diff --git a/packages/api/src/user.js b/packages/api/src/user.js
index ce432803e6..388075cfa6 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/user.js
+++ b/packages/api/src/user.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import * as JWT from './utils/jwt.js'
 import { JSONResponse } from './utils/json-response.js'
 import { JWT_ISSUER } from './constants.js'
+import { HTTPError } from './errors.js'
 
 /**
  * @typedef { _id: string, issuer: string } User
@@ -210,7 +211,11 @@ export async function userUploadsDelete (request, env) {
   const user = request.auth.user._id
 
   const res = await env.db.deleteUpload(user, cid)
-  return new JSONResponse(res)
+  if (res) {
+    return new JSONResponse(res)
+  }
+
+  throw new HTTPError('Upload not found', 404)
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/db/index.js b/packages/db/index.js
index 14eca63668..ffbb62566d 100644
--- a/packages/db/index.js
+++ b/packages/db/index.js
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ export class DBClient {
       .single()
 
     if (error) {
-      throw new DBError(error)
+      return undefined
     }
 
     return {
diff --git a/packages/db/test/upload.spec.js b/packages/db/test/upload.spec.js
index c77802fbfd..acfa761fed 100644
--- a/packages/db/test/upload.spec.js
+++ b/packages/db/test/upload.spec.js
@@ -190,13 +190,8 @@ describe('upload', () => {
     assert.strictEqual(deletedUpload.updated_at, deletedUpload.deleted_at)
 
     // Should fail to delete again
-    let error
-    try {
-      await client.deleteUpload(user._id, otherCid)
-    } catch (err) {
-      error = err
-    }
-    assert(error, 'should fail to delete upload again')
+    const wasDeletedAgain = await client.deleteUpload(user._id, otherCid)
+    assert.strictEqual(wasDeletedAgain, undefined, 'should fail to delete upload again')
 
     const finalUserUploads = await client.listUploads(user._id)
     assert(finalUserUploads, 'user upload deleted')