diff --git a/mercurial/merge.py b/mercurial/merge.py
--- a/mercurial/merge.py
+++ b/mercurial/merge.py
@@ -1023,6 +1023,13 @@
                         (None, f, f, False, pa.node()),
                         b'prompt deleted/changed',
                     )
+            else:
+                mresult.addfile(
+                    f,
+                    mergestatemod.ACTION_KEEP_ABSENT,
+                    None,
+                    b'local not present, remote unchanged',
+                )
 
     if repo.ui.configbool(b'experimental', b'merge.checkpathconflicts'):
         # If we are merging, look for path conflicts.
diff --git a/tests/test-merge-criss-cross.t b/tests/test-merge-criss-cross.t
--- a/tests/test-merge-criss-cross.t
+++ b/tests/test-merge-criss-cross.t
@@ -572,28 +572,26 @@
   $ hg update --clean 'desc("merge-deleting-the-file-from-deleted")'
   0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   $ hg merge          'desc("merge-keeping-the-file-from-deleted")'
-  1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   (branch merge, don't forget to commit)
   $ ls -1
   other-file
-  the-file
 
 (merging a deletion with keeping → conflict)
 BROKEN: this should result in conflict
 
   $ hg update --clean 'desc("merge-deleting-the-file-from-deleted")'
-  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 1 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   $ hg merge          'desc("merge-keeping-the-file-from-updated")'
-  1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   (branch merge, don't forget to commit)
   $ ls -1
   other-file
-  the-file
 
 (merging two deletion together → no conflict)
 
   $ hg update --clean 'desc("merge-deleting-the-file-from-updated")'
-  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 1 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   $ hg merge          'desc("merge-deleting-the-file-from-deleted")'
   0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   (branch merge, don't forget to commit)
@@ -606,23 +604,21 @@
   $ hg update --clean 'desc("merge-deleting-the-file-from-updated")'
   0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   $ hg merge          'desc("merge-keeping-the-file-from-deleted")'
-  1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   (branch merge, don't forget to commit)
   $ ls -1
   other-file
-  the-file
 
 (merging a deletion with keeping → conflict)
 BROKEN: this should result in conflict
 
   $ hg update --clean 'desc("merge-deleting-the-file-from-updated")'
-  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 1 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   $ hg merge          'desc("merge-keeping-the-file-from-updated")'
-  1 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  0 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
   (branch merge, don't forget to commit)
   $ ls -1
   other-file
-  the-file
 
 (merging two "keeping" together → no conflict)