diff -up gnome-software-3.36.1/plugins/flatpak/gs-plugin-flatpak.c.unrelated-refs gnome-software-3.36.1/plugins/flatpak/gs-plugin-flatpak.c
--- gnome-software-3.36.1/plugins/flatpak/gs-plugin-flatpak.c.unrelated-refs	2020-10-09 14:07:16.407235531 -0400
+++ gnome-software-3.36.1/plugins/flatpak/gs-plugin-flatpak.c	2020-10-09 14:08:48.775544689 -0400
@@ -696,6 +696,11 @@ gs_plugin_app_remove (GsPlugin *plugin,
 		gs_flatpak_error_convert (error);
 		return FALSE;
 	}
+
+	/* add to the transaction cache for quick look up -- other unrelated
+	 * refs will be matched using gs_plugin_flatpak_find_app_by_ref() */
+	gs_flatpak_transaction_add_app (transaction, app);
+
 	ref = gs_flatpak_app_get_ref_display (app);
 	if (!flatpak_transaction_add_uninstall (transaction, ref, error)) {
 		gs_flatpak_error_convert (error);
@@ -899,6 +904,10 @@ gs_plugin_flatpak_update (GsPlugin *plug
 			gs_flatpak_error_convert (error);
 			return FALSE;
 		}
+
+		/* add to the transaction cache for quick look up -- other unrelated
+		 * refs will be matched using gs_plugin_flatpak_find_app_by_ref() */
+		gs_flatpak_transaction_add_app (transaction, app);
 	}
 
 	/* run transaction */