diff --git a/packages/runtime/test/transport/relationships.test.ts b/packages/runtime/test/transport/relationships.test.ts
index d54d50287..aed15c564 100644
--- a/packages/runtime/test/transport/relationships.test.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime/test/transport/relationships.test.ts
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ describe("Can Create / Create Relationship", () => {
 
         expect(canCreateRelationshipResponse.isSuccess).toBe(false);
         expect(canCreateRelationshipResponse.message).toBe(
-            "The Identity who created the RelationshipTemplate is currently in the process of deleting itself. Thus, it is not possible to establish a Relationship to it."
+            "The Identity that created the RelationshipTemplate is currently in the process of deleting itself. Thus, it is not possible to establish a Relationship to it."
         );
         expect(canCreateRelationshipResponse.code).toBe("error.transport.relationships.activeIdentityDeletionProcessOfOwnerOfRelationshipTemplate");
 
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ describe("Can Create / Create Relationship", () => {
         });
 
         expect(createRelationshipResponse).toBeAnError(
-            "The Identity who created the RelationshipTemplate is currently in the process of deleting itself. Thus, it is not possible to establish a Relationship to it.",
+            "The Identity that created the RelationshipTemplate is currently in the process of deleting itself. Thus, it is not possible to establish a Relationship to it.",
             "error.transport.relationships.activeIdentityDeletionProcessOfOwnerOfRelationshipTemplate"
         );
     });
diff --git a/packages/transport/src/core/TransportCoreErrors.ts b/packages/transport/src/core/TransportCoreErrors.ts
index fdaa4be58..fcad454ad 100644
--- a/packages/transport/src/core/TransportCoreErrors.ts
+++ b/packages/transport/src/core/TransportCoreErrors.ts
@@ -42,10 +42,17 @@ class Relationships {
         return new CoreError("error.transport.relationships.reactivationAlreadyRequested", message);
     }
 
+    public deletedOwnerOfRelationshipTemplate() {
+        return new CoreError(
+            "error.transport.relationships.deletedOwnerOfRelationshipTemplate",
+            "The Identity that created the RelationshipTemplate has been deleted in the meantime. Thus, it is not possible to establish a Relationship to it."
+        );
+    }
+
     public activeIdentityDeletionProcessOfOwnerOfRelationshipTemplate() {
         return new CoreError(
             "error.transport.relationships.activeIdentityDeletionProcessOfOwnerOfRelationshipTemplate",
-            "The Identity who created the RelationshipTemplate is currently in the process of deleting itself. Thus, it is not possible to establish a Relationship to it."
+            "The Identity that created the RelationshipTemplate is currently in the process of deleting itself. Thus, it is not possible to establish a Relationship to it."
         );
     }
 }
diff --git a/packages/transport/src/modules/relationships/RelationshipsController.ts b/packages/transport/src/modules/relationships/RelationshipsController.ts
index 2be070ded..53cfeee79 100644
--- a/packages/transport/src/modules/relationships/RelationshipsController.ts
+++ b/packages/transport/src/modules/relationships/RelationshipsController.ts
@@ -201,6 +201,10 @@ export class RelationshipsController extends TransportController {
 
         const result = await this.client.canCreateRelationship(peerAddress.toString());
 
+        if (result.isError && result.error.code === "error.platform.recordNotFound" && result.error.message.includes("Identity not found.")) {
+            return Result.fail(TransportCoreErrors.relationships.deletedOwnerOfRelationshipTemplate());
+        }
+
         if (!result.value.canCreate) {
             if (result.value.code === "error.platform.validation.relationship.relationshipToTargetAlreadyExists") {
                 return Result.fail(TransportCoreErrors.relationships.relationshipNotYetDecomposedByPeer());
diff --git a/packages/transport/test/modules/relationships/RelationshipsController.test.ts b/packages/transport/test/modules/relationships/RelationshipsController.test.ts
index f6374444c..a4547bb55 100644
--- a/packages/transport/test/modules/relationships/RelationshipsController.test.ts
+++ b/packages/transport/test/modules/relationships/RelationshipsController.test.ts
@@ -120,15 +120,16 @@ describe("RelationshipsController", function () {
 
             await sender.syncEverything();
 
-            await expect(
-                sender.relationships.canSendRelationship({
-                    template: loadedTemplate,
-                    creationContent: {
-                        mycontent: "request"
-                    }
-                })
-            ).rejects.toThrow(
-                "error.platform.recordNotFound (404): 'Identity not found. Make sure the ID exists and the record is not expired. If a password is required to fetch the record, make sure you passed the correct one.'"
+            const canSendRelationshipResult = await sender.relationships.canSendRelationship({
+                template: loadedTemplate,
+                creationContent: {
+                    mycontent: "request"
+                }
+            });
+            expect(canSendRelationshipResult.isSuccess).toBe(false);
+            expect(canSendRelationshipResult.error.code).toBe("error.transport.relationships.deletedOwnerOfRelationshipTemplate");
+            expect(canSendRelationshipResult.error.message).toContain(
+                "The Identity that created the RelationshipTemplate has been deleted in the meantime. Thus, it is not possible to establish a Relationship to it."
             );
 
             await expect(
@@ -138,9 +139,7 @@ describe("RelationshipsController", function () {
                         mycontent: "request"
                     }
                 })
-            ).rejects.toThrow(
-                "error.platform.recordNotFound (404): 'Identity not found. Make sure the ID exists and the record is not expired. If a password is required to fetch the record, make sure you passed the correct one.'"
-            );
+            ).rejects.toThrow("error.transport.relationships.deletedOwnerOfRelationshipTemplate");
         });
     });