diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/ChangeNotes.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/ChangeNotes.java
index 4dd211b4cb..ddf09ccbbc 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/ChangeNotes.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/ChangeNotes.java
@@ -627,7 +627,7 @@ public class ChangeNotes extends AbstractChangeNotes<ChangeNotes> {
     if (autoRebuild) {
       NoteDbChangeState state = NoteDbChangeState.parse(change);
       RefCache refs = this.refs != null ? this.refs : new RepoRefCache(repo);
-      if (state == null || !state.isChangeUpToDate(refs)) {
+      if (!NoteDbChangeState.isChangeUpToDate(state, refs, getChangeId())) {
         return rebuildAndOpen(repo);
       }
     }
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/DraftCommentNotes.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/DraftCommentNotes.java
index e887ff121d..068c008e5c 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/DraftCommentNotes.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/DraftCommentNotes.java
@@ -153,8 +153,8 @@ public class DraftCommentNotes extends AbstractChangeNotes<DraftCommentNotes> {
       NoteDbChangeState state = NoteDbChangeState.parse(change);
       // Only check if this particular user's drafts are up to date, to avoid
       // reading unnecessary refs.
-      if (state == null
-          || !state.areDraftsUpToDate(new RepoRefCache(repo), author)) {
+      if (!NoteDbChangeState.areDraftsUpToDate(
+          state, new RepoRefCache(repo), getChangeId(), author)) {
         return rebuildAndOpen(repo);
       }
     }
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/NoteDbChangeState.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/NoteDbChangeState.java
index f5d1178810..c08bdd88cf 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/NoteDbChangeState.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/notedb/NoteDbChangeState.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import com.google.common.base.Splitter;
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
 import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
 import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
+import com.google.gerrit.common.Nullable;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.Account;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.Change;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.server.ReviewDbUtil;
@@ -140,6 +141,24 @@ public class NoteDbChangeState {
     return state;
   }
 
+  public static boolean isChangeUpToDate(@Nullable NoteDbChangeState state,
+      RefCache changeRepoRefs, Change.Id changeId) throws IOException {
+    if (state == null) {
+      return !changeRepoRefs.get(changeMetaRef(changeId)).isPresent();
+    }
+    return state.isChangeUpToDate(changeRepoRefs);
+  }
+
+  public static boolean areDraftsUpToDate(@Nullable NoteDbChangeState state,
+      RefCache draftsRepoRefs, Change.Id changeId, Account.Id accountId)
+      throws IOException {
+    if (state == null) {
+      return !draftsRepoRefs.get(refsDraftComments(changeId, accountId))
+          .isPresent();
+    }
+    return state.areDraftsUpToDate(draftsRepoRefs, accountId);
+  }
+
   public static String toString(ObjectId changeMetaId,
       Map<Account.Id, ObjectId> draftIds) {
     List<Account.Id> accountIds = Lists.newArrayList(draftIds.keySet());