diff --git a/scripts/import_docs.py b/scripts/import_docs.py
index 4e57543..328a4b2 100644
--- a/scripts/import_docs.py
+++ b/scripts/import_docs.py
@@ -64,7 +64,14 @@ def fetch_manifest(url: str, *, missing_ok: bool = False) -> dict | None:
 
 def check_publication(upstream: str, current: str) -> tuple[dict, bool]:
     manifest = fetch_manifest(upstream)
-    deployed = fetch_manifest(current, missing_ok=True)
+    try:
+        deployed = fetch_manifest(current, missing_ok=True)
+    except (ValueError, OSError) as error:
+        # The verified upstream can repair a missing or corrupt deployed marker.
+        print(
+            f"Deployed publication is unreadable; importing verified upstream: {error}"
+        )
+        deployed = None
     return manifest, manifest != deployed
 
 
diff --git a/scripts/test_import_docs.py b/scripts/test_import_docs.py
index 91bea3c..cf8c1f8 100644
--- a/scripts/test_import_docs.py
+++ b/scripts/test_import_docs.py
@@ -138,6 +138,9 @@ def test_actual_http_checks_skip_unchanged_and_detect_same_tag_rebuild(self):
         _, changed = check_publication(base + "/upstream.json", base + "/current.json")
         self.assertTrue(changed)
         (self.root / "current.json").write_text("not JSON")
+        _, changed = check_publication(base + "/upstream.json", base + "/current.json")
+        self.assertTrue(changed)
+        (self.root / "upstream.json").write_text("not JSON")
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
             check_publication(base + "/upstream.json", base + "/current.json")