diff --git a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlMetadata.java b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlMetadata.java
index 1005dfb33f7..37e4c35575e 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlMetadata.java
+++ b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlMetadata.java
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ public class MlMetadata implements MetaData.Custom {
 
         private void checkJobIsAvailableForDatafeed(String jobId) {
             Job job = jobs.get(jobId);
-            if (job == null) {
+            if (job == null || job.isDeleted()) {
                 throw ExceptionsHelper.missingJobException(jobId);
             }
             Optional<DatafeedConfig> existingDatafeed = getDatafeedByJobId(jobId);
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlMetadataTests.java b/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlMetadataTests.java
index e7c1e9591da..cd504f8a277 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlMetadataTests.java
+++ b/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlMetadataTests.java
@@ -203,6 +203,15 @@ public class MlMetadataTests extends AbstractSerializingTestCase<MlMetadata> {
         expectThrows(ResourceNotFoundException.class, () -> builder.putDatafeed(datafeedConfig1));
     }
 
+    public void testPutDatafeed_failBecauseJobIsBeingDeleted() {
+        Job job1 = createDatafeedJob().setDeleted(true).build(new Date());
+        DatafeedConfig datafeedConfig1 = createDatafeedConfig("datafeed1", job1.getId()).build();
+        MlMetadata.Builder builder = new MlMetadata.Builder();
+        builder.putJob(job1, false);
+
+        expectThrows(ResourceNotFoundException.class, () -> builder.putDatafeed(datafeedConfig1));
+    }
+
     public void testPutDatafeed_failBecauseDatafeedIdIsAlreadyTaken() {
         Job job1 = createDatafeedJob().build(new Date());
         DatafeedConfig datafeedConfig1 = createDatafeedConfig("datafeed1", job1.getId()).build();