diff --git a/controllers/imagerepository_controller_test.go b/controllers/imagerepository_controller_test.go
index ee5c909..f2b5e51 100644
--- a/controllers/imagerepository_controller_test.go
+++ b/controllers/imagerepository_controller_test.go
@@ -477,6 +477,9 @@ var _ = Describe("Image repository controller", func() {
 		})
 
 		assertProvisionRepository := func(updateComponentAnnotation, grantRepoPermission bool) {
+			quay.RepositoryExistsFunc = func(organization, imageRepository string) (bool, error) {
+				return true, nil
+			}
 			isCreateRepositoryInvoked := false
 			quay.CreateRepositoryFunc = func(repository quay.RepositoryRequest) (*quay.Repository, error) {
 				defer GinkgoRecover()
@@ -754,6 +757,9 @@ var _ = Describe("Image repository controller", func() {
 			// Wait just for case it takes less than a second to regenerate credentials
 			time.Sleep(time.Second)
 
+			quay.RepositoryExistsFunc = func(organization, imageRepository string) (bool, error) {
+				return true, nil
+			}
 			isRegenerateRobotAccountTokenForPushInvoked := false
 			isRegenerateRobotAccountTokenForPullInvoked := false
 			quay.RegenerateRobotAccountTokenFunc = func(organization, robotName string) (*quay.RobotAccount, error) {
diff --git a/controllers/imagerepository_notifications.go b/controllers/imagerepository_notifications.go
index a048b13..969243a 100644
--- a/controllers/imagerepository_notifications.go
+++ b/controllers/imagerepository_notifications.go
@@ -68,6 +68,12 @@ func (r *ImageRepositoryReconciler) HandleNotifications(ctx context.Context, ima
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	repositoryExists, _ := r.QuayClient.RepositoryExists(r.QuayOrganization, imageRepository.Spec.Image.Name)
+	if !repositoryExists {
+		log.Info("repository does not exist, skipping handling notifications", "organization", r.QuayOrganization, "repository", imageRepository.Spec.Image.Name)
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	log.Info("Starting to handle notifications")
 	for _, notification := range imageRepository.Spec.Notifications {
 		existsInStatus := false
diff --git a/pkg/quay/quay.go b/pkg/quay/quay.go
index 0fc81c4..0e61c2a 100644
--- a/pkg/quay/quay.go
+++ b/pkg/quay/quay.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import (
 type QuayService interface {
 	CreateRepository(repositoryRequest RepositoryRequest) (*Repository, error)
 	DeleteRepository(organization, imageRepository string) (bool, error)
+	RepositoryExists(organization, imageRepository string) (bool, error)
 	ChangeRepositoryVisibility(organization, imageRepository, visibility string) error
 	GetRobotAccount(organization string, robotName string) (*RobotAccount, error)
 	CreateRobotAccount(organization string, robotName string) (*RobotAccount, error)
@@ -148,8 +149,8 @@ func (c *QuayClient) CreateRepository(repositoryRequest RepositoryRequest) (*Rep
 	return data, nil
 }
 
-// DoesRepositoryExist checks if the specified image repository exists in quay.
-func (c *QuayClient) DoesRepositoryExist(organization, imageRepository string) (bool, error) {
+// RepositoryExists checks if the specified image repository exists in quay.
+func (c *QuayClient) RepositoryExists(organization, imageRepository string) (bool, error) {
 	url := fmt.Sprintf("%s/repository/%s/%s", c.url, organization, imageRepository)
 
 	resp, err := c.doRequest(url, http.MethodGet, nil)
diff --git a/pkg/quay/quay_debug_test.go b/pkg/quay/quay_debug_test.go
index 9e79c90..df76c19 100644
--- a/pkg/quay/quay_debug_test.go
+++ b/pkg/quay/quay_debug_test.go
@@ -63,12 +63,12 @@ func TestCreateRepository(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestDoesRepositoryExist(t *testing.T) {
+func TestRepositoryExists(t *testing.T) {
 	if quayToken == "" {
 		return
 	}
 	quayClient := NewQuayClient(&http.Client{Transport: &http.Transport{}}, quayToken, quayApiUrl)
-	exists, err := quayClient.DoesRepositoryExist(quayOrgName, quayImageRepoName)
+	exists, err := quayClient.RepositoryExists(quayOrgName, quayImageRepoName)
 	if exists == true && err == nil {
 		t.Log("Repository exists")
 	} else if exists == false && strings.Contains(err.Error(), "does not exist") {
diff --git a/pkg/quay/quay_test.go b/pkg/quay/quay_test.go
index af38041..0e40760 100644
--- a/pkg/quay/quay_test.go
+++ b/pkg/quay/quay_test.go
@@ -1228,7 +1228,7 @@ func TestQuayClient_DeleteTag(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestQuayClient_DoesRepositoryExist(t *testing.T) {
+func TestQuayClient_RepositoryExists(t *testing.T) {
 	client := &http.Client{Transport: &http.Transport{}}
 	gock.InterceptClient(client)
 
@@ -1302,7 +1302,7 @@ func TestQuayClient_DoesRepositoryExist(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			quayClient := NewQuayClient(client, "authtoken", testQuayApiUrl)
-			exists, err := quayClient.DoesRepositoryExist(org, repo)
+			exists, err := quayClient.RepositoryExists(org, repo)
 			assert.Equal(t, tc.shouldExist, exists)
 			if tc.expectedErr == "" {
 				assert.NilError(t, err)
diff --git a/pkg/quay/test_quay_client.go b/pkg/quay/test_quay_client.go
index 7945d1a..779c411 100644
--- a/pkg/quay/test_quay_client.go
+++ b/pkg/quay/test_quay_client.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ var _ QuayService = (*TestQuayClient)(nil)
 var (
 	CreateRepositoryFunc                      func(repository RepositoryRequest) (*Repository, error)
 	DeleteRepositoryFunc                      func(organization, imageRepository string) (bool, error)
+	RepositoryExistsFunc                      func(organization, imageRepository string) (bool, error)
 	ChangeRepositoryVisibilityFunc            func(organization, imageRepository string, visibility string) error
 	GetRobotAccountFunc                       func(organization string, robotName string) (*RobotAccount, error)
 	CreateRobotAccountFunc                    func(organization string, robotName string) (*RobotAccount, error)
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ var (
 func ResetTestQuayClient() {
 	CreateRepositoryFunc = func(repository RepositoryRequest) (*Repository, error) { return &Repository{}, nil }
 	DeleteRepositoryFunc = func(organization, imageRepository string) (bool, error) { return true, nil }
+	RepositoryExistsFunc = func(organization, imageRepository string) (bool, error) { return true, nil }
 	ChangeRepositoryVisibilityFunc = func(organization, imageRepository string, visibility string) error { return nil }
 	GetRobotAccountFunc = func(organization, robotName string) (*RobotAccount, error) { return &RobotAccount{}, nil }
 	CreateRobotAccountFunc = func(organization, robotName string) (*RobotAccount, error) { return &RobotAccount{}, nil }
@@ -92,6 +94,11 @@ func ResetTestQuayClientToFails() {
 		Fail("DeleteRepository invoked")
 		return true, nil
 	}
+	RepositoryExistsFunc = func(organization, imageRepository string) (bool, error) {
+		defer GinkgoRecover()
+		Fail("RepositoryExists invoked")
+		return true, nil
+	}
 	ChangeRepositoryVisibilityFunc = func(organization, imageRepository string, visibility string) error {
 		defer GinkgoRecover()
 		Fail("ChangeRepositoryVisibility invoked")
@@ -190,6 +197,9 @@ func (c TestQuayClient) CreateRepository(repositoryRequest RepositoryRequest) (*
 func (c TestQuayClient) DeleteRepository(organization, imageRepository string) (bool, error) {
 	return DeleteRepositoryFunc(organization, imageRepository)
 }
+func (c TestQuayClient) RepositoryExists(organization, imageRepository string) (bool, error) {
+	return RepositoryExistsFunc(organization, imageRepository)
+}
 func (TestQuayClient) ChangeRepositoryVisibility(organization, imageRepository string, visibility string) error {
 	return ChangeRepositoryVisibilityFunc(organization, imageRepository, visibility)
 }