diff --git a/rewrite-core/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/rpc/request/GetObject.java b/rewrite-core/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/rpc/request/GetObject.java
index 8274efa6c41..d6581df893c 100644
--- a/rewrite-core/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/rpc/request/GetObject.java
+++ b/rewrite-core/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/rpc/request/GetObject.java
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ protected List<RpcObjectData> handle(GetObject request) throws Exception {
 
                 RpcSendQueue sendQueue = new RpcSendQueue(batchSize.get(), batch::put, localRefs, request.getSourceFileType(), traceGetObject.get());
                 TREE_TRAVERSAL_POOL.submit(() -> {
+                    // Snapshot the current ref count so we can roll back on failure.
+                    // Ref IDs are assigned sequentially as localRefs.size() + 1,
+                    // so any ref > savedRefCount was added during this exchange.
+                    int savedRefCount = localRefs.size();
                     try {
                         sendQueue.send(after, before, null);
 
@@ -96,6 +100,13 @@ protected List<RpcObjectData> handle(GetObject request) throws Exception {
                         // forces a full object sync (ADD) instead of a delta (CHANGE)
                         // against the stale, partially-sent baseline.
                         remoteObjects.remove(id);
+
+                        // Roll back localRefs to remove refs assigned during this failed
+                        // exchange. Without this, subsequent exchanges would send pure
+                        // references for objects the remote never received, causing
+                        // "Received a reference to an object that was not previously sent".
+                        localRefs.values().removeIf(ref -> ref > savedRefCount);
+
                         PrintStream logFile = log.get();
                         //noinspection ConstantValue
                         if (logFile != null) {
diff --git a/rewrite-core/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/rpc/RewriteRpcTest.java b/rewrite-core/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/rpc/RewriteRpcTest.java
index 47b2062a1e0..42de8d1b81b 100644
--- a/rewrite-core/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/rpc/RewriteRpcTest.java
+++ b/rewrite-core/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/rpc/RewriteRpcTest.java
@@ -181,9 +181,14 @@ void sendFailureCleansUpRemoteObjects() {
         }
 
         // Step 4: verify the sender cleaned up its stale remoteObjects entry
+        // and rolled back any refs assigned during the failed exchange
         assertThat(server.remoteObjects)
           .describedAs("Sender should remove stale remoteObjects entry after send failure")
           .doesNotContainKey(id);
+        int refsAfterFailure = server.localRefs.size();
+        assertThat(refsAfterFailure)
+          .describedAs("Sender should roll back localRefs assigned during failed exchange")
+          .isEqualTo(0);
 
         // Step 5: put back a valid tree and retry — should succeed via full ADD
         PlainText fixed = original.withText("Fixed");
diff --git a/rewrite-javascript/rewrite/src/reference.ts b/rewrite-javascript/rewrite/src/reference.ts
index 31386195cd4..3b50e68e09d 100644
--- a/rewrite-javascript/rewrite/src/reference.ts
+++ b/rewrite-javascript/rewrite/src/reference.ts
@@ -84,4 +84,19 @@ export class ReferenceMap {
         this.refs.set(ref, refId);
         this.refsById.set(refId, ref);
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+
+    snapshot(): number {
+        return this.refCount;
+    }
+
+    rollbackTo(savedRefCount: number): void {
+        for (let i = savedRefCount; i < this.refCount; i++) {
+            const obj = this.refsById.get(i);
+            if (obj) {
+                this.refs.delete(obj);
+                this.refsById.delete(i);
+            }
+        }
+        this.refCount = savedRefCount;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/rewrite-javascript/rewrite/src/rpc/request/get-object.ts b/rewrite-javascript/rewrite/src/rpc/request/get-object.ts
index cb9ce154dfa..797e14642e1 100644
--- a/rewrite-javascript/rewrite/src/rpc/request/get-object.ts
+++ b/rewrite-javascript/rewrite/src/rpc/request/get-object.ts
@@ -63,11 +63,20 @@ export class GetObject {
                         const after = obj;
                         const before = remoteObjects.get(objId);
 
-                        allData = await new RpcSendQueue(localRefs, request.sourceFileType, trace())
-                            .generate(after, before);
-                        pendingData.set(objId, allData);
-
-                        remoteObjects.set(objId, after);
+                        // Snapshot ref count so we can roll back on failure.
+                        // Ref IDs are assigned sequentially, so any ref >= savedRefCount
+                        // was added during this exchange.
+                        const savedRefCount = localRefs.snapshot();
+                        try {
+                            allData = await new RpcSendQueue(localRefs, request.sourceFileType, trace())
+                                .generate(after, before);
+                            pendingData.set(objId, allData);
+                            remoteObjects.set(objId, after);
+                        } catch (e) {
+                            remoteObjects.delete(objId);
+                            localRefs.rollbackTo(savedRefCount);
+                            throw e;
+                        }
                     }
 
                     const batch = allData.splice(0, batchSize);