diff --git a/openedx_learning/apps/authoring/publishing/api.py b/openedx_learning/apps/authoring/publishing/api.py
index 801f9505..548130c8 100644
--- a/openedx_learning/apps/authoring/publishing/api.py
+++ b/openedx_learning/apps/authoring/publishing/api.py
@@ -216,10 +216,36 @@ def get_all_drafts(learning_package_id: int, /) -> QuerySet[Draft]:
     )
 
 
-def get_entities_with_unpublished_changes(learning_package_id: int, /) -> QuerySet[PublishableEntity]:
-    return PublishableEntity.objects \
-                            .filter(learning_package_id=learning_package_id) \
-                            .exclude(draft__version=F('published__version'))
+def get_entities_with_unpublished_changes(
+    learning_package_id: int,
+    /,
+    include_deleted_drafts: bool = False
+) -> QuerySet[PublishableEntity]:
+    """
+    Fetch entities that have unpublished changes.
+
+    By default, this excludes soft-deleted drafts but can be included using include_deleted_drafts option.
+    """
+    entities_qs = (
+        PublishableEntity.objects
+        .filter(learning_package_id=learning_package_id)
+        .exclude(draft__version=F('published__version'))
+    )
+
+    if include_deleted_drafts:
+        # This means that we should also return PublishableEntities where the draft
+        # has been soft-deleted, but that deletion has not been published yet. Just
+        # excluding records where the Draft and Published versions don't match won't
+        # be enough here, because that will return soft-deletes that have already
+        # been published (since NULL != NULL in SQL).
+        #
+        # So we explicitly exclude already-published soft-deletes:
+        return entities_qs.exclude(
+            Q(draft__version__isnull=True) & Q(published__version__isnull=True)
+        )
+
+    # Simple case: exclude all entities that have been soft-deleted.
+    return entities_qs.exclude(draft__version__isnull=True)
 
 
 def get_entities_with_unpublished_deletes(learning_package_id: int, /) -> QuerySet[PublishableEntity]:
diff --git a/tests/openedx_learning/apps/authoring/publishing/test_api.py b/tests/openedx_learning/apps/authoring/publishing/test_api.py
index a9e7bf85..421dd66c 100644
--- a/tests/openedx_learning/apps/authoring/publishing/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/openedx_learning/apps/authoring/publishing/test_api.py
@@ -327,6 +327,47 @@ def test_reset_drafts_to_published(self) -> None:
                 pub_version_num
             )
 
+    def test_get_entities_with_unpublished_changes(self) -> None:
+        """Test fetching entities with unpublished changes after soft deletes."""
+        entity = publishing_api.create_publishable_entity(
+            self.learning_package.id,
+            "my_entity",
+            created=self.now,
+            created_by=None,
+        )
+        publishing_api.create_publishable_entity_version(
+            entity.id,
+            version_num=1,
+            title="An Entity 🌴",
+            created=self.now,
+            created_by=None,
+        )
+
+        # Fetch unpublished entities
+        entities = publishing_api.get_entities_with_unpublished_changes(self.learning_package.id)
+        records = list(entities.all())
+        assert len(records) == 1
+        record = records[0]
+        assert record.id == entity.id
+
+        # Initial publish
+        publishing_api.publish_all_drafts(self.learning_package.id)
+
+        # soft-delete entity
+        publishing_api.soft_delete_draft(entity.id)
+        entities = publishing_api.get_entities_with_unpublished_changes(self.learning_package.id)
+        assert len(entities) == 0
+        entities = publishing_api.get_entities_with_unpublished_changes(self.learning_package.id,
+                                                                        include_deleted_drafts=True)
+        assert len(entities) == 1
+
+        # publish soft-delete
+        publishing_api.publish_all_drafts(self.learning_package.id)
+        entities = publishing_api.get_entities_with_unpublished_changes(self.learning_package.id,
+                                                                        include_deleted_drafts=True)
+        # should not return published soft-deleted entities.
+        assert len(entities) == 0
+
     def _get_published_version_num(self, entity: PublishableEntity) -> int | None:
         published_version = publishing_api.get_published_version(entity.id)
         if published_version is not None: