reverted:
--- b/feeds.install
+++ a/feeds.install
@@ -206,14 +206,6 @@
         'default' => '',
         'description' => 'The hash of the source item.',
       ),
-      'republish_when_exists' => array(
-        'type' => 'int',
-        'unsigned' => TRUE,
-        'not null' => TRUE,
-        'default' => 0,
-        'size' => 'tiny',
-        'description' => 'Relevant for feed items that are automatically unpublished for not existing in the source feed anymore: value is 1 if needs to be republished when the feed item shows up again in the feed; value is 0 otherwise.',
-      ),
     ),
     'primary key' => array('entity_type', 'entity_id'),
     'indexes' => array(
@@ -224,7 +216,6 @@
       'global_lookup_url' => array('entity_type', array('url', 128)),
       'global_lookup_guid' => array('entity_type', array('guid', 128)),
       'imported' => array('imported'),
-      'republish_when_exists' => array('republish_when_exists'),
     ),
   );
   $schema['feeds_push_subscriptions'] = array(
@@ -690,20 +681,3 @@
 
   DrupalQueue::get('feeds_importer_expire')->deleteQueue();
 }
-
-
-/**
- * Adds republish_when_exists field to feeds_item table.
- */
-function feeds_update_7210() {
-  $spec = array(
-    'type' => 'int',
-    'unsigned' => TRUE,
-    'not null' => TRUE,
-    'default' => 0,
-    'size' => 'tiny',
-    'description' => 'Whether this feed item currently exists in the source feed; 0 means it exists, 1 means it does not.',
-  );
-  db_add_field('feeds_item', 'republish_when_exists', $spec);
-  db_add_index('feeds_item', 'republish_when_exists', array('republish_when_exists'));
-}
diff -u b/includes/FeedsSource.inc b/includes/FeedsSource.inc
--- b/includes/FeedsSource.inc
+++ b/includes/FeedsSource.inc
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@
   public $created;
   public $updated;
   public $deleted;
+  public $unpublished;
   public $skipped;
   public $failed;
 
@@ -105,7 +106,6 @@
     $this->updated =
     $this->deleted =
     $this->unpublished =
-    $this->republished =
     $this->skipped =
     $this->failed = 0;
   }
diff -u b/plugins/FeedsNodeProcessor.inc b/plugins/FeedsNodeProcessor.inc
--- b/plugins/FeedsNodeProcessor.inc
+++ b/plugins/FeedsNodeProcessor.inc
@@ -201,17 +201,6 @@
     if (isset($form['update_non_existent'])) {
       $form['update_non_existent']['#options'][FEEDS_UNPUBLISH_NON_EXISTENT] = t('Unpublish non-existent nodes');
     }
-
-    $form['republish_previously_non_existent'] = array(
-      '#type' => 'radios',
-      '#title' => t('Republish unpublished previously non-existent nodes'),
-      '#description' => t('Action to take when nodes that were previously unpublished for being non-existent, show up again in the feed.'),
-      '#options' => array(
-        0 => t('Leave unpublished'),
-        1 => t('Republish'),
-      ),
-      '#default_value' => $this->config['republish_previously_non_existent'],
-    );
     return $form;
   }
 
@@ -408,29 +397,8 @@
         }
-        // Load feed item object into node.
-        $this->loadItemInfo($node);
-        // Setting this flag makes sure the item is republished when it shows
-        // up in the node again (as long as the
-        // 'republish_previously_non_existent' feeds setting is set).
-        $node->feeds_item->republish_when_exists = 1;
         node_unpublish_action($node);
         node_save($node);
         $state->unpublished++;
       }
     }
   }
-
-  /**
-   * {@inheritdoc}
-   */
-  protected function republishEntityIfNeeded(FeedsState $state, FeedsSource $source, $nid) {
-    $node = $this->entityLoad($source, $nid);
-    $this->loadItemInfo($node);
-    if ($node->status == 0 && $node->feeds_item->republish_when_exists == 1) {
-      // Republish the node
-      node_publish_action($node);
-      $this->entitySaveAccess($node);
-      $this->entitySave($node);
-      $state->republished++;
-    }
-  }
 }
diff -u b/plugins/FeedsProcessor.inc b/plugins/FeedsProcessor.inc
--- b/plugins/FeedsProcessor.inc
+++ b/plugins/FeedsProcessor.inc
@@ -201,9 +201,6 @@
       }
 
       try {
-        if ($entity_id && $this->config['republish_previously_non_existent']) {
-          $this->republishEntityIfNeeded($state, $source, $entity_id);
-        }
 
         $hash = $this->hash($item);
         $changed = ($hash !== $this->getHash($entity_id));
@@ -316,16 +313,6 @@
         ),
       );
     }
-    if ($state->republished) {
-      $messages[] = array(
-        'message' => format_plural(
-            $state->updated,
-            'Republished @number @entity.',
-            'Republished @number @entities.',
-            array('@number' => $state->republished) + $tokens
-        ),
-      );
-    }
     if ($state->deleted) {
       $messages[] = array(
        'message' => format_plural(
@@ -392,18 +379,6 @@
   }
 
   /**
-   * Find out whether to republish this entity and republish it if needed.
-   *
-   * @param FeedsState $state
-   * @param FeedsSource $source
-   *   The feeds source that spawns this entity.
-   * @param $entity_id
-   *   The unique id of the entity that should be loaded.
-   */
-  protected function republishEntityIfNeeded(FeedsState $state, FeedsSource $source, $entity_id) {
-  }
-
-  /**
    * Deletes entities which were not found on process.
    *
    * @todo batch delete?
@@ -718,7 +693,6 @@
       'mappings' => array(),
       'update_existing' => FEEDS_SKIP_EXISTING,
       'update_non_existent' => FEEDS_SKIP_NON_EXISTENT,
-      'republish_previously_non_existent' => 0,
       'input_format' => NULL,
       'skip_hash_check' => FALSE,
       'bundle' => $bundle,
@@ -940,7 +914,6 @@
     $entity->feeds_item->hash = $hash;
     $entity->feeds_item->url = '';
     $entity->feeds_item->guid = '';
-    $entity->feeds_item->republish_when_exists = 0;
   }
 
   /**
diff -u b/tests/feeds_processor_node.test b/tests/feeds_processor_node.test
--- b/tests/feeds_processor_node.test
+++ b/tests/feeds_processor_node.test
@@ -300,14 +300,6 @@
     $this->assertText('Unpublished 1 node');
     $this->assertFeedItemCount(10);
 
-    // Now import a feed with the previously missing node and see if it is
-    // republished.
-    $this->setSettings('syndication_standalone', 'FeedsNodeProcessor', array('republish_previously_non_existent' => 1));
-    $this->importURL('syndication_standalone', $feed_url);
-    $this->assertText('Republished 1 node');
-    $this->assertFeedItemCount(10);
-    $this->setSettings('syndication_standalone', 'FeedsNodeProcessor', array('republish_previously_non_existent' => 0));
-
     // Now delete all items.
     $this->drupalPost('import/syndication_standalone/delete-items', array(), 'Delete');
     $this->assertText('Deleted 10 nodes');
only in patch2:
unchanged:
--- a/plugins/FeedsEntityProcessor.inc
+++ b/plugins/FeedsEntityProcessor.inc
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ class FeedsEntityProcessor extends FeedsProcessor {
     return array(
       'mappings' => array(),
       'update_existing' => FEEDS_SKIP_EXISTING,
+      'update_non_existent' => FEEDS_SKIP_NON_EXISTENT,
       'input_format' => NULL,
       'skip_hash_check' => FALSE,
       'bundle' => NULL,