diff --git a/rust-executor/src/perspectives/perspective_instance.rs b/rust-executor/src/perspectives/perspective_instance.rs
index 7579798f0..0596fdbd2 100644
--- a/rust-executor/src/perspectives/perspective_instance.rs
+++ b/rust-executor/src/perspectives/perspective_instance.rs
@@ -1184,14 +1184,16 @@ impl PerspectiveInstance {
                 log::error!("Error spawning Prolog engine: {:?}", e)
             };
 
-            let fact_rebuild_needed = !diff.removals.is_empty()
-                || diff.additions.iter().any(|link| is_sdna_link(&link.data));
+            let fact_rebuild_needed = diff.additions.iter().any(|link| is_sdna_link(&link.data));
 
             let did_update = if !fact_rebuild_needed {
                 let mut assertions: Vec<String> = Vec::new();
                 for addition in &diff.additions {
                     assertions.push(generic_link_fact("assert_link_and_triple", addition));
                 }
+                for removal in &diff.removals {
+                    assertions.push(generic_link_fact("retract_link_and_triple", removal));
+                }
 
                 let query = format!("{}.", assertions.join(","));
                 match self_clone.prolog_query(query).await {
diff --git a/rust-executor/src/perspectives/sdna.rs b/rust-executor/src/perspectives/sdna.rs
index 82ac58cd2..7a9addb3e 100644
--- a/rust-executor/src/perspectives/sdna.rs
+++ b/rust-executor/src/perspectives/sdna.rs
@@ -494,6 +494,18 @@ url_decode_char(Char) --> [Char], { \+ member(Char, "%") }.
     assert_link_and_triple(Source, Predicate, Target, Timestamp, Author) :-
         (assert_link(Source, Predicate, Target, Timestamp, Author) ; true),
         (assert_triple(Source, Predicate, Target) ; true).
+
+    retract_link(Source, Predicate, Target, Timestamp, Author) :-
+        link(Source, Predicate, Target, Timestamp, Author),
+        retract(link(Source, Predicate, Target, Timestamp, Author)).
+
+    retract_triple(Source, Predicate, Target) :-
+        triple(Source, Predicate, Target),
+        retract(triple(Source, Predicate, Target)).
+
+    retract_link_and_triple(Source, Predicate, Target, Timestamp, Author) :-
+        (retract_link(Source, Predicate, Target, Timestamp, Author) ; true),
+        (retract_triple(Source, Predicate, Target) ; true).
 "#;
     lines.extend(assert_link.split('\n').map(|s| s.to_string()));