diff --git a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionService.java b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionService.java
index 83325f65063..507a67e4378 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionService.java
+++ b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionService.java
@@ -299,22 +299,24 @@ public class ExecutionService extends AbstractComponent {
             record = createWatchRecord(record, ctx, e);
             logWatchRecord(ctx, e);
         } finally {
-            if (ctx.knownWatch() && record != null && ctx.recordExecution()) {
-                try {
-                    if (ctx.overrideRecordOnConflict()) {
-                        historyStore.forcePut(record);
-                    } else {
-                        historyStore.put(record);
+            if (ctx.knownWatch()) {
+                if (record != null && ctx.recordExecution()) {
+                    try {
+                        if (ctx.overrideRecordOnConflict()) {
+                            historyStore.forcePut(record);
+                        } else {
+                            historyStore.put(record);
+                        }
+                    } catch (Exception e) {
+                        logger.error((Supplier<?>) () -> new ParameterizedMessage("failed to update watch record [{}]", ctx.id()), e);
+                        // TODO log watch record in logger, when saving in history store failed, otherwise the info is gone!
                     }
-                } catch (Exception e) {
-                    logger.error((Supplier<?>) () -> new ParameterizedMessage("failed to update watch record [{}]", ctx.id()), e);
-                    // TODO log watch record in logger, when saving in history store failed, otherwise the info is gone!
                 }
-            }
-            try {
-                triggeredWatchStore.delete(ctx.id());
-            } catch (Exception e) {
-                logger.error((Supplier<?>) () -> new ParameterizedMessage("failed to delete triggered watch [{}]", ctx.id()), e);
+                try {
+                    triggeredWatchStore.delete(ctx.id());
+                } catch (Exception e) {
+                    logger.error((Supplier<?>) () -> new ParameterizedMessage("failed to delete triggered watch [{}]", ctx.id()), e);
+                }
             }
             currentExecutions.remove(ctx.watch().id());
             logger.trace("finished [{}]/[{}]", ctx.watch().id(), ctx.id());
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionServiceTests.java b/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionServiceTests.java
index c66c1bfc4c3..05e31ff687a 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionServiceTests.java
+++ b/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/execution/ExecutionServiceTests.java
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.input.Input;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.support.xcontent.XContentSource;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.transform.ExecutableTransform;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.transform.Transform;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.trigger.manual.ManualTriggerEvent;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.trigger.schedule.ScheduleTriggerEvent;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.watch.Payload;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.watch.Watch;
@@ -801,6 +802,45 @@ public class ExecutionServiceTests extends ESTestCase {
         verify(historyStore, times(1)).forcePut(any(WatchRecord.class));
     }
 
+    public void testThatTriggeredWatchDeletionHappensOnlyIfWatchExists() throws Exception {
+        Watch watch = mock(Watch.class);
+        when(watch.id()).thenReturn("_id");
+        GetResponse getResponse = mock(GetResponse.class);
+        when(getResponse.isExists()).thenReturn(true);
+        mockGetWatchResponse(client, "_id", getResponse);
+
+        DateTime now = new DateTime(clock.millis());
+        ScheduleTriggerEvent event = new ScheduleTriggerEvent("_id", now, now);
+        WatchExecutionContext context = ManualExecutionContext.builder(watch, false, new ManualTriggerEvent("foo", event),
+                timeValueSeconds(5)).build();
+
+        // action throttler, no throttling
+        Throttler.Result throttleResult = mock(Throttler.Result.class);
+        when(throttleResult.throttle()).thenReturn(false);
+        ActionThrottler throttler = mock(ActionThrottler.class);
+        when(throttler.throttle("_action", context)).thenReturn(throttleResult);
+
+        // the action
+        Action.Result actionResult = mock(Action.Result.class);
+        when(actionResult.type()).thenReturn("_action_type");
+        when(actionResult.status()).thenReturn(Action.Result.Status.SUCCESS);
+        ExecutableAction action = mock(ExecutableAction.class);
+        when(action.type()).thenReturn("MY_AWESOME_TYPE");
+        when(action.execute("_action", context, payload)).thenReturn(actionResult);
+
+        ActionWrapper actionWrapper = new ActionWrapper("_action", throttler, null, null, action);
+
+        WatchStatus watchStatus = new WatchStatus(now, singletonMap("_action", new ActionStatus(now)));
+
+        when(watch.input()).thenReturn(input);
+        when(watch.condition()).thenReturn(AlwaysCondition.INSTANCE);
+        when(watch.actions()).thenReturn(Arrays.asList(actionWrapper));
+        when(watch.status()).thenReturn(watchStatus);
+
+        executionService.execute(context);
+        verify(triggeredWatchStore, never()).delete(any());
+    }
+
     public void testThatSingleWatchCannotBeExecutedConcurrently() throws Exception {
         WatchExecutionContext ctx = mock(WatchExecutionContext.class);
         Watch watch = mock(Watch.class);