diff --git a/gopls/internal/lsp/cache/snapshot.go b/gopls/internal/lsp/cache/snapshot.go
index e6f76d4f..dbb3a41 100644
--- a/gopls/internal/lsp/cache/snapshot.go
+++ b/gopls/internal/lsp/cache/snapshot.go
@@ -1616,10 +1616,6 @@
 	for _, file := range files {
 		file := file
 		g.Go(func() error {
-			pgf, err := s.ParseGo(ctx, file, source.ParseHeader)
-			if err != nil || !pgf.File.Package.IsValid() {
-				return nil // need a valid header
-			}
 			return s.load(ctx, false, fileLoadScope(file.URI()))
 		})
 	}
@@ -1654,7 +1650,7 @@
 		// TODO(rfindley): instead of locking here, we should have load return the
 		// metadata graph that resulted from loading.
 		uri := file.URI()
-		if len(s.meta.ids) == 0 {
+		if len(s.meta.ids[uri]) == 0 {
 			s.unloadableFiles[uri] = struct{}{}
 		}
 	}
@@ -2142,6 +2138,10 @@
 		}
 
 		// Make sure to remove the changed file from the unloadable set.
+		//
+		// TODO(rfindley): this also looks wrong, as typing in an unloadable file
+		// will result in repeated reloads. We should only delete if metadata
+		// changed.
 		delete(result.unloadableFiles, uri)
 	}
 
diff --git a/gopls/internal/lsp/regtest/expectation.go b/gopls/internal/lsp/regtest/expectation.go
index 92fda40..b97b127 100644
--- a/gopls/internal/lsp/regtest/expectation.go
+++ b/gopls/internal/lsp/regtest/expectation.go
@@ -191,6 +191,20 @@
 	}
 }
 
+// ReadLogs is an expectation that may be used with AfterChange or OnceMet
+// conditions to copy logs into the provided slice.
+func ReadLogs(into *[]*protocol.LogMessageParams) Expectation {
+	check := func(s State) Verdict {
+		*into = make([]*protocol.LogMessageParams, len(s.logs))
+		copy(*into, s.logs)
+		return Met
+	}
+	return Expectation{
+		Check:       check,
+		Description: "read logs",
+	}
+}
+
 // NoOutstandingWork asserts that there is no work initiated using the LSP
 // $/progress API that has not completed.
 func NoOutstandingWork() Expectation {
diff --git a/gopls/internal/regtest/diagnostics/diagnostics_test.go b/gopls/internal/regtest/diagnostics/diagnostics_test.go
index de675a5..f9facfc 100644
--- a/gopls/internal/regtest/diagnostics/diagnostics_test.go
+++ b/gopls/internal/regtest/diagnostics/diagnostics_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os/exec"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"golang.org/x/tools/gopls/internal/bug"
@@ -1274,7 +1275,7 @@
 	})
 }
 
-func TestNotifyOrphanedFiles(t *testing.T) {
+func TestOrphanedFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	const files = `
 -- go.mod --
 module mod.com
@@ -1301,9 +1302,43 @@
 			Diagnostics(env.AtRegexp("a/a.go", "x")),
 		)
 		env.OpenFile("a/a_exclude.go")
+
+		countLoads := func(logs []*protocol.LogMessageParams) int {
+			count := 0
+			for _, log := range logs {
+				if strings.Contains(log.Message, `go/packages.Load`) {
+					count++
+				}
+			}
+			return count
+		}
+
+		var before []*protocol.LogMessageParams
 		env.AfterChange(
 			Diagnostics(env.AtRegexp("a/a_exclude.go", "package (a)")),
+			ReadLogs(&before),
 		)
+
+		// Check that orphaned files are not reloaded, by making a change in
+		// a.go file and confirming that the workspace diagnosis did not reload
+		// a_exclude.go.
+		//
+		// Currently, typing in a_exclude.go does result in a reload, because we
+		// aren't precise about which changes could result in an unloadable file
+		// becoming loadable.
+		loads0 := countLoads(before)
+		if loads0 == 0 {
+			t.Fatal("got 0 Load log messages, want at least 1", loads0)
+		}
+		env.RegexpReplace("a/a.go", "package a", "package a // arbitrary comment")
+		var after []*protocol.LogMessageParams
+		env.AfterChange(
+			Diagnostics(env.AtRegexp("a/a_exclude.go", "package (a)")),
+			ReadLogs(&after),
+		)
+		if loads := countLoads(after); loads != loads0 {
+			t.Errorf("got %d Load log messages after change to orphaned file, want %d", loads, loads0)
+		}
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/gopls/internal/regtest/workspace/metadata_test.go b/gopls/internal/regtest/workspace/metadata_test.go
index cd91da8..e5da300 100644
--- a/gopls/internal/regtest/workspace/metadata_test.go
+++ b/gopls/internal/regtest/workspace/metadata_test.go
@@ -59,16 +59,7 @@
 func main() {}
 	`
 
-	WithOptions(
-		// TODO(golang/go#54180): we don't run in 'experimental' mode here, because
-		// with "experimentalUseInvalidMetadata", this test fails because the
-		// orphaned bar.go is diagnosed using stale metadata, and then not
-		// re-diagnosed when new metadata arrives.
-		//
-		// We could fix this by re-running diagnostics after a load, but should
-		// consider whether that is worthwhile.
-		Modes(Default),
-	).Run(t, src, func(t *testing.T, env *Env) {
+	Run(t, src, func(t *testing.T, env *Env) {
 		env.OpenFile("foo.go")
 		env.OpenFile("bar.go")
 		env.OnceMet(