diff --git a/lib/model/indexhandler.go b/lib/model/indexhandler.go
index 9792b81c9..407821bb5 100644
--- a/lib/model/indexhandler.go
+++ b/lib/model/indexhandler.go
@@ -25,9 +25,24 @@ type indexHandler struct {
 	downloads                *deviceDownloadState
 	folder                   string
 	folderIsReceiveEncrypted bool
-	prevSequence             int64
 	evLogger                 events.Logger
 
+	// We track the latest / highest sequence number in two ways for two
+	// different reasons. Initially they are the same -- the highest seen
+	// sequence number reported by the other side (or zero).
+	//
+	// One is the highest number we've seen when iterating the database,
+	// which we track for database iteration purposes. When we loop, we
+	// start looking at that number plus one in the next loop. Our index
+	// numbering may have holes which this will skip over.
+	//
+	// The other is the highest sequence we previously sent to the other
+	// side, used by them for correctness checks. This one must not skip
+	// holes. That is, if we iterate and find a hole, this is not
+	// incremented because nothing was sent to the other side.
+	localPrevSequence int64 // the highest sequence number we've seen in our FileInfos
+	sentPrevSequence  int64 // the highest sequence number we've sent to the peer
+
 	cond   *sync.Cond
 	paused bool
 	fset   *db.FileSet
@@ -100,7 +115,8 @@ func newIndexHandler(conn protocol.Connection, downloads *deviceDownloadState, f
 		downloads:                downloads,
 		folder:                   folder.ID,
 		folderIsReceiveEncrypted: folder.Type == config.FolderTypeReceiveEncrypted,
-		prevSequence:             startSequence,
+		localPrevSequence:        startSequence,
+		sentPrevSequence:         startSequence,
 		evLogger:                 evLogger,
 
 		fset:   fset,
@@ -127,7 +143,7 @@ func (s *indexHandler) waitForFileset(ctx context.Context) (*db.FileSet, error)
 }
 
 func (s *indexHandler) Serve(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
-	l.Debugf("Starting index handler for %s to %s at %s (slv=%d)", s.folder, s.conn.DeviceID().Short(), s.conn, s.prevSequence)
+	l.Debugf("Starting index handler for %s to %s at %s (localPrevSequence=%d)", s.folder, s.conn.DeviceID().Short(), s.conn, s.localPrevSequence)
 	stop := make(chan struct{})
 
 	defer func() {
@@ -172,7 +188,7 @@ func (s *indexHandler) Serve(ctx context.Context) (err error) {
 		// currently in the database, wait for the local index to update. The
 		// local index may update for other folders than the one we are
 		// sending for.
-		if fset.Sequence(protocol.LocalDeviceID) <= s.prevSequence {
+		if fset.Sequence(protocol.LocalDeviceID) <= s.localPrevSequence {
 			select {
 			case <-ctx.Done():
 				return ctx.Err()
@@ -223,13 +239,7 @@ func (s *indexHandler) pause() {
 // sendIndexTo sends file infos with a sequence number higher than prevSequence and
 // returns the highest sent sequence number.
 func (s *indexHandler) sendIndexTo(ctx context.Context, fset *db.FileSet) error {
-	// Keep track of the previous sequence we sent. This is separate from
-	// s.prevSequence because the latter will skip over holes in the
-	// sequence numberings, while sentPrevSequence should always be
-	// precisely the highest previously sent sequence.
-	sentPrevSequence := s.prevSequence
-
-	initial := s.prevSequence == 0
+	initial := s.localPrevSequence == 0
 	batch := db.NewFileInfoBatch(nil)
 	var batchError error
 	batch.SetFlushFunc(func(fs []protocol.FileInfo) error {
@@ -262,7 +272,7 @@ func (s *indexHandler) sendIndexTo(ctx context.Context, fset *db.FileSet) error
 			err = s.conn.IndexUpdate(ctx, &protocol.IndexUpdate{
 				Folder:       s.folder,
 				Files:        fs,
-				PrevSequence: sentPrevSequence,
+				PrevSequence: s.sentPrevSequence,
 				LastSequence: lastSequence,
 			})
 		}
@@ -270,7 +280,7 @@ func (s *indexHandler) sendIndexTo(ctx context.Context, fset *db.FileSet) error
 			batchError = err
 			return err
 		}
-		sentPrevSequence = lastSequence
+		s.sentPrevSequence = lastSequence
 		return nil
 	})
 
@@ -282,7 +292,7 @@ func (s *indexHandler) sendIndexTo(ctx context.Context, fset *db.FileSet) error
 	}
 	defer snap.Release()
 	previousWasDelete := false
-	snap.WithHaveSequence(s.prevSequence+1, func(fi protocol.FileIntf) bool {
+	snap.WithHaveSequence(s.localPrevSequence+1, func(fi protocol.FileIntf) bool {
 		// This is to make sure that renames (which is an add followed by a delete) land in the same batch.
 		// Even if the batch is full, we allow a last delete to slip in, we do this by making sure that
 		// the batch ends with a non-delete, or that the last item in the batch is already a delete
@@ -292,17 +302,17 @@ func (s *indexHandler) sendIndexTo(ctx context.Context, fset *db.FileSet) error
 			}
 		}
 
-		if fi.SequenceNo() < s.prevSequence+1 {
+		if fi.SequenceNo() < s.localPrevSequence+1 {
 			s.logSequenceAnomaly("database returned sequence lower than requested", map[string]any{
 				"sequence": fi.SequenceNo(),
-				"start":    s.prevSequence + 1,
+				"start":    s.localPrevSequence + 1,
 			})
 		}
 
 		if f.Sequence > 0 && fi.SequenceNo() <= f.Sequence {
 			s.logSequenceAnomaly("database returned non-increasing sequence", map[string]any{
 				"sequence": fi.SequenceNo(),
-				"start":    s.prevSequence + 1,
+				"start":    s.localPrevSequence + 1,
 				"previous": f.Sequence,
 			})
 			// Abort this round of index sending - the next one will pick
@@ -348,7 +358,7 @@ func (s *indexHandler) sendIndexTo(ctx context.Context, fset *db.FileSet) error
 	// however it's possible that a higher sequence exists, just doesn't need to
 	// be sent (e.g. in a receive-only folder, when a local change was
 	// reverted). No point trying to send nothing again.
-	s.prevSequence = snap.Sequence(protocol.LocalDeviceID)
+	s.localPrevSequence = snap.Sequence(protocol.LocalDeviceID)
 
 	return nil
 }