diff --git a/deb/local.go b/deb/local.go
index 4be460769..e0da96f1f 100644
--- a/deb/local.go
+++ b/deb/local.go
@@ -168,6 +168,8 @@ func (collection *LocalRepoCollection) Update(repo *LocalRepo) error {
 
 // LoadComplete loads additional information for local repo
 func (collection *LocalRepoCollection) LoadComplete(repo *LocalRepo) error {
+	repo.packageRefs = &PackageRefList{}
+
 	encoded, err := collection.db.Get(repo.RefKey())
 	if err == database.ErrNotFound {
 		return nil
@@ -176,7 +178,6 @@ func (collection *LocalRepoCollection) LoadComplete(repo *LocalRepo) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	repo.packageRefs = &PackageRefList{}
 	return repo.packageRefs.Decode(encoded)
 }
 
diff --git a/deb/local_test.go b/deb/local_test.go
index 07f818c3d..4a40f6bdd 100644
--- a/deb/local_test.go
+++ b/deb/local_test.go
@@ -133,6 +133,18 @@ func (s *LocalRepoCollectionSuite) TestByUUID(c *C) {
 	c.Assert(r.String(), Equals, repo.String())
 }
 
+func (s *LocalRepoCollectionSuite) TestLoadCompleteNoRefKey(c *C) {
+	repo := NewLocalRepo("local1", "Comment 1")
+	c.Assert(s.collection.Update(repo), IsNil)
+
+	r, err := s.collection.ByName("local1")
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+
+	c.Assert(s.collection.LoadComplete(r), IsNil)
+	c.Assert(r.packageRefs, NotNil)
+	c.Assert(r.NumPackages(), Equals, 0)
+}
+
 func (s *LocalRepoCollectionSuite) TestUpdateLoadComplete(c *C) {
 	repo := NewLocalRepo("local1", "Comment 1")
 	c.Assert(s.collection.Update(repo), IsNil)
diff --git a/deb/reflist.go b/deb/reflist.go
index e559cad4f..0a5c1831e 100644
--- a/deb/reflist.go
+++ b/deb/reflist.go
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ func (l *PackageRefList) Decode(input []byte) error {
 
 // ForEach calls handler for each package ref in list
 func (l *PackageRefList) ForEach(handler func([]byte) error) error {
+	if l == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
 	var err error
 	for _, p := range l.Refs {
 		err = handler(p)
diff --git a/deb/reflist_test.go b/deb/reflist_test.go
index 65a9794aa..3a7297ea7 100644
--- a/deb/reflist_test.go
+++ b/deb/reflist_test.go
@@ -130,6 +130,17 @@ func (s *PackageRefListSuite) TestPackageRefListForeach(c *C) {
 	c.Check(err, Equals, e)
 }
 
+func (s *PackageRefListSuite) TestForEachNilList(c *C) {
+	var l *PackageRefList
+	called := false
+	err := l.ForEach(func([]byte) error {
+		called = true
+		return nil
+	})
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	c.Assert(called, Equals, false)
+}
+
 func (s *PackageRefListSuite) TestHas(c *C) {
 	_ = s.list.Add(s.p1)
 	_ = s.list.Add(s.p3)