diff --git a/.crow/trial-build-registry.yaml b/.crow/trial-build-registry.yaml
index 602837f..3ec0417 100644
--- a/.crow/trial-build-registry.yaml
+++ b/.crow/trial-build-registry.yaml
@@ -121,8 +121,13 @@ steps:
       # with BINCRAFT_VERBOSE_PATCH_BUILD support; harmless on older versions).
       BINCRAFT_VERBOSE_PATCH_BUILD: 'TRUE'
     commands:
-      - git clone -q --branch ${patch_branch} https://pat-s:$$REPO_RO_TOKEN@git.devxy.io/devxy/build-cran-binaries.git .
+      # Clone main, then check out the auto-patch branch if it exists. When the
+      # proposer had no candidates it never (re)creates that branch, so a missing
+      # branch means "nothing to verify" -- no-op cleanly instead of failing the
+      # clone.
+      - git clone -q https://pat-s:$$REPO_RO_TOKEN@git.devxy.io/devxy/build-cran-binaries.git .
       - git fetch -q origin main
+      - 'if git fetch -q origin ${patch_branch}; then git checkout -q FETCH_HEAD; else echo "No ${patch_branch} branch; no pending auto-patch proposals to verify."; exit 0; fi'
       - mkdir -p /mnt/cache/R-pkgs
       - rm -rf /mnt/cache/R-pkgs/00LOCK-*
       - /opt/R/$R_VERSION/bin/Rscript local/install-bincraft.R