diff --git a/command/agent/job_endpoint.go b/command/agent/job_endpoint.go
index be5071f74..ff9f08698 100644
--- a/command/agent/job_endpoint.go
+++ b/command/agent/job_endpoint.go
@@ -327,7 +327,11 @@ func (s *HTTPServer) jobDelete(resp http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request,
 	s.parseRegion(req, &args.Region)
 
 	var out structs.JobDeregisterResponse
-	if err := s.agent.RPC("Job.Deregister", &args, &out); err != nil {
+	err := s.agent.RPC("Job.Deregister", &args, &out)
+	if err != nil {
+		if strings.HasSuffix(err.Error(), "does not exist") {
+			return nil, CodedError(404, err.Error())
+		}
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	setIndex(resp, out.Index)
diff --git a/nomad/job_endpoint.go b/nomad/job_endpoint.go
index bbed6b745..c43afc6d5 100644
--- a/nomad/job_endpoint.go
+++ b/nomad/job_endpoint.go
@@ -389,6 +389,10 @@ func (j *Job) Deregister(args *structs.JobDeregisterRequest, reply *structs.JobD
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if job == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("job %q does not exist", args.JobID)
+	}
+
 	// Commit this update via Raft
 	_, index, err := j.srv.raftApply(structs.JobDeregisterRequestType, args)
 	if err != nil {