diff --git a/paper-server/patches/sources/net/minecraft/util/filefix/FileFixerUpper.java.patch b/paper-server/patches/sources/net/minecraft/util/filefix/FileFixerUpper.java.patch
index 934e40c3fc7d..a8f926e45d06 100644
--- a/paper-server/patches/sources/net/minecraft/util/filefix/FileFixerUpper.java.patch
+++ b/paper-server/patches/sources/net/minecraft/util/filefix/FileFixerUpper.java.patch
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 --- a/net/minecraft/util/filefix/FileFixerUpper.java
 +++ b/net/minecraft/util/filefix/FileFixerUpper.java
+@@ -48,7 +_,7 @@
+ import org.slf4j.Logger;
+ 
+ public class FileFixerUpper {
+-    private static final int FILE_FIXER_INTRODUCTION_VERSION = 4772;
++    public static final int FILE_FIXER_INTRODUCTION_VERSION = 4772; // Paper - public for world migration checks
+     private static final Gson GSON = new Gson().newBuilder().setPrettyPrinting().create();
+     private static final String FILE_FIX_DIRECTORY_NAME = "filefix";
+     private static final String NEW_WORLD_TEMP_NAME = "new_world";
 @@ -82,6 +_,7 @@
      ) throws FileFixException {
          int loadedVersion = NbtUtils.getDataVersion(levelDataTag);
diff --git a/paper-server/src/main/java/io/papermc/paper/world/PaperWorldLoader.java b/paper-server/src/main/java/io/papermc/paper/world/PaperWorldLoader.java
index cd3e7cc8cf08..a9590c6df0e3 100644
--- a/paper-server/src/main/java/io/papermc/paper/world/PaperWorldLoader.java
+++ b/paper-server/src/main/java/io/papermc/paper/world/PaperWorldLoader.java
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@
 import io.papermc.paper.world.saveddata.PaperWorldMetadata;
 import io.papermc.paper.world.saveddata.PaperWorldPDC;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.UUID;
+import net.minecraft.core.Registry;
 import net.minecraft.core.registries.Registries;
 import net.minecraft.resources.Identifier;
 import net.minecraft.resources.ResourceKey;
@@ -128,15 +130,15 @@ public static LoadedWorldData loadWorldData(
     }
 
     public void loadInitialWorlds() {
-        final var levelStemRegistry = this.server.registryAccess().lookupOrThrow(Registries.LEVEL_STEM);
-        final boolean hasWorldData = this.server.storageSource.hasWorldData();
+        final Registry<LevelStem> levelStemRegistry = this.server.registryAccess().lookupOrThrow(Registries.LEVEL_STEM);
         final LevelStem overworldStem = requireNonNull(levelStemRegistry.getValue(LevelStem.OVERWORLD), "Overworld stem missing");
+        final boolean hasWorldData = this.hasDimensionData(overworldStem);
         this.loadInitialWorld(overworldStem, hasWorldData);
         for (final LevelStem stem : levelStemRegistry) {
             if (stem == overworldStem) {
                 continue;
             }
-            this.loadInitialWorld(stem, hasWorldData);
+            this.loadInitialWorld(stem, this.hasDimensionData(stem));
         }
 
         // ((DedicatedServer) this.server).forceDifficulty();
@@ -174,6 +176,12 @@ private void loadInitialWorld(final LevelStem stem, final boolean hasWorldData)
         this.server.createLevel(stem, loading, worldDataAndGenSettings);
     }
 
+    private boolean hasDimensionData(final LevelStem stem) {
+        final ResourceKey<LevelStem> stemKey = this.server.registryAccess().lookupOrThrow(Registries.LEVEL_STEM).getResourceKey(stem).orElseThrow();
+        final ResourceKey<Level> dimensionKey = dimensionKey(stemKey);
+        return Files.isDirectory(this.server.storageSource.getDimensionPath(dimensionKey));
+    }
+
     public static WorldGenSettings loadWorldGenSettings(
         final LevelStorageSource.LevelStorageAccess access, final net.minecraft.core.HolderLookup.Provider registryAccess, final ResourceKey<Level> dimension
     ) {
diff --git a/paper-server/src/main/java/io/papermc/paper/world/migration/WorldFolderMigration.java b/paper-server/src/main/java/io/papermc/paper/world/migration/WorldFolderMigration.java
index 77fb09a15bce..4539381d4cc6 100644
--- a/paper-server/src/main/java/io/papermc/paper/world/migration/WorldFolderMigration.java
+++ b/paper-server/src/main/java/io/papermc/paper/world/migration/WorldFolderMigration.java
@@ -7,7 +7,12 @@
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import net.minecraft.core.HolderLookup;
+import net.minecraft.nbt.CompoundTag;
+import net.minecraft.nbt.NbtAccounter;
+import net.minecraft.nbt.NbtIo;
+import net.minecraft.nbt.NbtUtils;
 import net.minecraft.resources.ResourceKey;
+import net.minecraft.util.filefix.FileFixerUpper;
 import net.minecraft.world.level.Level;
 import net.minecraft.world.level.dimension.LevelStem;
 import net.minecraft.world.level.levelgen.WorldGenSettings;
@@ -91,7 +96,24 @@ private static MigrationMode classifyStartupMigration(final WorldMigrationContex
         if (!context.rootAccess().getLevelId().equals(context.worldName()) && Files.isDirectory(context.rootAccess().parent().getLevelPath(context.worldName()))) {
             return MigrationMode.LEGACY_CRAFTBUKKIT_MIGRATION;
         }
-        return hasCurrentPaperData(context.rootAccess(), context.dimensionKey()) ? MigrationMode.NO_OP : MigrationMode.VANILLA_MIGRATION;
+        if (hasCurrentPaperData(context.rootAccess(), context.dimensionKey())) {
+            return MigrationMode.NO_OP;
+        }
+        // the dimension was deleted
+        if (!Files.isDirectory(context.rootAccess().getDimensionPath(context.dimensionKey()))) {
+            try {
+                final CompoundTag rawLevelData = NbtIo.readCompressed(
+                    context.rootAccess().levelDirectory.dataFile(), NbtAccounter.uncompressedQuota()
+                );
+                final int dataVersion = NbtUtils.getDataVersion(rawLevelData.getCompoundOrEmpty("Data"));
+                if (dataVersion >= FileFixerUpper.FILE_FIXER_INTRODUCTION_VERSION) {
+                    return MigrationMode.NO_OP;
+                }
+            } catch (final IOException ex) {
+                throw new RuntimeException("Failed to read level data for world migration classification", ex);
+            }
+        }
+        return MigrationMode.VANILLA_MIGRATION;
     }
 
     static boolean hasCurrentPaperData(final LevelStorageSource.LevelStorageAccess rootAccess, final ResourceKey<Level> dimensionKey) {