diff --git a/st2api/st2api/controllers/v1/actions.py b/st2api/st2api/controllers/v1/actions.py
index 1e8bf7c7b5..d1ee3d88b8 100644
--- a/st2api/st2api/controllers/v1/actions.py
+++ b/st2api/st2api/controllers/v1/actions.py
@@ -258,12 +258,22 @@ def delete(self, ref_or_id, requester_user):
                 entry_point=entry_point,
                 metadata_file=metadata_file,
             )
+
+        except PermissionError as e:
+            LOG.error("No permission to delete resource files from disk.")
+            action_db.id = None
+            Action.add_or_update(action_db)
+            abort(http_client.FORBIDDEN, six.text_type(e))
+            return
+
         except Exception as e:
             LOG.error(
-                "Exception encountered during deleting resource files from disk."
+                "Exception encountered during deleting resource files from disk. "
                 "Exception was %s",
                 e,
             )
+            action_db.id = None
+            Action.add_or_update(action_db)
             abort(http_client.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, six.text_type(e))
             return
 
diff --git a/st2api/tests/unit/controllers/v1/test_actions.py b/st2api/tests/unit/controllers/v1/test_actions.py
index cd1d8b555c..af6ad3d91d 100644
--- a/st2api/tests/unit/controllers/v1/test_actions.py
+++ b/st2api/tests/unit/controllers/v1/test_actions.py
@@ -626,6 +626,58 @@ def test_delete(self):
         del_resp = self.__do_delete(self.__get_action_id(post_resp))
         self.assertEqual(del_resp.status_int, 204)
 
+    @mock.patch.object(
+        action_validator, "validate_action", mock.MagicMock(return_value=True)
+    )
+    def test_delete_permission_error_and_action_reregistered_to_database(self):
+        post_resp = self.__do_post(ACTION_1)
+
+        with mock.patch(
+            "st2api.controllers.v1.actions.delete_action_files_from_pack"
+        ) as mock_remove_files:
+            msg = "No permission to delete action files from disk"
+            mock_remove_files.side_effect = PermissionError(msg)
+            del_resp = self.__do_delete(
+                self.__get_action_id(post_resp), expect_errors=True
+            )
+            self.assertEqual(del_resp.status_int, 403)
+            self.assertEqual(del_resp.json["faultstring"], msg)
+
+        # retrieving reregistered action
+        get_resp = self.__do_get_actions_by_url_parameter("name", ACTION_1["name"])
+        expected_uid = post_resp.json["uid"]
+        actual_uid = get_resp.json[0]["uid"]
+        self.assertEqual(actual_uid, expected_uid)
+        action_id = get_resp.json[0]["id"]
+        del_resp = self.__do_delete(action_id)
+        self.assertEqual(del_resp.status_int, 204)
+
+    @mock.patch.object(
+        action_validator, "validate_action", mock.MagicMock(return_value=True)
+    )
+    def test_delete_exception_and_action_reregistered_to_database(self):
+        post_resp = self.__do_post(ACTION_1)
+
+        with mock.patch(
+            "st2api.controllers.v1.actions.delete_action_files_from_pack"
+        ) as mock_remove_files:
+            msg = "Exception encountered during removing files from disk"
+            mock_remove_files.side_effect = Exception(msg)
+            del_resp = self.__do_delete(
+                self.__get_action_id(post_resp), expect_errors=True
+            )
+            self.assertEqual(del_resp.status_int, 500)
+            self.assertEqual(del_resp.json["faultstring"], msg)
+
+        # retrieving reregistered action
+        get_resp = self.__do_get_actions_by_url_parameter("name", ACTION_1["name"])
+        expected_uid = post_resp.json["uid"]
+        actual_uid = get_resp.json[0]["uid"]
+        self.assertEqual(actual_uid, expected_uid)
+        action_id = get_resp.json[0]["id"]
+        del_resp = self.__do_delete(action_id)
+        self.assertEqual(del_resp.status_int, 204)
+
     @mock.patch.object(
         action_validator, "validate_action", mock.MagicMock(return_value=True)
     )