diff --git a/common/flatpak-installation.c b/common/flatpak-installation.c
index 2aee2fd6..7d75c413 100644
--- a/common/flatpak-installation.c
+++ b/common/flatpak-installation.c
@@ -3122,14 +3122,25 @@ flatpak_installation_list_unused_refs_with_options (FlatpakInstallation *self,
     {
       g_autoptr(GError) local_error = NULL;
       FlatpakInstalledRef *ref = NULL;
-      g_autoptr(FlatpakDecomposed) decomposed = flatpak_decomposed_new_from_ref (*iter, &local_error);
-      if (decomposed)
-        ref = get_ref (dir, decomposed, cancellable, &local_error);
+      g_autoptr(FlatpakDecomposed) decomposed = NULL;
 
-      if (ref != NULL)
-        g_ptr_array_add (refs, ref);
-      else
-        g_warning ("Unexpected failure getting ref for %s: %s", flatpak_decomposed_get_ref (decomposed), local_error->message);
+      decomposed = flatpak_decomposed_new_from_ref (*iter, &local_error);
+      if (decomposed == NULL)
+        {
+          g_warning ("Unexpected failure parsing ref %s: %s", *iter, local_error->message);
+          continue;
+        }
+
+      ref = get_ref (dir, decomposed, cancellable, &local_error);
+      if (ref == NULL)
+        {
+          g_warning ("Unexpected failure getting ref for %s: %s",
+                     flatpak_decomposed_get_ref (decomposed),
+                     local_error->message);
+          continue;
+        }
+
+      g_ptr_array_add (refs, ref);
     }
 
   return g_steal_pointer (&refs);