diff --git a/libs/ardour/session_state.cc b/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
index 6eb06d8c35..4b0a0d9e92 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
@@ -3674,7 +3674,7 @@ Session::set_dirty ()
 	}
 
 	/* never mark session dirty during loading */
-	if (_state_of_the_state & Loading) {
+	if (_state_of_the_state & (Loading | Deletion)) {
 		return;
 	}