Embodiments are provided for using metadata presence information to determine when to access a higher-level metadata table. It is determined that an incomplete hit occurred for a line of metadata in a lower-level structure of a processor, the lower-level structure being coupled to a higher-level structure in a hierarchy. It is determined that metadata presence information in a metadata presence table is a match to the line of metadata from the lower-level structure. Responsive to determining the match, it is determined to avoid accessing the higher-level structure of the processor.