diff --git a/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/snapshots/SharedClusterSnapshotRestoreIT.java b/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/snapshots/SharedClusterSnapshotRestoreIT.java
index 0a0baccb1ad..3c513165234 100644
--- a/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/snapshots/SharedClusterSnapshotRestoreIT.java
+++ b/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/snapshots/SharedClusterSnapshotRestoreIT.java
@@ -1604,10 +1604,11 @@ public class SharedClusterSnapshotRestoreIT extends AbstractSnapshotIntegTestCas
         logger.info("--> execution was blocked on node [{}], trying to delete repository", blockedNode);
 
         try {
-            client.admin().cluster().prepareDeleteRepository("test-repo").execute().get();
+            client.admin().cluster().prepareDeleteRepository(randomFrom("test-repo", "test-*", "*")).execute().actionGet();
             fail("shouldn't be able to delete in-use repository");
         } catch (Exception ex) {
             logger.info("--> in-use repository deletion failed");
+            assertThat(ex.getMessage(), containsString("trying to modify or unregister repository that is currently used"));
         }
 
         logger.info("--> trying to move repository to another location");
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/repositories/RepositoriesService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/repositories/RepositoriesService.java
index 3ee39f53f42..a4940b1d2a6 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/repositories/RepositoriesService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/repositories/RepositoriesService.java
@@ -205,7 +205,6 @@ public class RepositoriesService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent implements C
 
                 @Override
                 public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) {
-                    ensureRepositoryNotInUse(currentState, request.name());
                     Metadata metadata = currentState.metadata();
                     Metadata.Builder mdBuilder = Metadata.builder(currentState.metadata());
                     RepositoriesMetadata repositories = metadata.custom(RepositoriesMetadata.TYPE);
@@ -214,6 +213,7 @@ public class RepositoriesService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent implements C
                         boolean changed = false;
                         for (RepositoryMetadata repositoryMetadata : repositories.repositories()) {
                             if (Regex.simpleMatch(request.name(), repositoryMetadata.name())) {
+                                ensureRepositoryNotInUse(currentState, repositoryMetadata.name());
                                 logger.info("delete repository [{}]", repositoryMetadata.name());
                                 changed = true;
                             } else {
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ public class RepositoriesService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent implements C
 
     private static void ensureRepositoryNotInUse(ClusterState clusterState, String repository) {
         if (isRepositoryInUse(clusterState, repository)) {
-            throw new IllegalStateException("trying to modify or unregister repository that is currently used ");
+            throw new IllegalStateException("trying to modify or unregister repository that is currently used");
         }
     }