diff --git a/src/libsync/discovery.cpp b/src/libsync/discovery.cpp
index c00961b26f372..931f91aede965 100644
--- a/src/libsync/discovery.cpp
+++ b/src/libsync/discovery.cpp
@@ -496,6 +496,7 @@ void ProcessDirectoryJob::processFile(PathTuple path,
 
     if (dbEntry._modtime == localEntry.modtime && dbEntry._type == ItemTypeVirtualFile && localEntry.type == ItemTypeFile) {
         item->_type = ItemTypeFile;
+        qCInfo(lcDisco) << "Changing item type from virtual to normal file" << item->_file;
     }
 
     // The item shall only have this type if the db request for the virtual download
@@ -505,8 +506,10 @@ void ProcessDirectoryJob::processFile(PathTuple path,
         item->_type = ItemTypeVirtualFile;
     // Similarly db entries with a dehydration request denote a regular file
     // until the request is processed.
-    if (item->_type == ItemTypeVirtualFileDehydration)
+    if (item->_type == ItemTypeVirtualFileDehydration) {
         item->_type = ItemTypeFile;
+        qCInfo(lcDisco) << "Changing item type from virtual to normal file" << item->_file;
+    }
 
     // VFS suffixed files on the server are ignored
     if (isVfsWithSuffix()) {
@@ -1437,8 +1440,10 @@ void ProcessDirectoryJob::processFileAnalyzeLocalInfo(
         // but it complicates handling a lot and will happen rarely.
         if (item->_type == ItemTypeVirtualFileDownload)
             item->_type = ItemTypeVirtualFile;
-        if (item->_type == ItemTypeVirtualFileDehydration)
+        if (item->_type == ItemTypeVirtualFileDehydration) {
             item->_type = ItemTypeFile;
+            qCInfo(lcDisco) << "Changing item type from virtual to normal file" << item->_file;
+        }
 
         qCInfo(lcDisco) << "Rename detected (up) " << item->_file << " -> " << item->_renameTarget;
     };
diff --git a/src/libsync/syncfileitem.cpp b/src/libsync/syncfileitem.cpp
index 42d8843e99c55..29be0b35f26ff 100644
--- a/src/libsync/syncfileitem.cpp
+++ b/src/libsync/syncfileitem.cpp
@@ -81,8 +81,10 @@ SyncJournalFileRecord SyncFileItem::toSyncJournalFileRecordWithInode(const QStri
 
     // Some types should never be written to the database when propagation completes
     rec._type = _type;
-    if (rec._type == ItemTypeVirtualFileDownload)
+    if (rec._type == ItemTypeVirtualFileDownload) {
         rec._type = ItemTypeFile;
+        qCInfo(lcFileItem) << "Changing item type from ItemTypeVirtualFileDownload to normal file to avoid wrong record type in database" << rec._path;
+    }
     if (rec._type == ItemTypeVirtualFileDehydration)
         rec._type = ItemTypeVirtualFile;
 
diff --git a/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.cpp b/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.cpp
index d622913fd6d1a..595cc52159185 100644
--- a/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.cpp
+++ b/src/libsync/vfs/cfapi/vfs_cfapi.cpp
@@ -396,8 +396,19 @@ void VfsCfApi::requestHydration(const QString &requestId, const QString &path)
         return;
     }
 
+    bool isNotVirtualFileFailure = false;
     if (!record.isVirtualFile()) {
-        qCInfo(lcCfApi) << "Couldn't hydrate, the file is not virtual";
+        if (isDehydratedPlaceholder(path)) {
+            qCWarning(lcCfApi) << "Hydration requested for a placeholder file not marked as virtual in local DB. Attempting to fix it...";
+            record._type = ItemTypeVirtualFileDownload;
+            isNotVirtualFileFailure = !journal->setFileRecord(record);
+        } else {
+            isNotVirtualFileFailure = true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (isNotVirtualFileFailure) {
+        qCWarning(lcCfApi) << "Couldn't hydrate, the file is not virtual";
         emit hydrationRequestFailed(requestId);
         return;
     }