diff --git a/commerce_stock_notifications.module b/commerce_stock_notifications.module
--- a/commerce_stock_notifications.module
+++ b/commerce_stock_notifications.module
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@
       $variation_id = $notification->get('product_id')->getString();
       /** @var \Drupal\commerce_product\Entity\ProductVariationInterface $variation */
       $variation = \Drupal::entityTypeManager()->getStorage('commerce_product_variation')->load($variation_id);
-      if ($variation) {
+      if (commerce_stock_notifications_variation_is_available($variation)) {
         if (commerce_stock_notifications_check_stock($variation)) {
           $queue->createItem($notification);
         }
@@ -161,6 +161,23 @@
 }
 
 /**
+ * Checks if the variation exists and it and its product are published.
+ *
+ * @param \Drupal\commerce_product\Entity\ProductVariationInterface|null $variation
+ *   Product variation.
+ *
+ * @return bool
+ *   Returns true if the variation can be notified about.
+ */
+function commerce_stock_notifications_variation_is_available(?ProductVariationInterface $variation): bool {
+  if (!$variation || !$variation->isPublished()) {
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+  $product = $variation->getProduct();
+  return $product && $product->isPublished();
+}
+
+/**
  * Checks if the variation has stock.
  *
  * @param Drupal\commerce_product\Entity\ProductVariationInterface $variation
diff --git a/src/Plugin/QueueWorker/CommerceStockNotifyQueue.php b/src/Plugin/QueueWorker/CommerceStockNotifyQueue.php
--- a/src/Plugin/QueueWorker/CommerceStockNotifyQueue.php
+++ b/src/Plugin/QueueWorker/CommerceStockNotifyQueue.php
@@ -107,10 +107,12 @@
 
       /** @var \Drupal\commerce_product\Entity\ProductVariationInterface $variation */
       $variation = $this->entityTypeManager->getStorage('commerce_product_variation')->load($data->get('product_id')->getString());
-      if (!$variation->isPublished() || !$variation->getProduct()->isPublished()) {
-        $sku = $variation->getSku();
-        // The product or variation is inactive, ignore it.
-        throw new \Exception("Variation $sku (or it\'s parent product) is unpublished. Skipping for now.");
+      if (!commerce_stock_notifications_variation_is_available($variation)) {
+        // The variation (or its parent product) is deleted or unpublished:
+        // drop the queue item, but keep the notification. Throwing here would
+        // leave the item in the queue forever, and the cron would never queue
+        // new notifications while the queue is not empty.
+        return;
       }
       if (!commerce_stock_notifications_check_stock($variation)) {
         // There is no stock right now, do nothing.