diff --git a/nexus/src/app/update.rs b/nexus/src/app/update.rs
index 1550fee767..479f36ba71 100644
--- a/nexus/src/app/update.rs
+++ b/nexus/src/app/update.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ use nexus_types::deployment::{
 };
 use nexus_types::external_api::shared::TufSignedRootRole;
 use nexus_types::external_api::views;
-use nexus_types::external_api::views::TufRepoUploadStatus;
 use nexus_types::identity::Asset;
 use nexus_types::internal_api::views as internal_views;
 use nexus_types::inventory::BaseboardId;
@@ -95,29 +94,30 @@ impl super::Nexus {
             .await
             .map_err(HttpError::from)?;
 
-        // If we inserted a new repository, move the `ArtifactsWithPlan` (which
-        // carries with it the `Utf8TempDir`s storing the artifacts) into the
-        // artifact replication background task, then immediately activate the
-        // task.
-        if response.status == TufRepoUploadStatus::Inserted {
-            self.tuf_artifact_replication_tx
-                .send(artifacts_with_plan)
-                .await
-                .map_err(|err| {
-                    // In theory this should never happen; `Sender::send`
-                    // returns an error only if the receiver has hung up, and
-                    // the receiver should live for as long as Nexus does (it
-                    // belongs to the background task driver).
-                    //
-                    // If this _does_ happen, the impact is that the database
-                    // has recorded a repository for which we no longer have
-                    // the artifacts.
-                    Error::internal_error(&format!(
-                        "failed to send artifacts for replication: {err}"
-                    ))
-                })?;
-            self.background_tasks.task_tuf_artifact_replication.activate();
-        }
+        // Move the `ArtifactsWithPlan` (which carries with it the
+        // `Utf8TempDir`s storing the artifacts) into the artifact replication
+        // background task, then immediately activate the task. (If this repo
+        // was already uploaded, the artifacts should immediately be dropped by
+        // the task.)
+        self.tuf_artifact_replication_tx
+            .send(artifacts_with_plan)
+            .await
+            .map_err(|err| {
+                // This error can only happen while Nexus's Tokio runtime is
+                // shutting down; Sender::send returns an error only if the
+                // receiver has hung up, and the receiver should live for
+                // as long as Nexus does (it belongs to the background task
+                // driver.)
+                //
+                // In the unlikely event that it does happen within this narrow
+                // window, the impact is that the database has recorded a
+                // repository for which we no longer have the artifacts. The fix
+                // would be to reupload the repository.
+                Error::internal_error(&format!(
+                    "failed to send artifacts for replication: {err}"
+                ))
+            })?;
+        self.background_tasks.task_tuf_artifact_replication.activate();
 
         Ok(response)
     }