Index: subversion/libsvn_ra_serf/commit.c
===================================================================
--- subversion/libsvn_ra_serf/commit.c	(revision 1736882)
+++ subversion/libsvn_ra_serf/commit.c	(working copy)
@@ -1415,7 +1415,6 @@
   delete_context_t *delete_ctx;
   svn_ra_serf__handler_t *handler;
   const char *delete_target;
-  svn_error_t *err;
 
   if (USING_HTTPV2_COMMIT_SUPPORT(dir->commit_ctx))
     {
@@ -1449,16 +1448,26 @@
 
   handler->method = "DELETE";
   handler->path = delete_target;
+  handler->no_fail_on_http_failure_status = TRUE;
 
-  err = svn_ra_serf__context_run_one(handler, pool);
-  if (err && err->apr_err == SVN_ERR_RA_DAV_REQUEST_FAILED
-      && handler->sline.code == 400)
+  SVN_ERR(svn_ra_serf__context_run_one(handler, pool));
+  if (handler->sline.code == 400)
     {
-      svn_error_clear(err);
-
       /* Try again with non-standard body to overcome Apache Httpd
          header limit */
       delete_ctx->non_recursive_if = TRUE;
+
+      handler = svn_ra_serf__create_handler(dir->commit_ctx->session, pool);
+
+      handler->response_handler = svn_ra_serf__expect_empty_body;
+      handler->response_baton = handler;
+
+      handler->header_delegate = setup_delete_headers;
+      handler->header_delegate_baton = delete_ctx;
+
+      handler->method = "DELETE";
+      handler->path = delete_target;
+
       handler->body_type = "text/xml";
       handler->body_delegate = create_delete_body;
       handler->body_delegate_baton = delete_ctx;
@@ -1465,9 +1474,10 @@
 
       SVN_ERR(svn_ra_serf__context_run_one(handler, pool));
     }
-  else
-    SVN_ERR(err);
 
+  if (handler->server_error)
+    return svn_ra_serf__server_error_create(handler, pool);
+
   /* 204 No Content: item successfully deleted */
   if (handler->sline.code != 204)
     return svn_error_trace(svn_ra_serf__unexpected_status(handler));