diff --git a/lib/db/lowlevel.go b/lib/db/lowlevel.go
index 2b315d56f..34bf57203 100644
--- a/lib/db/lowlevel.go
+++ b/lib/db/lowlevel.go
@@ -380,9 +380,11 @@ func (db *Lowlevel) checkGlobals(folder []byte, meta *metadataTracker) error {
 
 	var dk []byte
 	for dbi.Next() {
-		vl, ok := unmarshalVersionList(dbi.Value())
-		if !ok {
-			continue
+		var vl VersionList
+		if err := vl.Unmarshal(dbi.Value()); err != nil || len(vl.Versions) == 0 {
+			if err := t.Delete(dbi.Key()); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 		}
 
 		// Check the global version list for consistency. An issue in previous
@@ -621,19 +623,6 @@ func (db *Lowlevel) gcIndirect() error {
 	return db.Compact()
 }
 
-func unmarshalVersionList(data []byte) (VersionList, bool) {
-	var vl VersionList
-	if err := vl.Unmarshal(data); err != nil {
-		l.Debugln("unmarshal error:", err)
-		return VersionList{}, false
-	}
-	if len(vl.Versions) == 0 {
-		l.Debugln("empty version list")
-		return VersionList{}, false
-	}
-	return vl, true
-}
-
 // unchanged checks if two files are the same and thus don't need to be updated.
 // Local flags or the invalid bit might change without the version
 // being bumped.
diff --git a/lib/db/transactions.go b/lib/db/transactions.go
index 803c8abc3..cac81f5cf 100644
--- a/lib/db/transactions.go
+++ b/lib/db/transactions.go
@@ -133,9 +133,9 @@ func (t readOnlyTransaction) getGlobal(keyBuf, folder, file []byte, truncate boo
 		return nil, nil, false, err
 	}
 
-	vl, ok := unmarshalVersionList(bs)
-	if !ok {
-		return keyBuf, nil, false, nil
+	var vl VersionList
+	if err := vl.Unmarshal(bs); err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, false, err
 	}
 
 	keyBuf, err = t.keyer.GenerateDeviceFileKey(keyBuf, folder, vl.Versions[0].Device, file)
@@ -268,9 +268,9 @@ func (t *readOnlyTransaction) withGlobal(folder, prefix []byte, truncate bool, f
 			return nil
 		}
 
-		vl, ok := unmarshalVersionList(dbi.Value())
-		if !ok {
-			continue
+		var vl VersionList
+		if err := vl.Unmarshal(dbi.Value()); err != nil {
+			return err
 		}
 
 		dk, err = t.keyer.GenerateDeviceFileKey(dk, folder, vl.Versions[0].Device, name)
@@ -309,9 +309,9 @@ func (t *readOnlyTransaction) availability(folder, file []byte) ([]protocol.Devi
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	vl, ok := unmarshalVersionList(bs)
-	if !ok {
-		return nil, nil
+	var vl VersionList
+	if err := vl.Unmarshal(bs); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	var devices []protocol.DeviceID
@@ -347,9 +347,9 @@ func (t *readOnlyTransaction) withNeed(folder, device []byte, truncate bool, fn
 	var dk []byte
 	devID := protocol.DeviceIDFromBytes(device)
 	for dbi.Next() {
-		vl, ok := unmarshalVersionList(dbi.Value())
-		if !ok {
-			continue
+		var vl VersionList
+		if err := vl.Unmarshal(dbi.Value()); err != nil {
+			return err
 		}
 
 		haveFV, have := vl.Get(device)