diff --git a/web/actions/projects.ts b/web/actions/projects.ts
index 3d1c983a..63319b52 100644
--- a/web/actions/projects.ts
+++ b/web/actions/projects.ts
@@ -555,6 +555,7 @@ export async function deleteService(
 	const reusableBackupIds: string[] = [];
 
 	if (!runningDeployment || !runningDeployment.containerId) {
+		const latestBackupIds: string[] = [];
 		for (const volume of volumes) {
 			const latestBackup = await db
 				.select({ id: volumeBackups.id })
@@ -569,17 +570,19 @@ export async function deleteService(
 				.limit(1)
 				.then((r) => r[0]);
 
-			if (!latestBackup) {
-				throw new Error(
-					"Stateful service must be running long enough to create a recoverable backup before deletion",
-				);
-			}
+			if (latestBackup) latestBackupIds.push(latestBackup.id);
+		}
 
+		if (latestBackupIds.length === volumes.length) {
 			await db
 				.update(volumeBackups)
 				.set({ isDeletionBackup: true })
-				.where(eq(volumeBackups.id, latestBackup.id));
-			reusableBackupIds.push(latestBackup.id);
+				.where(inArray(volumeBackups.id, latestBackupIds));
+			reusableBackupIds.push(...latestBackupIds);
+		} else if (!service.lockedServerId) {
+			throw new Error(
+				"Stateful service must have a locked server or completed backups before deletion",
+			);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/web/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/projects/[slug]/[env]/services/[serviceId]/configuration/page.tsx b/web/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/projects/[slug]/[env]/services/[serviceId]/configuration/page.tsx
index 77e9a995..6e1f93db 100644
--- a/web/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/projects/[slug]/[env]/services/[serviceId]/configuration/page.tsx
+++ b/web/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/projects/[slug]/[env]/services/[serviceId]/configuration/page.tsx
@@ -164,11 +164,12 @@ export default function ConfigurationPage() {
 											<>
 												<br />
 												<br />
-												<span className="font-medium text-destructive">
-													No completed backup is available for every volume.
+												<span className="font-medium text-foreground">
+													This service is not currently running.
 												</span>{" "}
-												Delete will fail unless the service is running so a
-												fresh deletion backup can be created.
+												{service.lockedServerId
+													? "A fresh backup will be created from its stopped volumes before deletion."
+													: "No server or completed backup is available for its volumes, so deletion cannot start."}
 											</>
 										)}
 								</>
diff --git a/web/lib/inngest/functions/service-deletion-workflow.ts b/web/lib/inngest/functions/service-deletion-workflow.ts
index 847359db..15bed589 100644
--- a/web/lib/inngest/functions/service-deletion-workflow.ts
+++ b/web/lib/inngest/functions/service-deletion-workflow.ts
@@ -117,9 +117,16 @@ export const serviceDeletionWorkflow = inngest.createFunction(
 				const createdBackupIds = await step.run(
 					"start-delete-backups",
 					async () => {
-						const deployment = setup.runningDeployment;
-						if (!deployment?.containerId) {
-							throw new Error("No active deployment found for deletion backup");
+						const backupTarget = setup.runningDeployment?.containerId
+							? setup.runningDeployment
+							: setup.service.lockedServerId
+								? {
+										serverId: setup.service.lockedServerId,
+										containerId: null,
+									}
+								: null;
+						if (!backupTarget) {
+							throw new Error("No server found for deletion backup");
 						}
 
 						const ids: string[] = [];
@@ -133,16 +140,16 @@ export const serviceDeletionWorkflow = inngest.createFunction(
 								volumeId: volume.id,
 								volumeName: volume.name,
 								serviceId,
-								serverId: deployment.serverId,
+								serverId: backupTarget.serverId,
 								status: "pending",
 								storagePath,
 								isDeletionBackup: true,
 							});
 
-							await enqueueWork(deployment.serverId, "backup_volume", {
+							await enqueueWork(backupTarget.serverId, "backup_volume", {
 								backupId,
 								serviceId,
-								containerId: deployment.containerId,
+								containerId: backupTarget.containerId,
 								volumeName: volume.name,
 								storagePath,
 								storageConfig: {