbeefdeadbeef");
+    db.changes().update(Collections.singleton(c));
+    c = db.changes().get(id);
+
+    String refName = RefNames.changeMetaRef(id);
+    assertThat(getMetaRef(project, refName)).isNull();
+
+    ChangeNotes notes = notesFactory.create(dbProvider.get(), project, id);
+    assertThat(notes.getChange().getRowVersion()).isEqualTo(c.getRowVersion());
+
+    notes = notesFactory.createChecked(dbProvider.get(), project, id);
+    assertThat(notes.getChange().getRowVersion()).isEqualTo(c.getRowVersion());
+
+    assertThat(getMetaRef(project, refName)).isNull();
+  }
+
   private void assertChangesReadOnly(RestApiException e) throws Exception {
     Throwable cause = e.getCause();
     assertThat(cause).isInstanceOf(UpdateException.class);
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/AbstractChangeNotes.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/AbstractChangeNotes.java
index 4cb570a422..7b19b39427 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/AbstractChangeNotes.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/AbstractChangeNotes.java
@@ -144,7 +144,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractChangeNotes<T> {
       throw new OrmException("NoteDb is required to read change " + changeId);
     }
     boolean readOrWrite = read || args.migration.writeChanges();
-    if (!readOrWrite && !autoRebuild) {
+    if (!readOrWrite) {
+      // Don't even open the repo if we neither write to nor read from NoteDb. It's possible that
+      // there is some garbage in the noteDbState field and/or the repo, but at this point NoteDb is
+      // completely off so it's none of our business.
       loadDefaults();
       return self();
     }
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/ChangeNotes.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/ChangeNotes.java
index d821a78661..9582fb372f 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/ChangeNotes.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/ChangeNotes.java
@@ -604,6 +604,9 @@ public class ChangeNotes extends AbstractChangeNotes<ChangeNotes> {
         if (state == null) {
           return super.openHandle(repo, id);
         } else if (shouldExist) {
+          // TODO(dborowitz): This means we have a state recorded in noteDbState but the ref doesn't
+          // exist for whatever reason. Doesn't this mean we should trigger an auto-rebuild, rather
+          // than throwing?
           throw new NoSuchChangeException(getChangeId());
         }
       }