diff --git a/services/project-history/app/js/SyncManager.js b/services/project-history/app/js/SyncManager.js
index 9eefa258b9..98611f70ca 100644
--- a/services/project-history/app/js/SyncManager.js
+++ b/services/project-history/app/js/SyncManager.js
@@ -75,11 +75,16 @@ export function startHardResync(projectId, options, callback) {
         if (err) {
           return releaseLock(OError.tag(err))
         }
-        RedisManager.destroyDocUpdatesQueue(projectId, function (err) {
+        RedisManager.clearFirstOpTimestamp(projectId, function (err) {
           if (err) {
             return releaseLock(OError.tag(err))
           }
-          _startResyncWithoutLock(projectId, options, releaseLock)
+          RedisManager.destroyDocUpdatesQueue(projectId, function (err) {
+            if (err) {
+              return releaseLock(OError.tag(err))
+            }
+            _startResyncWithoutLock(projectId, options, releaseLock)
+          })
         })
       }),
     function (error) {
diff --git a/services/project-history/app/js/UpdatesProcessor.js b/services/project-history/app/js/UpdatesProcessor.js
index f797a5c5dc..503e0b1fd6 100644
--- a/services/project-history/app/js/UpdatesProcessor.js
+++ b/services/project-history/app/js/UpdatesProcessor.js
@@ -82,10 +82,8 @@ export function processUpdatesForProject(projectId, callback) {
         OError.tag(error)
       }
       ErrorRecorder.record(projectId, queueSize, error, callback)
-      if (error == null) {
-        // clear the flush marker in the background if the queue was fully cleared
-        RedisManager.clearFirstOpTimestamp(projectId)
-      }
+      // clear the timestamp in the background if the queue is now empty
+      RedisManager.clearDanglingFirstOpTimestamp(projectId, () => {})
     }
   )
 }