diff --git a/earth_enterprise/src/fusion/autoingest/plugins.src/PacketGen.src b/earth_enterprise/src/fusion/autoingest/plugins.src/PacketGen.src
index 8d24791bce..fe3bfd9506 100644
--- a/earth_enterprise/src/fusion/autoingest/plugins.src/PacketGen.src
+++ b/earth_enterprise/src/fusion/autoingest/plugins.src/PacketGen.src
@@ -249,18 +249,9 @@ void PacketGenAssetVersionImplD::UpdateChildren(
           // In these cases we pull directly from the product. It
           // will also happen for the last thing on the stack who
           // hasn't had his blendvers filled in yet.
-
-          // Note: Before creating a merge inset, we check if the cached alpha
-          // blend directory exists for the asset since in GEE-5.x we need to
-          // pick up the GEE-4.x Imagery/Terrain Projects (the PacketLevel
-          // assets) that have no alpha blend cached.
           levInputs[inputs_idx+1] = blendVer.Ref();
           levInputVers[inputs_idx+1] = blendVer;
-          const std::string cache_alpha_path =
-              blendVer->GetOutputFilename(0) + "/cache_alpha.pack";
-          if (khExists(cache_alpha_path)) {
-            cached_blend_alpha = blendVer.Ref();
-          }
+          cached_blend_alpha = blendVer.Ref();
           cached_blend = blendVer.Ref();
         }
         packetLevelConfig.insets[merge_idx] =
@@ -283,22 +274,12 @@ void PacketGenAssetVersionImplD::UpdateChildren(
         levInputs.back() = prevLevelVer.Ref();
         levInputVers.back() = prevLevelVer;
 
-
-        // Note: Before creating a merge inset, we check if the cached alpha
-        // blend directory exists for the asset since in GEE-5.x we need to
-        // pick up the GEE-4.x Imagery/Terrain Projects (the PacketLevel
-        // assets) that have no alpha blend cached.
-        const std::string cache_alpha_path =
-            prevLevelVer->GetOutputFilename(0) + "/cache_alpha.pack";
-        const bool cache_alpha_exist = khExists(cache_alpha_path);
-
         packetLevelConfig.insets.push_back
           (PacketLevelConfig::Inset(
               std::string() /* dataRP */,
               std::string() /* alphaRP */,
               prevLevelVer.Ref(), /* cached blend */
-              cache_alpha_exist ?
-                  prevLevelVer.Ref() : SharedString() /* cached blend alpha */));
+              prevLevelVer.Ref() /* cached blend alpha */));
       }
 
       levInputs.erase(std::remove(levInputs.begin(), levInputs.end(), ""), levInputs.end());
diff --git a/earth_enterprise/src/fusion/rasterfuse/RasterMerger.cpp b/earth_enterprise/src/fusion/rasterfuse/RasterMerger.cpp
index 9416b1f673..7c1b0fd5f3 100644
--- a/earth_enterprise/src/fusion/rasterfuse/RasterMerger.cpp
+++ b/earth_enterprise/src/fusion/rasterfuse/RasterMerger.cpp
@@ -159,10 +159,18 @@ void MergeInset<DataTile>::InitCachedBlendReaders(
 
     magnifyCoverage = cached_blend_reader->levelCoverage(magnify_level);
 
-    // Initialize cached alpha reader
+    // Initialize cached alpha reader.
     if (cached_blend_alpha_file.size()) {
-      cached_blend_alpha_reader = TransferOwnership(
-          new ffio::raster::Reader<AlphaProductTile>(cached_blend_alpha_file));
+      // Note: we check if the cached alpha blend directory exists for the
+      // asset since in GEE-5.x we need to pick up the GEE-4.x Imagery/Terrain
+      // Projects (the PacketLevel assets) that have no alpha blend cached.
+      if (khExists(cached_blend_alpha_file)) {
+        cached_blend_alpha_reader = TransferOwnership(
+            new ffio::raster::Reader<AlphaProductTile>(cached_blend_alpha_file));
+      }
+      else {
+        notify(NFY_INFO, "Cached blend alpha file %s does not exist.", cached_blend_alpha_file.c_str());
+      }
     }
   }
 }