diff --git a/backup.ps1 b/backup.ps1
index 8eeb7f4..7655723 100644
--- a/backup.ps1
+++ b/backup.ps1
@@ -71,10 +71,24 @@ try {
         try {
             $projectPath = "$glNamespace/$($repo.name)"
             $existing = Get-GitLabProject -GitLabHost $config.GitLabHost -Token $glToken -ProjectPath $projectPath
+
+            # A project the user deleted on GitLab is only soft-deleted: it lingers
+            # for a retention window, still occupying its path but read-only, so the
+            # mirror push fails with 403. It also answers "exists" here, so without
+            # this we'd never recreate it either. Restore it back to writable.
+            if ($existing) {
+                $pendingDeletion = Get-GitLabProjectDeletionSchedule -Project $existing
+                if ($pendingDeletion) {
+                    Write-Log -Level WARN ("  GitLab project '{0}' is pending deletion (scheduled {1}); restoring it" -f $projectPath, $pendingDeletion)
+                    $null = Restore-GitLabProject -GitLabHost $config.GitLabHost -Token $glToken -ProjectId $existing.id
+                    $existing = Get-GitLabProject -GitLabHost $config.GitLabHost -Token $glToken -ProjectPath $projectPath
+                }
+            }
+
             if (-not $existing) {
                 Write-Log "  creating GitLab project: $projectPath"
                 # NamespaceId omitted -> GitLab creates under the authenticated user
-                $null = New-GitLabProject `
+                $existing = New-GitLabProject `
                     -GitLabHost   $config.GitLabHost `
                     -Token        $glToken `
                     -Name         $repo.name `
@@ -83,6 +97,13 @@ try {
                     -Description  ("Mirror of github.com/{0}" -f $repo.full_name)
             }
 
+            # GitLab auto-protects the default branch; on a mirror that blocks the
+            # force-updates push --mirror needs. Strip protection before pushing.
+            $clearedRules = Clear-GitLabProtectedBranches -GitLabHost $config.GitLabHost -Token $glToken -ProjectId $existing.id
+            if ($clearedRules -gt 0) {
+                Write-Log ("  cleared {0} protected-branch rule(s) on mirror" -f $clearedRules)
+            }
+
             $cachePath = Join-Path $config.CachePath ("{0}.git" -f $repo.name)
             $result = Sync-Mirror `
                 -GitHubFullName $repo.full_name `
diff --git a/lib/GitLab.psm1 b/lib/GitLab.psm1
index 5dd96ba..5a7d747 100644
--- a/lib/GitLab.psm1
+++ b/lib/GitLab.psm1
@@ -77,4 +77,61 @@ function New-GitLabProject {
     return Invoke-GitLabApi -GitLabHost $GitLabHost -Token $Token -Path '/api/v4/projects' -Method POST -Body $body
 }
 
-Export-ModuleMember -Function Get-GitLabCurrentUser, Get-GitLabProject, New-GitLabProject
+function Get-GitLabProjectDeletionSchedule {
+    # Returns the pending-deletion timestamp for a project object, or $null if the
+    # project is not scheduled for deletion. GitLab renamed this field from
+    # 'marked_for_deletion_on' to 'marked_for_deletion_at'; check both, and probe
+    # via PSObject so an absent field yields $null instead of throwing under
+    # Set-StrictMode.
+    [CmdletBinding()]
+    param([Parameter(Mandatory)]$Project)
+    foreach ($name in 'marked_for_deletion_at', 'marked_for_deletion_on') {
+        $prop = $Project.PSObject.Properties[$name]
+        if ($prop -and $prop.Value) { return $prop.Value }
+    }
+    return $null
+}
+
+function Restore-GitLabProject {
+    # Undo a pending (delayed) deletion. gitlab.com keeps a deleted project for
+    # a retention window during which it exists but is read-only, so pushes fail
+    # with HTTP 403 "You are not allowed to push code to this project". Restoring
+    # makes it writable again. The restore route requires the numeric project id
+    # (the URL-encoded path form returns 405).
+    [CmdletBinding()]
+    param(
+        [Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$GitLabHost,
+        [Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$Token,
+        [Parameter(Mandatory)][int]$ProjectId
+    )
+    return Invoke-GitLabApi -GitLabHost $GitLabHost -Token $Token `
+        -Path "/api/v4/projects/$ProjectId/restore" -Method POST
+}
+
+function Clear-GitLabProtectedBranches {
+    # Remove every branch-protection rule on a mirror project. GitLab auto-protects
+    # the default branch on a project's first push; thereafter `git push --mirror`
+    # fails whenever it needs to force-update that branch (rebased history, deleted
+    # refs) with "You are not allowed to force push code to a protected branch".
+    # Mirrors are throwaway copies of the GitHub source, so protection serves no
+    # purpose here. Returns the number of rules removed.
+    [CmdletBinding()]
+    param(
+        [Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$GitLabHost,
+        [Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$Token,
+        [Parameter(Mandatory)][int]$ProjectId
+    )
+    $response = Invoke-GitLabApi -GitLabHost $GitLabHost -Token $Token `
+        -Path "/api/v4/projects/$ProjectId/protected_branches?per_page=100"
+    # An empty list comes back as $null; filter it so the loop doesn't try to
+    # dereference a null element under Set-StrictMode.
+    $protected = @($response | Where-Object { $null -ne $_ })
+    foreach ($b in $protected) {
+        $name = [uri]::EscapeDataString($b.name)
+        $null = Invoke-GitLabApi -GitLabHost $GitLabHost -Token $Token `
+            -Path "/api/v4/projects/$ProjectId/protected_branches/$name" -Method DELETE
+    }
+    return $protected.Count
+}
+
+Export-ModuleMember -Function Get-GitLabCurrentUser, Get-GitLabProject, New-GitLabProject, Get-GitLabProjectDeletionSchedule, Restore-GitLabProject, Clear-GitLabProtectedBranches