diff --git a/swh/provenance/provenance.py b/swh/provenance/provenance.py
--- a/swh/provenance/provenance.py
+++ b/swh/provenance/provenance.py
@@ -190,38 +190,45 @@
         metric=BACKEND_DURATION_METRIC, tags={"method": "flush_revision_content"}
     )
     def flush_revision_content_layer(self) -> None:
-        # Register in the storage all content, directories and revisions that are
-        # involved in this layer's associated relations.
-        cnts = {
-            src
-            for src, _, _ in self.cache["content_in_revision"]
-            | self.cache["content_in_directory"]
+        # Register in the storage all entities, to ensure the coming relations can
+        # properly resolve any internal reference if needed. Content and directory
+        # entries may safely be registered with their associated dates. In contrast,
+        # revision entries should be registered without date, as it is used to
+        # acknowledge that the flushing was successful.
+        cnt_dates = {
+            sha1: date
+            for sha1, date in self.cache["content"]["data"].items()
+            if sha1 in self.cache["content"]["added"] and date is not None
         }
-        if cnts:
-            while not self.storage.content_add(cnts):
+        if cnt_dates:
+            while not self.storage.content_add(cnt_dates):
                 statsd.increment(
                     metric=BACKEND_OPERATIONS_METRIC,
-                    tags={"method": "flush_revision_content_retry_content_none"},
+                    tags={"method": "flush_revision_content_retry_content_date"},
                 )
                 LOGGER.warning(
-                    "Unable to write content entities to the storage. Retrying..."
+                    "Unable to write content dates to the storage. Retrying..."
                 )
 
-        dirs = {dst for _, dst, _ in self.cache["content_in_directory"]}
-        if dirs:
-            while not self.storage.directory_add(dirs):
+        dir_dates = {
+            sha1: date
+            for sha1, date in self.cache["directory"]["data"].items()
+            if sha1 in self.cache["directory"]["added"] and date is not None
+        }
+        if dir_dates:
+            while not self.storage.directory_add(dir_dates):
                 statsd.increment(
                     metric=BACKEND_OPERATIONS_METRIC,
-                    tags={"method": "flush_revision_content_retry_directory_none"},
+                    tags={"method": "flush_revision_content_retry_directory_date"},
                 )
                 LOGGER.warning(
-                    "Unable to write directory entities to the storage. Retrying..."
+                    "Unable to write directory dates to the storage. Retrying..."
                 )
 
         revs = {
-            dst
-            for _, dst, _ in self.cache["content_in_revision"]
-            | self.cache["directory_in_revision"]
+            sha1
+            for sha1, date in self.cache["revision"]["data"].items()
+            if sha1 in self.cache["revision"]["added"] and date is not None
         }
         if revs:
             while not self.storage.revision_add(revs):
@@ -299,38 +306,8 @@
                     RelationType.DIR_IN_REV,
                 )
 
-        # After relations, dates for the entities can be safely set, acknowledging that
-        # these entities won't need to be reprocessed in case of failure.
-        cnt_dates = {
-            sha1: date
-            for sha1, date in self.cache["content"]["data"].items()
-            if sha1 in self.cache["content"]["added"] and date is not None
-        }
-        if cnt_dates:
-            while not self.storage.content_add(cnt_dates):
-                statsd.increment(
-                    metric=BACKEND_OPERATIONS_METRIC,
-                    tags={"method": "flush_revision_content_retry_content_date"},
-                )
-                LOGGER.warning(
-                    "Unable to write content dates to the storage. Retrying..."
-                )
-
-        dir_dates = {
-            sha1: date
-            for sha1, date in self.cache["directory"]["data"].items()
-            if sha1 in self.cache["directory"]["added"] and date is not None
-        }
-        if dir_dates:
-            while not self.storage.directory_add(dir_dates):
-                statsd.increment(
-                    metric=BACKEND_OPERATIONS_METRIC,
-                    tags={"method": "flush_revision_content_retry_directory_date"},
-                )
-                LOGGER.warning(
-                    "Unable to write directory dates to the storage. Retrying..."
-                )
-
+        # After relations, dates for the revisions can be safely set, acknowledging that
+        # these revisions won't need to be reprocessed in case of failure.
         rev_dates = {
             sha1: RevisionData(date=date, origin=None)
             for sha1, date in self.cache["revision"]["data"].items()