diff --git a/src/Tasks/AssemblyDependency/ReferenceTable.cs b/src/Tasks/AssemblyDependency/ReferenceTable.cs
index 196a70b8747..3b214c55a9f 100644
--- a/src/Tasks/AssemblyDependency/ReferenceTable.cs
+++ b/src/Tasks/AssemblyDependency/ReferenceTable.cs
@@ -741,13 +741,8 @@ out string redistName
         /// </summary>
         private static void TryConvertToAssemblyName(string itemSpec, string fusionName, ref AssemblyNameExtension assemblyName)
         {
-            // FusionName is used if available.
-            string finalName = fusionName;
-            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(finalName))
-            {
-                // Otherwise, its itemSpec.
-                finalName = itemSpec;
-            }
+            // FusionName is used if available; otherwise use itemspec.
+            string finalName = string.IsNullOrEmpty(fusionName) ? itemSpec : fusionName;
 
             bool pathRooted = false;
             try
diff --git a/src/Tasks/SystemState.cs b/src/Tasks/SystemState.cs
index 2992e07bc73..2c11513b244 100644
--- a/src/Tasks/SystemState.cs
+++ b/src/Tasks/SystemState.cs
@@ -366,19 +366,14 @@ private FileState ComputeFileStateFromCachesAndDisk(string path)
             // If the process-wide cache contains an up-to-date FileState, always use it
             if (isProcessFileStateUpToDate)
             {
-                // If a FileState already exists in this instance cache due to deserialization, remove it;
-                // another instance has taken responsibility for serialization, and keeping this would
-                // result in multiple instances serializing the same data to disk
-                if (isCachedInInstance)
+                // For the next build, we may be using a different process. Update the file cache.
+                if (!isInstanceFileStateUpToDate)
                 {
-                    instanceLocalFileStateCache.Remove(path);
+                    instanceLocalFileStateCache[path] = cachedProcessFileState;
                     isDirty = true;
                 }
-
                 return cachedProcessFileState;
             }
-            // If the process-wide FileState is missing or out-of-date, this instance owns serialization;
-            // sync the process-wide cache and signal other instances to avoid data duplication
             if (isInstanceFileStateUpToDate)
             {
                 return s_processWideFileStateCache[path] = cachedInstanceFileState;