diff --git a/pkg/registry/core/namespace/storage/storage.go b/pkg/registry/core/namespace/storage/storage.go
index b64a4f4abb0..ac75a9d5dec 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/core/namespace/storage/storage.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/core/namespace/storage/storage.go
@@ -238,8 +238,7 @@ func (r *REST) Delete(ctx context.Context, name string, deleteValidation rest.Va
 
 	// prior to final deletion, we must ensure that finalizers is empty
 	if len(namespace.Spec.Finalizers) != 0 {
-		err = apierrors.NewConflict(api.Resource("namespaces"), namespace.Name, fmt.Errorf("The system is ensuring all content is removed from this namespace.  Upon completion, this namespace will automatically be purged by the system."))
-		return nil, false, err
+		return namespace, false, nil
 	}
 	return r.store.Delete(ctx, name, deleteValidation, options)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/registry/core/namespace/storage/storage_test.go b/pkg/registry/core/namespace/storage/storage_test.go
index 61e3dedee78..ace116a406c 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/core/namespace/storage/storage_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/core/namespace/storage/storage_test.go
@@ -165,12 +165,18 @@ func TestDeleteNamespaceWithIncompleteFinalizers(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := storage.store.Storage.Create(ctx, key, namespace, nil, 0, false); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}
-	if _, _, err := storage.Delete(ctx, "foo", rest.ValidateAllObjectFunc, nil); err == nil {
-		t.Errorf("unexpected no error")
+	obj, immediate, err := storage.Delete(ctx, "foo", rest.ValidateAllObjectFunc, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error")
+	}
+	if immediate {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected immediate flag")
+	}
+	if ns, ok := obj.(*api.Namespace); !ok || obj == nil || ns == nil || ns.Name != namespace.Name {
+		t.Fatalf("object not returned by delete")
 	}
 	// should still exist
-	_, err := storage.Get(ctx, "foo", &metav1.GetOptions{})
-	if err != nil {
+	if _, err := storage.Get(ctx, "foo", &metav1.GetOptions{}); err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}
 }