diff --git a/src/insets/InsetFlex.cpp b/src/insets/InsetFlex.cpp
index 61e47d4c36..31828b615f 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetFlex.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetFlex.cpp
@@ -146,9 +146,13 @@ void InsetFlex::updateBuffer(ParIterator const & it, UpdateType utype)
 	docstring const & count = il.counter();
 	bool const have_counter = cnts.hasCounter(count);
 	if (have_counter) {
-		cnts.step(count, utype);
-		custom_label += ' ' +
-			cnts.theCounter(count, it.paragraph().getParLanguage(bp)->code());
+		Paragraph const & par = it.paragraph();
+		if (!par.isDeleted(it.pos())) {
+			cnts.step(count, utype);
+			custom_label += ' ' +
+				cnts.theCounter(count, it.paragraph().getParLanguage(bp)->code());
+		} else
+			custom_label += ' ' + from_ascii("#");
 	}
 	setLabel(custom_label);
 
diff --git a/src/insets/InsetFoot.cpp b/src/insets/InsetFoot.cpp
index 29890d1365..3331184887 100644
--- a/src/insets/InsetFoot.cpp
+++ b/src/insets/InsetFoot.cpp
@@ -84,9 +84,14 @@ void InsetFoot::updateBuffer(ParIterator const & it, UpdateType utype)
 	InsetLayout const & il = getLayout();
 	docstring const & count = il.counter();
 	custom_label_ = translateIfPossible(il.labelstring());
-	if (cnts.hasCounter(count))
-		cnts.step(count, utype);
-	custom_label_ += ' ' + cnts.theCounter(count, lang->code());
+
+	Paragraph const & par = it.paragraph();
+	if (!par.isDeleted(it.pos())) {
+		if (cnts.hasCounter(count))
+			cnts.step(count, utype);
+		custom_label_ += ' ' + cnts.theCounter(count, lang->code());
+	} else
+		custom_label_ += ' ' + from_ascii("#");
 	setLabel(custom_label_);
 
 	InsetCollapsible::updateBuffer(it, utype);