diff --git a/lib/strategyApi.js b/lib/strategyApi.js
index a5ebb8fac0..460889640c 100644
--- a/lib/strategyApi.js
+++ b/lib/strategyApi.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ var strategyDb          = require('./strategyDb');
 var logger              = require('./logger');
 var NameExistsError     = require('./error/NameExistsError');
 var ValidationError     = require('./error/ValidationError');
+var NotFoundError       = require('./error/NotFoundError');
 var validateRequest     = require('./error/validateRequest');
 var extractUser         = require('./extractUser');
 
@@ -23,15 +24,28 @@ module.exports = function (app) {
     });
 
     app.delete('/strategies/:name', function (req, res) {
-        eventStore.create({
-            type: eventType.strategyDeleted,
-            createdBy: extractUser(req),
-            data: {
-                name: req.params.name
-            }
-        })
-            .then(function ()  { res.status(200).end(); })
-            .catch(function () { res.status(500).end(); });
+        var strategyName = req.params.name;
+
+        strategyDb.getStrategy(strategyName)
+            .then(function() {
+                return eventStore.create({
+                    type: eventType.strategyDeleted,
+                    createdBy: extractUser(req),
+                    data: {
+                        name: strategyName
+                    }
+                });
+            })
+            .then(function() {
+                res.status(200).end();
+            })
+            .catch(NotFoundError, function() {
+                res.status(404).end();
+            })
+            .catch(function(err) {
+                logger.error('Could not delete strategy='+strategyName, err);
+                res.status(500).end();
+            });
     });
 
     app.post('/strategies', function (req, res) {
diff --git a/lib/strategyDb.js b/lib/strategyDb.js
index b5c2b4527c..8a0bec2d9b 100644
--- a/lib/strategyDb.js
+++ b/lib/strategyDb.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ var eventStore      = require('./eventStore');
 var eventType       = require('./eventType');
 var logger          = require('./logger');
 var knex            = require('./dbPool');
+var NotFoundError   = require('./error/NotFoundError');
 var STRATEGY_COLUMNS = ['name', 'description', 'parameters_template'];
 
 eventStore.on(eventType.strategyCreated, function (event) {
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ function getStrategy(name) {
 
 function rowToStrategy(row) {
     if (!row) {
-        throw new Error('invalid row');
+        throw new NotFoundError('No strategy found');
     }
 
     return {
diff --git a/test/strategyApiSpec.js b/test/strategyApiSpec.js
index 65a9f28d0e..7882ec64d5 100644
--- a/test/strategyApiSpec.js
+++ b/test/strategyApiSpec.js
@@ -55,7 +55,14 @@ describe('The strategy api', function () {
 
     it('deletes a new strategy', function (done) {
         request
-            .delete('/strategies/deletable')
+            .delete('/strategies/usersWithEmail')
             .expect(200, done);
     });
+
+    it('can\'t delete a strategy that dose not exist', function(done) {
+        request
+            .delete('/strategies/unknown')
+            .expect(404, done);
+    });
+
 });
\ No newline at end of file