diff --git a/server/datastore/datastore_hosts_test.go b/server/datastore/datastore_hosts_test.go
index a615d174c6..7337354711 100644
--- a/server/datastore/datastore_hosts_test.go
+++ b/server/datastore/datastore_hosts_test.go
@@ -136,6 +136,26 @@ func testDeleteHost(t *testing.T, ds kolide.Datastore) {
 	assert.NotNil(t, err)
 }
 
+func testIdempotentDeleteHost(t *testing.T, ds kolide.Datastore) {
+	host, err := ds.NewHost(&kolide.Host{
+		DetailUpdateTime: time.Now(),
+		SeenTime:         time.Now(),
+		NodeKey:          "1",
+		UUID:             "1",
+		HostName:         "foo.local",
+	})
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, host)
+	id := host.ID
+	err = ds.DeleteHost(host.ID)
+
+	host, err = ds.Host(host.ID)
+	assert.NotNil(t, err)
+
+	err = ds.DeleteHost(id)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+}
+
 func testListHost(t *testing.T, ds kolide.Datastore) {
 	hosts := []*kolide.Host{}
 	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
diff --git a/server/datastore/datastore_test.go b/server/datastore/datastore_test.go
index 6d3230c883..8e6ad6a7ef 100644
--- a/server/datastore/datastore_test.go
+++ b/server/datastore/datastore_test.go
@@ -68,4 +68,5 @@ var testFunctions = [...]func(*testing.T, kolide.Datastore){
 	testGenerateHostStatusStatistics,
 	testMarkHostSeen,
 	testDuplicateNewQuery,
+	testIdempotentDeleteHost,
 }
diff --git a/server/datastore/inmem/hosts.go b/server/datastore/inmem/hosts.go
index 28fde68cb0..63490bdf2b 100644
--- a/server/datastore/inmem/hosts.go
+++ b/server/datastore/inmem/hosts.go
@@ -49,11 +49,10 @@ func (d *Datastore) DeleteHost(hid uint) error {
 	d.mtx.Lock()
 	defer d.mtx.Unlock()
 
-	if _, ok := d.hosts[hid]; !ok {
-		return notFound("Host").WithID(hid)
+	if _, ok := d.hosts[hid]; ok {
+		delete(d.hosts, hid)
 	}
 
-	delete(d.hosts, hid)
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/server/datastore/mysql/hosts.go b/server/datastore/mysql/hosts.go
index 0dcadfd514..f5fce72ac2 100644
--- a/server/datastore/mysql/hosts.go
+++ b/server/datastore/mysql/hosts.go
@@ -242,7 +242,11 @@ func (d *Datastore) SaveHost(host *kolide.Host) error {
 }
 
 func (d *Datastore) DeleteHost(hid uint) error {
-	return d.deleteEntity("hosts", hid)
+	_, err := d.db.Exec("DELETE FROM hosts WHERE id = ?", hid)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "deleting host with id %d", hid)
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 // TODO needs test