diff --git a/src/PVE/API2/HA/Resources.pm b/src/PVE/API2/HA/Resources.pm
index 5c11d8b..2c62f5e 100644
--- a/src/PVE/API2/HA/Resources.pm
+++ b/src/PVE/API2/HA/Resources.pm
@@ -264,21 +264,11 @@ __PACKAGE__->register_method ({
 
 	my ($sid, $type, $name) = PVE::HA::Config::parse_sid(extract_param($param, 'sid'));
 
-	my $cfg = PVE::HA::Config::read_resources_config();
-
-	# cannot use service_is_ha_managed as it ignores 'ignored' services,
-	# see bug report #1602
-	if (!defined($cfg->{ids}) || !defined($cfg->{ids}->{$sid})) {
+	if (!PVE::HA::Config::service_is_configured($sid)) {
 	    die "cannot delete service '$sid', not HA managed!\n";
 	}
 
-	PVE::HA::Config::lock_ha_domain(sub {
-
-	    $cfg = PVE::HA::Config::read_resources_config();
-	    delete $cfg->{ids}->{$sid} or die "'$sid' not configured!\n";
-	    PVE::HA::Config::write_resources_config($cfg);
-
-	}, "delete resource failed");
+	PVE::HA::Config::delete_service_from_config($sid);
 
 	return undef;
     }});
diff --git a/src/PVE/HA/Config.pm b/src/PVE/HA/Config.pm
index e4b7181..993b456 100644
--- a/src/PVE/HA/Config.pm
+++ b/src/PVE/HA/Config.pm
@@ -288,6 +288,34 @@ my $service_check_ha_state = sub {
     return undef;
 };
 
+# cannot use service_is_ha_managed as it skips 'ignored' services, see bug #1602
+sub service_is_configured {
+    my ($sid) = @_;
+
+    my $conf = read_resources_config();
+    if (defined($conf->{ids}) && defined($conf->{ids}->{$sid})) {
+	return 1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+# graceful, as long as locking + cfs_write works
+sub delete_service_from_config {
+    my ($sid) = @_;
+
+    return 1 if !service_is_configured($sid);
+
+    my $res;
+    PVE::HA::Config::lock_ha_domain(sub {
+	my $conf = read_resources_config();
+	$res = delete $conf->{ids}->{$sid};
+	write_resources_config($conf);
+
+    }, "delete resource failed");
+
+    return !!$res;
+}
+
 sub vm_is_ha_managed {
     my ($vmid, $has_state) = @_;