diff --git a/app/models/concerns/variant_stock.rb b/app/models/concerns/variant_stock.rb
index 1cc0ec4e04..5a6094adf4 100644
--- a/app/models/concerns/variant_stock.rb
+++ b/app/models/concerns/variant_stock.rb
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ module VariantStock
 
   # Checks whether this variant is produced on demand.
   def on_demand
-    # A variant that has not been saved yet, doesn't have a stock item
+    # A variant that has not been saved yet or has been soft-deleted doesn't have a stock item
     #   This provides a default value for variant.on_demand using Spree::StockLocation.backorderable_default
-    return Spree::StockLocation.first.backorderable_default if stock_items.empty?
+    return Spree::StockLocation.first.backorderable_default if new_record? || deleted?
 
     stock_item.backorderable?
   end