diff --git a/scmrepo/git/backend/pygit2.py b/scmrepo/git/backend/pygit2.py
index 063d32ea..e07b11ce 100644
--- a/scmrepo/git/backend/pygit2.py
+++ b/scmrepo/git/backend/pygit2.py
@@ -369,8 +369,8 @@ def get_ref(self, name, follow: bool = True) -> Optional[str]:
 
     def remove_ref(self, name: str, old_ref: Optional[str] = None):
         ref = self.repo.references.get(name)
-        if not ref:
-            raise SCMError(f"Ref '{name}' does not exist")
+        if not ref and not old_ref:
+            return
         if old_ref and old_ref != str(ref.target):
             raise SCMError(f"Failed to remove '{name}'")
         ref.delete()
diff --git a/tests/test_git.py b/tests/test_git.py
index 0c0014bc..bf51bb03 100644
--- a/tests/test_git.py
+++ b/tests/test_git.py
@@ -295,6 +295,9 @@ def test_remove_ref(tmp_dir: TmpDir, scm: Git, git: Git):
     scm.add_commit("file", message="init")
     init_rev = scm.get_rev()
 
+    # remove nonexistent ref should silently pass when old_ref is None)
+    git.remove_ref("refs/foo/bar", old_ref=None)
+
     tmp_dir.gen(os.path.join(".git", "refs", "foo", "bar"), init_rev)
     tmp_dir.gen({"file": "1"})
     scm.add_commit("file", message="commit")