diff --git a/lib/remote_storage/swift.rb b/lib/remote_storage/swift.rb
index 142eacb..0975f79 100644
--- a/lib/remote_storage/swift.rb
+++ b/lib/remote_storage/swift.rb
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ module RemoteStorage
 
     def delete_data(user, directory, key)
       url = url_for_key(user, directory, key)
+      not_found = false
 
       existing_metadata = redis.hgetall "rs:m:#{user}:#{directory}/#{key}"
 
@@ -187,15 +188,22 @@ module RemoteStorage
         server.halt 412, "Precondition Failed" unless required_match == %Q("#{existing_metadata["e"]}")
       end
 
-      do_delete_request(url)
+      begin
+        do_delete_request(url)
+      rescue RestClient::ResourceNotFound
+        not_found = true
+      end
+
       log_size_difference(user, existing_metadata["s"], 0)
       delete_metadata_objects(user, directory, key)
       delete_dir_objects(user, directory)
 
-      server.headers["Etag"] = %Q("#{existing_metadata["e"]}")
-      server.halt 200
-    rescue RestClient::ResourceNotFound
-      server.halt 404, "Not Found"
+      if not_found
+        server.halt 404, "Not Found"
+      else
+        server.headers["Etag"] = %Q("#{existing_metadata["e"]}")
+        server.halt 200
+      end
     end
 
     private
diff --git a/spec/swift/app_spec.rb b/spec/swift/app_spec.rb
index 5c8d24f..38df13d 100644
--- a/spec/swift/app_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/swift/app_spec.rb
@@ -397,14 +397,44 @@ describe "App" do
         last_response.headers["ETag"].must_equal "\"bla\""
       end
 
-      it "returns a 404 when item doesn't exist" do
-        raises_exception = ->(url, headers) { raise RestClient::ResourceNotFound.new }
-        RestClient.stub :delete, raises_exception do
-          delete "/phil/food/steak"
+      context "when item doesn't exist" do
+        before do
+          purge_redis
+
+          put_stub = OpenStruct.new(headers: {
+            etag: "bla",
+            last_modified: "Fri, 04 Mar 2016 12:20:18 GMT"
+          })
+
+          RestClient.stub :put, put_stub do
+            put "/phil/food/steak", "si"
+          end
+
+          raises_exception = ->(url, headers) { raise RestClient::ResourceNotFound.new }
+          RestClient.stub :delete, raises_exception do
+            delete "/phil/food/steak"
+          end
         end
 
-        last_response.status.must_equal 404
-        last_response.body.must_equal "Not Found"
+        it "returns a 404" do
+          last_response.status.must_equal 404
+          last_response.body.must_equal "Not Found"
+        end
+
+        it "deletes any metadata that might still exist" do
+          raises_exception = ->(url, headers) { raise RestClient::ResourceNotFound.new }
+          RestClient.stub :delete, raises_exception do
+            delete "/phil/food/steak"
+          end
+
+          metadata = redis.hgetall "rs:m:phil:food/steak"
+          metadata.must_be_empty
+
+          redis.smembers("rs:m:phil:food/:items").must_be_empty
+          redis.hgetall("rs:m:phil:food/").must_be_empty
+
+          redis.smembers("rs:m:phil:/:items").must_be_empty
+        end
       end
 
       describe "If-Match header" do