diff --git a/command/agent/job_endpoint.go b/command/agent/job_endpoint.go
index ff9f08698..be5071f74 100644
--- a/command/agent/job_endpoint.go
+++ b/command/agent/job_endpoint.go
@@ -327,11 +327,7 @@ func (s *HTTPServer) jobDelete(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request,
 	s.parseRegion(req, &args.Region)
 
 	var out structs.JobDeregisterResponse
-	err := s.agent.RPC("Job.Deregister", &args, &out)
-	if err != nil {
-		if strings.HasSuffix(err.Error(), "does not exist") {
-			return nil, CodedError(404, err.Error())
-		}
+	if err := s.agent.RPC("Job.Deregister", &args, &out); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	setIndex(resp, out.Index)
diff --git a/nomad/job_endpoint.go b/nomad/job_endpoint.go
index c43afc6d5..bbed6b745 100644
--- a/nomad/job_endpoint.go
+++ b/nomad/job_endpoint.go
@@ -389,10 +389,6 @@ func (j *Job) Deregister(args *structs.JobDeregisterRequest, reply *structs.JobD
 		return err
 	}
 
-	if job == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("job %q does not exist", args.JobID)
-	}
-
 	// Commit this update via Raft
 	_, index, err := j.srv.raftApply(structs.JobDeregisterRequestType, args)
 	if err != nil {