diff --git a/lib/PrivateBin.php b/lib/PrivateBin.php
index e7540165..fc69e57c 100644
--- a/lib/PrivateBin.php
+++ b/lib/PrivateBin.php
@@ -334,19 +334,16 @@ class PrivateBin
                 // accessing this property ensures that the paste would be
                 // deleted if it has already expired
                 $burnafterreading = $paste->isBurnafterreading();
-                if ($deletetoken == 'burnafterreading') {
-                    if ($burnafterreading) {
-                        $paste->delete();
-                        $this->_return_message(0, $dataid);
-                    } else {
-                        $this->_return_message(1, 'Paste is not of burn-after-reading type.');
-                    }
+                if (
+                    ($burnafterreading && $deletetoken == 'burnafterreading') ||
+                    Filter::slowEquals($deletetoken, $paste->getDeleteToken())
+                ) {
+                    // Paste exists and deletion token is valid: Delete the paste.
+                    $paste->delete();
+                    $this->_status = 'Paste was properly deleted.';
                 } else {
-                    // Make sure the token is valid.
-                    if (Filter::slowEquals($deletetoken, $paste->getDeleteToken())) {
-                        // Paste exists and deletion token is valid: Delete the paste.
-                        $paste->delete();
-                        $this->_status = 'Paste was properly deleted.';
+                    if (!$burnafterreading && $deletetoken == 'burnafterreading') {
+                        $this->_error = 'Paste is not of burn-after-reading type.';
                     } else {
                         $this->_error = 'Wrong deletion token. Paste was not deleted.';
                     }
@@ -357,6 +354,13 @@ class PrivateBin
         } catch (Exception $e) {
             $this->_error = $e->getMessage();
         }
+        if ($this->_request->isJsonApiCall()) {
+            if (strlen($this->_error)) {
+                $this->_return_message(1, $this->_error);
+            } else {
+                $this->_return_message(0, $dataid);
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tst/JsonApiTest.php b/tst/JsonApiTest.php
index 8579f013..5cf13608 100644
--- a/tst/JsonApiTest.php
+++ b/tst/JsonApiTest.php
@@ -147,10 +147,9 @@ class JsonApiTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $this->assertTrue($this->_model->exists(Helper::getPasteId()), 'paste exists before deleting data');
         $paste = $this->_model->read(Helper::getPasteId());
         $_POST = array(
-            'action'      => 'delete',
+            'pasteid'     => Helper::getPasteId(),
             'deletetoken' => hash_hmac('sha256', Helper::getPasteId(), $paste->meta->salt),
         );
-        $_SERVER['QUERY_STRING']          = Helper::getPasteId();
         $_SERVER['HTTP_X_REQUESTED_WITH'] = 'JSONHttpRequest';
         $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD']        = 'POST';
         ob_start();
diff --git a/tst/PrivateBinTest.php b/tst/PrivateBinTest.php
index 355b3f9d..cebda5a7 100644
--- a/tst/PrivateBinTest.php
+++ b/tst/PrivateBinTest.php
@@ -1047,7 +1047,7 @@ class PrivateBinTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         ob_end_clean();
         $response = json_decode($content, true);
         $this->assertEquals(1, $response['status'], 'outputs status');
-        $this->assertTrue($this->_model->exists(Helper::getPasteId()), 'paste successfully deleted');
+        $this->assertTrue($this->_model->exists(Helper::getPasteId()), 'paste exists after failing to delete data');
     }
 
     /**