diff --git a/storage/conf.nim b/storage/conf.nim
index db9dbc27..062eec0b 100644
--- a/storage/conf.nim
+++ b/storage/conf.nim
@@ -136,8 +136,7 @@ type
     .}: OutDir
 
     listenIp* {.
-      desc:
-        "IP address to listen on for remote peer connections, can be ipv4 or ipv6",
+      desc: "IP address to listen on for remote peer connections, can be ipv4 or ipv6",
       defaultValue: "0.0.0.0".parseIpAddress,
       defaultValueDesc: "Listens on all addresses.",
       abbr: "i",
diff --git a/storage/stores/repostore/operations.nim b/storage/stores/repostore/operations.nim
index f2e67094..d83c46b4 100644
--- a/storage/stores/repostore/operations.nim
+++ b/storage/stores/repostore/operations.nim
@@ -94,9 +94,9 @@ proc updateTotalBlocksCount*(
     proc(maybeCurrCount: ?Natural): Future[?Natural] {.async.} =
       let count: Natural =
         if currCount =? maybeCurrCount:
-          currCount + plusCount - minusCount
+          max(0, currCount + plusCount - minusCount)
         else:
-          plusCount - minusCount
+          max(0, plusCount - minusCount)
 
       self.totalBlocks = count
       storage_repostore_blocks.set(count.int64)
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ proc updateBlockMetadata*(
         BlockMetadata(
           size: currBlockMd.size,
           expiry: max(currBlockMd.expiry, minExpiry),
-          refCount: currBlockMd.refCount + plusRefCount - minusRefCount,
+          refCount: max(0, currBlockMd.refCount + plusRefCount - minusRefCount),
         ).some
       else:
         raise newException(
diff --git a/storage/stores/repostore/store.nim b/storage/stores/repostore/store.nim
index feec3807..f4cfa9e3 100644
--- a/storage/stores/repostore/store.nim
+++ b/storage/stores/repostore/store.nim
@@ -272,7 +272,8 @@ method delBlock*(
     error "Failed to delete leaf metadata, block will remain on disk.", err = err.msg
     return failure(err)
 
-  if err =?
+  if leafMd.blkCid.mcodec == BlockCodec and
+      err =?
       (await self.updateBlockMetadata(leafMd.blkCid, minusRefCount = 1)).errorOption:
     if not (err of BlockNotFoundError):
       return failure(err)
diff --git a/tests/storage/stores/testrepostore.nim b/tests/storage/stores/testrepostore.nim
index 0af4e742..30617c08 100644
--- a/tests/storage/stores/testrepostore.nim
+++ b/tests/storage/stores/testrepostore.nim
@@ -435,6 +435,25 @@ asyncchecksuite "RepoStore":
     (await repo.delBlock(treeCid2, 0.Natural)).tryGet()
     check not (await sharedBlock.cid in repo)
 
+  test "should not panic (underflow) when deleting a manifest as a leaf":
+    let
+      repo = RepoStore.new(repoDs, metaDs, clock = mockClock, quotaMaxBytes =
+          1000'nb)
+      (_, tree, manifest) = makeDataset(
+        await makeRandomBlocks(datasetSize = 2 * 256, blockSize = 256'nb)
+      ).tryGet()
+      treeCid = tree.rootCid.tryGet()
+      proof = tree.getProof(1).tryGet()
+
+    let encodedVerifiable = manifest.encode().tryGet
+    let blk = bt.Block.new(data = encodedVerifiable, codec = ManifestCodec).tryGet
+
+    (await repo.putCidAndProof(treeCid, 0.Natural, blk.cid, proof)).tryGet()
+
+    (await repo.delBlock(treeCid, 0.Natural)).tryGet
+
+    check not (await blk.cid in repo)
+
   test "should clear leaf metadata when block is deleted from dataset":
     let
       repo = RepoStore.new(repoDs, metaDs, clock = mockClock, quotaMaxBytes =