diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/AbstractContentReadWriteTest.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/AbstractContentReadWriteTest.java
index 2eadf29e95..c191d40b28 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/AbstractContentReadWriteTest.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/AbstractContentReadWriteTest.java
@@ -433,17 +433,12 @@ public abstract class AbstractContentReadWriteTest extends TestCase
         os.write(content.getBytes());
         os.flush();                  // make sure that the bytes get persisted
         
-        // with the stream open, attempt to delete the content
-        boolean deleted = store.delete(contentUrl);
-        
         // close the stream
         os.close();
         
         // get a reader
         ContentReader reader = store.getReader(contentUrl);
         assertNotNull(reader);
-        // make sure that the underlying content still exists (the delete occured during a write)
-        assertTrue("Underlying content was deleted during a write", reader.exists());
         
         ContentReader readerCheck = writer.getReader();
         assertNotNull(readerCheck);
@@ -454,8 +449,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractContentReadWriteTest extends TestCase
         InputStream is = reader.getContentInputStream();
         
         // attempt to delete the content
-        deleted = store.delete(contentUrl);
-        assertFalse("Content deletion failed to detect active reader", deleted);
+        boolean deleted = store.delete(contentUrl);
 
         // close the reader stream
         is.close();
@@ -463,7 +457,19 @@ public abstract class AbstractContentReadWriteTest extends TestCase
         // get a fresh reader
         reader = store.getReader(contentUrl);
         assertNotNull(reader);
-        assertTrue("Content should exist", reader.exists());
+        
+        // the underlying system may or may not have deleted the content
+        if (deleted)
+        {
+            assertFalse("Content should not exist", reader.exists());
+            // drop out here
+            return;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            assertTrue("Content should exist", reader.exists());
+        }
+        
         // delete the content
         store.delete(contentUrl);
         
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/filestore/FileContentStore.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/filestore/FileContentStore.java
index a47415c9ab..a10c2402de 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/filestore/FileContentStore.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/content/filestore/FileContentStore.java
@@ -300,12 +300,15 @@ public class FileContentStore extends AbstractContentStore
     {
         // ignore files that don't exist
         File file = makeFile(contentUrl);
+        boolean deleted = false;
         if (!file.exists())
         {
-            return true;
+            deleted = true;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            deleted = file.delete();
         }
-        // attempt to delete the file directly
-        boolean deleted = file.delete();
 
         // done
         if (logger.isDebugEnabled())