diff --git a/api/client.go b/api/client.go
index 1330b890..d339da56 100644
--- a/api/client.go
+++ b/api/client.go
@@ -210,15 +210,9 @@ func (c *Client) List(ctx context.Context) (*ListResponse, error) {
 	return &lr, nil
 }
 
-type DeleteProgressFunc func(ProgressResponse) error
-
-func (c *Client) Delete(ctx context.Context, req *DeleteRequest, fn DeleteProgressFunc) error {
-	return c.stream(ctx, http.MethodDelete, "/api/delete", req, func(bts []byte) error {
-		var resp ProgressResponse
-		if err := json.Unmarshal(bts, &resp); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		return fn(resp)
-	})
+func (c *Client) Delete(ctx context.Context, req *DeleteRequest) error {
+	if err := c.do(ctx, http.MethodDelete, "/api/delete", req, nil); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/cmd/cmd.go b/cmd/cmd.go
index ad4e56a9..a40f68b2 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -140,14 +140,10 @@ func DeleteHandler(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	client := api.NewClient()
 
 	request := api.DeleteRequest{Name: args[0]}
-	fn := func(resp api.ProgressResponse) error {
-		fmt.Println(resp.Status)
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	if err := client.Delete(context.Background(), &request, fn); err != nil {
+	if err := client.Delete(context.Background(), &request); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	fmt.Printf("deleted '%s'\n", args[0])
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/server/images.go b/server/images.go
index cd732d7b..8b52a3e6 100644
--- a/server/images.go
+++ b/server/images.go
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ func GetManifest(mp ModelPath) (*ManifestV2, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	if _, err = os.Stat(fp); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("couldn't find model '%s'", mp.GetShortTagname())
+	if _, err = os.Stat(fp); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	var manifest *ManifestV2
@@ -493,12 +493,11 @@ func CreateLayer(f io.ReadSeeker) (*LayerReader, error) {
 	return layer, nil
 }
 
-func DeleteModel(name string, fn func(api.ProgressResponse)) error {
+func DeleteModel(name string) error {
 	mp := ParseModelPath(name)
 
 	manifest, err := GetManifest(mp)
 	if err != nil {
-		fn(api.ProgressResponse{Status: "couldn't retrieve manifest"})
 		return err
 	}
 	deleteMap := make(map[string]bool)
@@ -509,12 +508,10 @@ func DeleteModel(name string, fn func(api.ProgressResponse)) error {
 
 	fp, err := GetManifestPath()
 	if err != nil {
-		fn(api.ProgressResponse{Status: "problem getting manifest path"})
 		return err
 	}
 	err = filepath.Walk(fp, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 		if err != nil {
-			fn(api.ProgressResponse{Status: "problem walking manifest dir"})
 			return err
 		}
 		if !info.IsDir() {
@@ -569,7 +566,6 @@ func DeleteModel(name string, fn func(api.ProgressResponse)) error {
 		log.Printf("couldn't remove manifest file '%s': %v", fp, err)
 		return err
 	}
-	fn(api.ProgressResponse{Status: fmt.Sprintf("deleted '%s'", name)})
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/server/routes.go b/server/routes.go
index 0d7edaf0..1bd361b5 100644
--- a/server/routes.go
+++ b/server/routes.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package server
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log"
 	"net"
@@ -166,20 +167,14 @@ func DeleteModelHandler(c *gin.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	ch := make(chan any)
-	go func() {
-		defer close(ch)
-		fn := func(r api.ProgressResponse) {
-			ch <- r
-		}
-
-		if err := DeleteModel(req.Name, fn); err != nil {
+	if err := DeleteModel(req.Name); err != nil {
+		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			c.JSON(http.StatusNotFound, gin.H{"error": fmt.Sprintf("model '%s' not found", req.Name)})
+		} else {
 			c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{"error": err.Error()})
-			return
 		}
-	}()
-
-	streamResponse(c, ch)
+		return
+	}
 }
 
 func ListModelsHandler(c *gin.Context) {