diff --git a/src/Mod/Sketcher/App/SketchObject.cpp b/src/Mod/Sketcher/App/SketchObject.cpp
index cd43d8d1e9..0324c54a20 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Sketcher/App/SketchObject.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Sketcher/App/SketchObject.cpp
@@ -266,9 +266,11 @@ App::DocumentObjectExecReturn* SketchObject::execute()
         Constraints.acceptGeometry(getCompleteGeometry());
     }
     catch (const Base::Exception& e) {
-        Base::Console().Error("%s\nClear constraints to external geometry\n", e.what());
+        // 9/16/24: We used to clear the constraints here, but we no longer want to do that
+        // as missing reference geometry is not considered an error while we sort out sketcher UI.
+        // Base::Console().Error("%s\nClear constraints to external geometry\n", e.what());
         // we cannot trust the constraints of external geometries, so remove them
-        delConstraintsToExternal();
+        //  delConstraintsToExternal();
     }
 
     // This includes a regular solve including full geometry update, except when an error
diff --git a/src/Mod/Sketcher/Gui/EditModeGeometryCoinManager.cpp b/src/Mod/Sketcher/Gui/EditModeGeometryCoinManager.cpp
index 72912cfb53..02ba759674 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Sketcher/Gui/EditModeGeometryCoinManager.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Sketcher/Gui/EditModeGeometryCoinManager.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "EditModeGeometryCoinConverter.h"
 #include "EditModeGeometryCoinManager.h"
 #include "ViewProviderSketchCoinAttorney.h"
+#include "Mod/Sketcher/App/ExternalGeometryFacade.h"
 
 
 using namespace SketcherGui;
@@ -414,7 +415,15 @@ void EditModeGeometryCoinManager::updateGeometryColor(const GeoListFacade& geoli
                     }
                 }
                 else if (geometryLayerParameters.isExternalSubLayer(t)) {
-                    color[i] = drawingParameters.CurveExternalColor;
+                    auto geom = geolistfacade.getGeometryFacadeFromGeoId(GeoId);
+                    auto egf = ExternalGeometryFacade::getFacade(geom->clone());
+                    auto ref = egf->getRef();
+                    if (egf->testFlag(ExternalGeometryExtension::Missing)) {
+                        color[i] = drawingParameters.InvalidSketchColor;
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        color[i] = drawingParameters.CurveExternalColor;
+                    }
                     for (int k = j; j < k + indexes; j++) {
                         verts[j].getValue(x, y, z);
                         verts[j] = SbVec3f(x, y, viewOrientationFactor * zExtLine);
diff --git a/src/Mod/Sketcher/SketcherTests/TestSketchValidateCoincidents.py b/src/Mod/Sketcher/SketcherTests/TestSketchValidateCoincidents.py
index 682206a53d..afada0404c 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Sketcher/SketcherTests/TestSketchValidateCoincidents.py
+++ b/src/Mod/Sketcher/SketcherTests/TestSketchValidateCoincidents.py
@@ -128,6 +128,85 @@ class TestSketchValidateCoincidents(unittest.TestCase):
         del geo0, geo1
         del sketch, c
 
+    def testExternalGeoDeletion(self):
+        """Make sure that we don't remove External Geometry references to deleted geometry.
+        See https://github.com/FreeCAD/FreeCAD/issues/16361"""
+        doc = App.ActiveDocument
+        doc.addObject("PartDesign::Body", "Body")
+        doc.Body.Label = "Body"
+        doc.recompute()
+        doc.Body.newObject("Sketcher::SketchObject", "Sketch")
+        doc.Sketch.AttachmentSupport = (doc.XY_Plane, [""])
+        doc.Sketch.MapMode = "FlatFace"
+        doc.recompute()
+        geoList = []
+        geoList.append(
+            Part.LineSegment(
+                App.Vector(7.548310, 5.193216, 0.000000), App.Vector(31.461353, 5.193216, 0.000000)
+            )
+        )
+        geoList.append(
+            Part.LineSegment(
+                App.Vector(31.461353, 5.193216, 0.000000),
+                App.Vector(31.461353, 20.652151, 0.000000),
+            )
+        )
+        geoList.append(
+            Part.LineSegment(
+                App.Vector(31.461353, 20.652151, 0.000000),
+                App.Vector(7.548310, 20.652151, 0.000000),
+            )
+        )
+        geoList.append(
+            Part.LineSegment(
+                App.Vector(7.548310, 20.652151, 0.000000), App.Vector(7.548310, 5.193216, 0.000000)
+            )
+        )
+        doc.Sketch.addGeometry(geoList, False)
+        del geoList
+        constraintList = []
+        constraintList.append(Sketcher.Constraint("Coincident", 0, 2, 1, 1))
+        constraintList.append(Sketcher.Constraint("Coincident", 1, 2, 2, 1))
+        constraintList.append(Sketcher.Constraint("Coincident", 2, 2, 3, 1))
+        constraintList.append(Sketcher.Constraint("Coincident", 3, 2, 0, 1))
+        constraintList.append(Sketcher.Constraint("Horizontal", 0))
+        constraintList.append(Sketcher.Constraint("Horizontal", 2))
+        constraintList.append(Sketcher.Constraint("Vertical", 1))
+        constraintList.append(Sketcher.Constraint("Vertical", 3))
+        doc.Sketch.addConstraint(constraintList)
+        del constraintList
+        constraintList = []
+        doc.recompute()
+        doc.Body.newObject("Sketcher::SketchObject", "Sketch001")
+        doc.Sketch001.AttachmentSupport = (doc.XY_Plane, [""])
+        doc.Sketch001.MapMode = "FlatFace"
+        doc.recompute()
+        doc.Sketch001.addExternal("Sketch", "Edge3")
+        geoList = []
+        geoList.append(
+            Part.LineSegment(
+                App.Vector(33.192780, 22.530144, 0.000000),
+                App.Vector(38.493977, 32.289181, 0.000000),
+            )
+        )
+        doc.Sketch001.addGeometry(geoList, False)
+        del geoList
+        constraintList = []
+        doc.Sketch001.addConstraint(Sketcher.Constraint("Coincident", 0, 1, -3, 1))
+        doc.recompute()
+        doc.Sketch.delGeometries([1])
+        doc.Sketch.delGeometries([1])
+        doc.recompute()
+        doc.Sketch001.addConstraint(Sketcher.Constraint("Coincident", 0, 1, -3, 1))
+        doc.recompute()
+        # Assert
+        self.assertEqual(len(doc.Sketch001.Constraints), 2)  # Still have the constraints
+        self.assertEqual(len(doc.Sketch001.ExternalGeometry), 0)
+        self.assertEqual(len(doc.Sketch001.Geometry), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            len(doc.Sketch001.ExternalGeo), 3
+        )  # Two axis, plus one the reference to deleted geometry
+
     def tearDown(self):
         # closing doc
         FreeCAD.closeDocument(self.Doc.Name)