diff --git a/src/common/vfs.h b/src/common/vfs.h
index 060b5ec585fb2..80eb852d54504 100644
--- a/src/common/vfs.h
+++ b/src/common/vfs.h
@@ -187,7 +187,11 @@ class OCSYNC_EXPORT Vfs : public QObject
      * If the remote metadata changes, the local placeholder's metadata should possibly
      * change as well.
      */
-    Q_REQUIRED_RESULT virtual Result<void, QString> updateMetadata(const QString &filePath, time_t modtime, qint64 size, const QByteArray &fileId) = 0;
+    [[nodiscard]] virtual Result<void, QString> updateMetadata(const QString &filePath, time_t modtime, qint64 size, const QByteArray &fileId) = 0;
+
+    [[nodiscard]] virtual Result<Vfs::ConvertToPlaceholderResult, QString> updatePlaceholderMarkInSync(const QString &filePath, const QByteArray &fileId) = 0;
+
+    [[nodiscard]] virtual bool isPlaceHolderInSync(const QString &filePath) const = 0;
 
     /// Create a new dehydrated placeholder. Called from PropagateDownload.
     Q_REQUIRED_RESULT virtual Result<void, QString> createPlaceholder(const SyncFileItem &item) = 0;
@@ -325,6 +329,8 @@ class OCSYNC_EXPORT VfsOff : public Vfs
     [[nodiscard]] bool isHydrating() const override { return false; }
 
     Result<void, QString> updateMetadata(const QString &, time_t, qint64, const QByteArray &) override { return {}; }
+    Result<Vfs::ConvertToPlaceholderResult, QString> updatePlaceholderMarkInSync(const QString &filePath, const QByteArray &fileId) override {return {QString{}};}
+    bool isPlaceHolderInSync(const QString &filePath) const override { Q_UNUSED(filePath) return true; }
     Result<void, QString> createPlaceholder(const SyncFileItem &) override { return {}; }
     Result<void, QString> dehydratePlaceholder(const SyncFileItem &) override { return {}; }
     Result<ConvertToPlaceholderResult, QString> convertToPlaceholder(const QString &, const SyncFileItem &, const QString &, const UpdateMetadataTypes) override { return ConvertToPlaceholderResult::Ok; }
diff --git a/src/gui/folder.cpp b/src/gui/folder.cpp
index 7b42535f22d8f..9fe31e2d74e4e 100644
--- a/src/gui/folder.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/folder.cpp
@@ -620,11 +620,27 @@ void Folder::slotWatchedPathChanged(const QString &path, ChangeReason reason)
             && !FileSystem::fileChanged(path, record._fileSize, record._modtime) && _vfs) {
             spurious = true;
 
-            if (auto pinState = _vfs->pinState(relativePath.toString())) {
-                if (*pinState == PinState::AlwaysLocal && record.isVirtualFile())
+            const auto fileAvailability = _vfs->availability(relativePath.toString(), Vfs::AvailabilityRecursivity::NotRecursiveAvailability);
+
+            qCInfo(lcFolder) << path
+                             << "file size:" << record._fileSize << FileSystem::getSize(path)
+                             << "file modtime:" << record._modtime << FileSystem::getModTime(path)
+                             << "pin state:" << (*_vfs->pinState(relativePath.toString()))
+                             << "virtual file:" << (fileAvailability && *fileAvailability == VfsItemAvailability::OnlineOnly ? "is virtual file" : "is plain old file");
+
+            if (const auto pinState = _vfs->pinState(relativePath.toString())) {
+                if (*pinState == PinState::AlwaysLocal && fileAvailability && *fileAvailability == VfsItemAvailability::OnlineOnly) {
+                    spurious = false;
+                }
+                if (*pinState == PinState::OnlineOnly && (!fileAvailability || *fileAvailability != VfsItemAvailability::OnlineOnly)) {
                     spurious = false;
-                if (*pinState == PinState::OnlineOnly && record.isFile())
+                }
+                if (*pinState == PinState::OnlineOnly && fileAvailability && *fileAvailability == VfsItemAvailability::OnlineOnly) {
+                    qCInfo(lcFolder) << "Not a spurious notification for file" << relativePath;
+                    const auto result = _vfs->updateMetadata(path, FileSystem::getModTime(path), FileSystem::getSize(path), record._fileId);
+                    Q_UNUSED(result)
                     spurious = false;
+                }
             } else {
                 spurious = false;
             }
diff --git a/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.cpp b/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.cpp
index 165e558cf0fe7..8b6b2321e0542 100644
--- a/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.cpp
+++ b/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.cpp
@@ -198,6 +198,11 @@ Result<void, QString> VfsCfApi::updateMetadata(const QString &filePath, time_t m
     }
 }
 
+Result<Vfs::ConvertToPlaceholderResult, QString> VfsCfApi::updatePlaceholderMarkInSync(const QString &filePath, const QByteArray &fileId)
+{
+    return cfapi::updatePlaceholderMarkInSync(filePath, fileId, {});
+}
+
 Result<void, QString> VfsCfApi::createPlaceholder(const SyncFileItem &item)
 {
     Q_ASSERT(params().filesystemPath.endsWith('/'));
diff --git a/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.h b/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.h
index 38e04e00ef446..9312e7973b561 100644
--- a/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.h
+++ b/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.h
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ class VfsCfApi : public Vfs
 
     Result<void, QString> updateMetadata(const QString &filePath, time_t modtime, qint64 size, const QByteArray &fileId) override;
 
+    Result<Vfs::ConvertToPlaceholderResult, QString> updatePlaceholderMarkInSync(const QString &filePath, const QByteArray &fileId) override;
+
+    bool isPlaceHolderInSync(const QString &filePath) const override;
+
     Result<void, QString> createPlaceholder(const SyncFileItem &item) override;
     Result<void, QString> dehydratePlaceholder(const SyncFileItem &item) override;
     Result<Vfs::ConvertToPlaceholderResult, QString> convertToPlaceholder(const QString &filename, const SyncFileItem &item, const QString &replacesFile, UpdateMetadataTypes updateType) override;
diff --git a/src/libsync/vfs/suffix/vfs_suffix.h b/src/libsync/vfs/suffix/vfs_suffix.h
index 85e39b1b00d92..ed8919f2d889d 100644
--- a/src/libsync/vfs/suffix/vfs_suffix.h
+++ b/src/libsync/vfs/suffix/vfs_suffix.h
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ class VfsSuffix : public Vfs
     [[nodiscard]] bool isHydrating() const override;
 
     Result<void, QString> updateMetadata(const QString &filePath, time_t modtime, qint64 size, const QByteArray &fileId) override;
+    Result<Vfs::ConvertToPlaceholderResult, QString> updatePlaceholderMarkInSync(const QString &filePath, const QByteArray &fileId) override {return {QString{}};}
+    bool isPlaceHolderInSync(const QString &filePath) const override { Q_UNUSED(filePath) return true; }
 
     Result<void, QString> createPlaceholder(const SyncFileItem &item) override;
     Result<void, QString> dehydratePlaceholder(const SyncFileItem &item) override;