diff --git a/swh/loader/svn/loader.py b/swh/loader/svn/loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/svn/loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/svn/loader.py
@@ -373,24 +373,11 @@
             # before the post_load operation
             self.svnrepo.clean_fs(self.svnrepo.local_url)
 
-    def prepare(self):
-        if self.incremental:
-            latest_snapshot_revision = self._latest_snapshot_revision(self.origin.url)
-            if latest_snapshot_revision:
-                self.latest_snapshot, self.latest_revision = latest_snapshot_revision
-                self._snapshot = self.latest_snapshot
-                self._last_revision = self.latest_revision
-
-        local_dirname = self._create_tmp_dir(self.temp_directory)
-
+    def svn_repo(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        """Wraps the creation of SvnRepo object and handles not found repository
+        errors."""
         try:
-            self.svnrepo = SvnRepo(
-                self.svn_url,
-                self.origin.url,
-                local_dirname,
-                self.max_content_size,
-                self.from_dump,
-            )
+            return SvnRepo(*args, **kwargs)
         except SubversionException as e:
             error_msgs = [
                 "Unable to connect to a repository at URL",
@@ -402,6 +389,24 @@
                     raise NotFound(e)
             raise
 
+    def prepare(self):
+        if self.incremental:
+            latest_snapshot_revision = self._latest_snapshot_revision(self.origin.url)
+            if latest_snapshot_revision:
+                self.latest_snapshot, self.latest_revision = latest_snapshot_revision
+                self._snapshot = self.latest_snapshot
+                self._last_revision = self.latest_revision
+
+        local_dirname = self._create_tmp_dir(self.temp_directory)
+
+        self.svnrepo = self.svn_repo(
+            self.svn_url,
+            self.origin.url,
+            local_dirname,
+            self.max_content_size,
+            self.from_dump,
+        )
+
         try:
             revision_start, revision_end = self.start_from()
             self.swh_revision_gen = self.process_svn_revisions(
@@ -776,7 +781,7 @@
         last_loaded_snp_and_rev = self._latest_snapshot_revision(self.origin.url)
         if last_loaded_snp_and_rev is not None:
             last_loaded_snp, last_loaded_rev = last_loaded_snp_and_rev
-            self.svnrepo = SvnRepo(
+            self.svnrepo = self.svn_repo(
                 self.origin.url, self.origin.url, self.temp_dir, self.max_content_size
             )
             stale_repository = self.svnrepo.head_revision() == last_loaded_svn_rev
diff --git a/swh/loader/svn/tests/conftest.py b/swh/loader/svn/tests/conftest.py
--- a/swh/loader/svn/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/swh/loader/svn/tests/conftest.py
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 
 import pytest
 
+from swh.loader.svn.loader import SvnRepo
+
 from .utils import create_repo
 
 
@@ -45,3 +47,11 @@
 def repo_url(tmpdir_factory):
     # create a repository
     return create_repo(tmpdir_factory.mktemp("repos"))
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def svn_retry_sleep_mocker(mocker):
+    mocker.patch.object(SvnRepo.export.retry, "sleep")
+    mocker.patch.object(SvnRepo.checkout.retry, "sleep")
+    mocker.patch.object(SvnRepo.propget.retry, "sleep")
+    mocker.patch.object(SvnRepo.remote_access.retry, "sleep")
diff --git a/swh/loader/svn/tests/test_externals.py b/swh/loader/svn/tests/test_externals.py
--- a/swh/loader/svn/tests/test_externals.py
+++ b/swh/loader/svn/tests/test_externals.py
@@ -5,21 +5,13 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from swh.loader.svn.loader import SvnLoader, SvnLoaderFromRemoteDump, SvnRepo
+from swh.loader.svn.loader import SvnLoader, SvnLoaderFromRemoteDump
 from swh.loader.svn.utils import svn_urljoin
 from swh.loader.tests import assert_last_visit_matches, check_snapshot
 
 from .utils import CommitChange, CommitChangeType, add_commit, create_repo
 
 
-@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
-def svn_retry_sleep_mocker(mocker):
-    mocker.patch.object(SvnRepo.export.retry, "sleep")
-    mocker.patch.object(SvnRepo.checkout.retry, "sleep")
-    mocker.patch.object(SvnRepo.propget.retry, "sleep")
-    mocker.patch.object(SvnRepo.remote_access.retry, "sleep")
-
-
 @pytest.fixture
 def external_repo_url(tmpdir_factory):
     # create a repository
diff --git a/swh/loader/svn/tests/test_loader.py b/swh/loader/svn/tests/test_loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/svn/tests/test_loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/svn/tests/test_loader.py
@@ -2029,3 +2029,39 @@
     loader = svn_loader_cls(**loader_params)
 
     assert loader.load() == {"status": "uneventful"}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("svn_loader_cls", [SvnLoader, SvnLoaderFromRemoteDump])
+def test_loader_svn_not_found_after_successful_visit(
+    swh_storage, datadir, tmp_path, svn_loader_cls
+):
+    archive_name = "pkg-gourmet"
+    archive_path = os.path.join(datadir, f"{archive_name}.tgz")
+    repo_url = prepare_repository_from_archive(archive_path, archive_name, tmp_path)
+
+    loader = svn_loader_cls(swh_storage, repo_url, temp_directory=tmp_path)
+
+    assert loader.load() == {"status": "eventful"}
+
+    assert_last_visit_matches(
+        loader.storage,
+        repo_url,
+        status="full",
+        type="svn",
+        snapshot=GOURMET_SNAPSHOT.id,
+    )
+    check_snapshot(loader.snapshot, loader.storage)
+
+    # simulate removal of remote repository
+    shutil.rmtree(repo_url.replace("file://", ""))
+
+    loader = svn_loader_cls(swh_storage, repo_url, temp_directory=tmp_path)
+
+    assert loader.load() == {"status": "uneventful"}
+    assert_last_visit_matches(
+        loader.storage,
+        repo_url,
+        status="not_found",
+        type="svn",
+        snapshot=None,
+    )