diff --git a/server/gitea/cache.go b/server/gitea/cache.go
index 388b785..c560a19 100644
--- a/server/gitea/cache.go
+++ b/server/gitea/cache.go
@@ -68,8 +68,9 @@ func (f FileResponse) createHttpResponse(cacheKey string) (header http.Header, s
 }
 
 type BranchTimestamp struct {
-	Branch    string    `json:"branch"`
-	Timestamp time.Time `json:"timestamp"`
+	NotFound  bool      `json:"notFound"`
+	Branch    string    `json:"branch,omitempty"`
+	Timestamp time.Time `json:"timestamp,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type writeCacheReader struct {
diff --git a/server/gitea/client.go b/server/gitea/client.go
index eeb0498..bf19d32 100644
--- a/server/gitea/client.go
+++ b/server/gitea/client.go
@@ -122,12 +122,17 @@ func (client *Client) ServeRawContent(targetOwner, targetRepo, ref, resource str
 		err := json.Unmarshal(cacheMetadata.([]byte), &cache)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Error().Err(err).Msgf("[cache] failed to unmarshal metadata for: %s", cacheKey)
-			return nil, nil, http.StatusInternalServerError, err
+			return nil, nil, http.StatusNotFound, err
 		}
+
+		if !cache.Exists {
+			return nil, nil, http.StatusNotFound, ErrorNotFound
+		}
+
 		body, ok := client.responseCache.Get(cacheKey + "|Body")
 		if !ok {
 			log.Error().Msgf("[cache] failed to get body for: %s", cacheKey)
-			return nil, nil, http.StatusInternalServerError, ErrorNotFound
+			return nil, nil, http.StatusNotFound, ErrorNotFound
 		}
 		cache.Body = body.([]byte)
 
@@ -228,21 +233,33 @@ func (client *Client) GiteaGetRepoBranchTimestamp(repoOwner, repoName, branchNam
 		var stamp BranchTimestamp
 		err := json.Unmarshal(stampRaw.([]byte), &stamp)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Error().Err(err).Msgf("[cache] failed to unmarshal metadata for: %s", cacheKey)
+			log.Error().Err(err).Bytes("stamp", stampRaw.([]byte)).Msgf("[cache] failed to unmarshal timestamp for: %s", cacheKey)
 			return &BranchTimestamp{}, ErrorNotFound
 		}
-		log.Trace().Msgf("[cache] use branch %q exist", branchName)
-		// This comes from the refactoring of the caching library.
-		// The branch as reported by the API was stored in the cache, and I'm not sure if there are
-		// situations where it differs from the name in the request, hence this is left here.
-		return &stamp, nil
+
+		if stamp.NotFound {
+			log.Trace().Msgf("[cache] branch %q does not exist", branchName)
+
+			return &BranchTimestamp{}, ErrorNotFound
+
+		} else {
+			log.Trace().Msgf("[cache] use branch %q exist", branchName)
+			// This comes from the refactoring of the caching library.
+			// The branch as reported by the API was stored in the cache, and I'm not sure if there are
+			// situations where it differs from the name in the request, hence this is left here.
+			return &stamp, nil
+		}
 	}
 
 	branch, resp, err := client.sdkClient.GetRepoBranch(repoOwner, repoName, branchName)
 	if err != nil {
 		if resp != nil && resp.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound {
 			log.Trace().Msgf("[cache] set cache branch %q not found", branchName)
-			if err := client.responseCache.Set(cacheKey, []byte{}, branchExistenceCacheTimeout); err != nil {
+			jsonToCache, err := json.Marshal(BranchTimestamp{NotFound: true})
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Error().Err(err).Msgf("[cache] marshaling empty timestamp has returned an error", cacheKey)
+			}
+			if err := client.responseCache.Set(cacheKey, jsonToCache, branchExistenceCacheTimeout); err != nil {
 				log.Error().Err(err).Msg("[cache] error on cache write")
 			}
 			return &BranchTimestamp{}, ErrorNotFound
@@ -261,7 +278,7 @@ func (client *Client) GiteaGetRepoBranchTimestamp(repoOwner, repoName, branchNam
 	log.Trace().Msgf("set cache branch [%s] exist", branchName)
 	jsonToCache, err := json.Marshal(stamp)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Error().Err(err).Msgf("[cache] marshaling json timestamp for %q has returned an error", cacheKey)
+		log.Error().Err(err).Msgf("[cache] marshaling timestamp for %q has returned an error", cacheKey)
 	}
 	if err := client.responseCache.Set(cacheKey, jsonToCache, branchExistenceCacheTimeout); err != nil {
 		log.Error().Err(err).Msg("[cache] error on cache write")
@@ -273,7 +290,7 @@ func (client *Client) GiteaGetRepoDefaultBranch(repoOwner, repoName string) (str
 	cacheKey := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", defaultBranchCacheKeyPrefix, repoOwner, repoName)
 
 	if branch, ok := client.responseCache.Get(cacheKey); ok {
-		return branch.(string), nil
+		return string(branch.([]byte)), nil
 	}
 
 	repo, resp, err := client.sdkClient.GetRepo(repoOwner, repoName)