diff --git a/priv/riak_kv.schema b/priv/riak_kv.schema
index 9e5ac234d..6f3cbc1c1 100644
--- a/priv/riak_kv.schema
+++ b/priv/riak_kv.schema
@@ -298,6 +298,19 @@
   {commented, 2}
 ]}.
 
+%% @doc Deferred reap on failure
+%% Should one or more primaries be unavilable the reap following delete will
+%% not be triggered.  Rather than being ignored, it can be deferred by enabling
+%% defer_reap_on_failure.  This will queue the reap on the reaper untill all
+%% primaries are available.  The reaper queue will be erased on restart, so
+%% further failure may lead to the loss of deferred reaps
+{mapping, "defer_reap_on_failure", "riak_kv.defer_reap_on_failure", [
+  {datatype, flag},
+  {default, on},
+  hidden
+]}.
+
+
 %% @doc Whether to allow node to participate in coverage queries.
 %% This is used as a manual switch to stop nodes in incomplete states
 %% (E.g. doing a full partition repair, or node replace) from participating
diff --git a/src/riak_kv_get_core.erl b/src/riak_kv_get_core.erl
index 811bfa57f..aa8bb5f2c 100644
--- a/src/riak_kv_get_core.erl
+++ b/src/riak_kv_get_core.erl
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
     {delete_repair,
         [{non_neg_integer(), repair_reason()}],
         riak_object:riak_object()} |
-    delete.
+    {delete, riak_object:riak_object()}.
 -type idxresult() :: {non_neg_integer(), result()}.
 -type idx_type() :: [{non_neg_integer, 'primary' | 'fallback'}].
 
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ final_action(GetCore = #getcore{n = N, merged = Merged0, results = Results,
     Action =
         case ReadRepairs of
             [] when ObjState == tombstone, AllResults ->
-                delete;
+                {delete, MObj};
             [] ->
                nop;
             _ when ObjState == tombstone, AllResults ->
diff --git a/src/riak_kv_get_fsm.erl b/src/riak_kv_get_fsm.erl
index 8dd1937fa..8bcec8d4a 100644
--- a/src/riak_kv_get_fsm.erl
+++ b/src/riak_kv_get_fsm.erl
@@ -598,13 +598,13 @@ finalize(StateData=#state{get_core = GetCore, trace = Trace}) ->
     UpdStateData = StateData#state{get_core = UpdGetCore},
 
     case Action of
-        delete ->
-            maybe_delete(UpdStateData);
+        {delete, TombObj} ->
+            maybe_delete(UpdStateData, TombObj);
         {read_repair, Indices, RepairObj} ->
             maybe_read_repair(Indices, RepairObj, UpdStateData);
         {delete_repair, Indices, RepairObj} ->
             maybe_read_repair(Indices, RepairObj, UpdStateData),
-            maybe_delete(UpdStateData);
+            maybe_delete(UpdStateData, RepairObj);
         _Nop ->
             ?DTRACE(Trace, ?C_GET_FSM_FINALIZE, [], ["finalize"]),
             ok
@@ -615,8 +615,10 @@ finalize(StateData=#state{get_core = GetCore, trace = Trace}) ->
 %% Maybe issue deletes if all primary nodes are available.
 %% Get core will only requestion deletion if all vnodes
 %% replies with the same value.
-maybe_delete(StateData=#state{n = N, preflist2=Sent, trace=Trace,
-                              req_id=ReqId, bkey=BKey}) ->
+maybe_delete(
+    StateData=#state{
+        n = N, preflist2=Sent, trace=Trace, req_id=ReqId, bkey=BKey},
+    TombObj) ->
     %% Check sent to a perfect preflist and we can delete
     IdealNodes = [{I, Node} || {{I, Node}, primary} <- Sent],
     NotCustomN = not using_custom_n_val(StateData),
@@ -628,9 +630,27 @@ maybe_delete(StateData=#state{n = N, preflist2=Sent, trace=Trace,
         _ ->
             ?DTRACE(Trace, ?C_GET_FSM_MAYBE_DELETE, [0],
                     ["maybe_delete", "nop"]),
+            maybe_defer_reap(BKey, TombObj),
             nop
     end.
 
+-spec maybe_defer_reap(
+    {riak_object:bucket(), riak_object:key()}, riak_object:object()) -> ok.
+maybe_defer_reap(BKey, TombstoneObj) ->
+    case app_helper:get_env(riak_kv, delete_mode, 3000) of
+        keep ->
+            ok;
+        _ ->
+            case app_helper:get_env(riak_kv, defer_reap_on_failure, true) of
+                true ->
+                    VC = riak_object:vclock(TombstoneObj),
+                    riak_kv_reaper:request_reap(
+                        {BKey, riak_object:delete_hash(VC)});
+                _ ->
+                    ok
+            end
+    end.
+
 using_custom_n_val(#state{n=N, bucket_props=BucketProps}) ->
     case lists:keyfind(n_val, 1, BucketProps) of
         {_, N} ->