diff --git a/runbot_merge/controllers/__init__.py b/runbot_merge/controllers/__init__.py
index 0067de0c..70765449 100644
--- a/runbot_merge/controllers/__init__.py
+++ b/runbot_merge/controllers/__init__.py
@@ -193,16 +193,22 @@ def handle_pr(env, event):
 
     # don't marked merged PRs as closed (!!!)
     if event['action'] == 'closed' and pr_obj.state != 'merged':
-        # FIXME: store some sort of "try to close it later" if the merge fails?
-        _logger.info(
-            '%s closing %s (state=%s)',
-            event['sender']['login'],
-            pr_obj.display_name,
-            pr_obj.state,
-        )
+        oldstate = pr_obj.state
         if pr_obj._try_closing(event['sender']['login']):
+            _logger.info(
+                '%s closed %s (state=%s)',
+                event['sender']['login'],
+                pr_obj.display_name,
+                oldstate,
+            )
             return 'Closed {}'.format(pr_obj.id)
         else:
+            _logger.warning(
+                '%s tried to close %s (state=%s)',
+                event['sender']['login'],
+                pr_obj.display_name,
+                oldstate,
+            )
             return 'Ignored: could not lock rows (probably being merged)'
 
     if event['action'] == 'reopened' :
diff --git a/runbot_merge/models/pull_requests.py b/runbot_merge/models/pull_requests.py
index 28eae653..0245563e 100644
--- a/runbot_merge/models/pull_requests.py
+++ b/runbot_merge/models/pull_requests.py
@@ -210,7 +210,8 @@ class Project(models.Model):
             except Exception:
                 self.env.cr.execute("ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT runbot_merge_before_fetch")
                 _logger.exception("Failed to load pr %s, skipping it", f.number)
-            self.env.cr.execute("RELEASE SAVEPOINT runbot_merge_before_fetch")
+            finally:
+                self.env.cr.execute("RELEASE SAVEPOINT runbot_merge_before_fetch")
 
             # commit after each fetched PR
             f.active = False
@@ -329,6 +330,7 @@ All substitutions are tentatively applied sequentially to the input.
             r = controllers.handle_pr(self.env, {
                 'action': 'synchronize',
                 'pull_request': pr,
+                'sender': {'login': self.project_id.github_prefix}
             })
             feedback({
                 'repository': pr_id.repository.id,
@@ -337,11 +339,21 @@ All substitutions are tentatively applied sequentially to the input.
             })
             return
 
+        feedback({
+            'repository': self.id,
+            'pull_request': number,
+            'message': "Sorry, I didn't know about this PR and had to retrieve "
+                       "its information, you may have to re-approve it."
+        })
         # init the PR to the null commit so we can later synchronise it back
         # back to the "proper" head while resetting reviews
         controllers.handle_pr(self.env, {
             'action': 'opened',
-            'pull_request': {**pr, 'head': {**pr['head'], 'sha': '0'*40}},
+            'pull_request': {
+                **pr,
+                'head': {**pr['head'], 'sha': '0'*40},
+                'state': 'open',
+            },
         })
         # fetch & set up actual head
         for st in gh.statuses(pr['head']['sha']):
@@ -378,12 +390,14 @@ All substitutions are tentatively applied sequentially to the input.
             'pull_request': pr,
             'sender': {'login': self.project_id.github_prefix}
         })
-        feedback({
-            'repository': self.id,
-            'pull_request': number,
-            'message': "Sorry, I didn't know about this PR and had to retrieve "
-                       "its information, you may have to re-approve it."
-        })
+        if pr['state'] == 'closed':
+            # don't go through controller because try_closing does weird things
+            # for safety / race condition reasons which ends up committing
+            # and breaks everything
+            self.env['runbot_merge.pull_requests'].search([
+                ('repository.name', '=', pr['base']['repo']['full_name']),
+                ('number', '=', number),
+            ]).state = 'closed'
 
     def having_branch(self, branch):
         branches = self.env['runbot_merge.branch'].search
@@ -1214,6 +1228,7 @@ class PullRequests(models.Model):
         if body:
             message += '\n\n' + body
         return self.env['runbot_merge.pull_requests'].create({
+            'state': 'opened' if description['state'] == 'open' else 'closed',
             'number': description['number'],
             'label': repo._remap_label(description['head']['label']),
             'author': author.id,
diff --git a/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py b/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py
index 3c3f8bec..1f0b08a2 100644
--- a/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py
+++ b/runbot_merge/tests/test_basic.py
@@ -2894,7 +2894,6 @@ class TestUnknownPR:
         assert not Fetch.search([('repository', '=', repo.name), ('number', '=', prx.number)])
 
         c = env['runbot_merge.commit'].search([('sha', '=', prx.head)])
-        print(prx.head, c, c.statuses, flush=True)
         assert json.loads(c.statuses) == {
             'legal/cla': {'state': 'success', 'target_url': None, 'description': None},
             'ci/runbot': {'state': 'success', 'target_url': 'http://example.org/wheee', 'description': None}
@@ -2903,10 +2902,10 @@ class TestUnknownPR:
             seen(env, prx, users),
             (users['reviewer'], 'hansen r+'),
             (users['reviewer'], 'hansen r+'),
-            seen(env, prx, users),
             (users['user'], "Sorry, I didn't know about this PR and had to "
                             "retrieve its information, you may have to "
                             "re-approve it."),
+            seen(env, prx, users),
         ]
 
         pr = env['runbot_merge.pull_requests'].search([
@@ -2919,6 +2918,49 @@ class TestUnknownPR:
             prx.post_comment('hansen r+', config['role_reviewer']['token'])
         assert pr.state == 'ready'
 
+    def test_fetch_closed(self, env, repo, users, config):
+        """ If an "unknown PR" is fetched while closed, it should be saved as
+        closed
+        """
+        with repo:
+            m, _ = repo.make_commits(
+                None,
+                Commit('initial', tree={'m': 'm'}),
+                Commit('second', tree={'m2': 'm2'}),
+                ref='heads/master')
+
+            [c1] = repo.make_commits(m, Commit('first', tree={'m': 'c1'}))
+            pr = repo.make_pr(title='title', body='body', target='master', head=c1)
+        env.run_crons()
+        with repo:
+            pr.close()
+
+        # assume an unknown but ready PR: we don't know the PR or its head commit
+        to_pr(env, pr).unlink()
+        env['runbot_merge.commit'].search([('sha', '=', pr.head)]).unlink()
+
+        # reviewer reviewers
+        with repo:
+            pr.post_comment('hansen r+', config['role_reviewer']['token'])
+
+        Fetch = env['runbot_merge.fetch_job']
+        fetches = Fetch.search([('repository', '=', repo.name), ('number', '=', pr.number)])
+        assert len(fetches) == 1, f"expected one fetch for {pr.number}, found {len(fetches)}"
+
+        env.run_crons('runbot_merge.fetch_prs_cron')
+        env.run_crons()
+        assert not Fetch.search([('repository', '=', repo.name), ('number', '=', pr.number)])
+
+        assert to_pr(env, pr).state == 'closed'
+        assert pr.comments == [
+            seen(env, pr, users),
+            (users['reviewer'], 'hansen r+'),
+            (users['user'], "Sorry, I didn't know about this PR and had to "
+                            "retrieve its information, you may have to "
+                            "re-approve it."),
+            seen(env, pr, users),
+        ]
+
     def test_rplus_unmanaged(self, env, repo, users, config):
         """ r+ on an unmanaged target should notify about
         """
diff --git a/runbot_merge/tests/test_multirepo.py b/runbot_merge/tests/test_multirepo.py
index 5d4f64a0..99d3f48b 100644
--- a/runbot_merge/tests/test_multirepo.py
+++ b/runbot_merge/tests/test_multirepo.py
@@ -896,6 +896,7 @@ class TestSubstitutions:
                         'full_name': r.name,
                     },
                     'pull_request': {
+                        'state': 'open',
                         'user': {'login': 'bob'},
                         'base': {
                             'repo': {'full_name': r.name},