diff --git a/go/internal/handler/handler.go b/go/internal/handler/handler.go
index 4ba55c3..4462820 100644
--- a/go/internal/handler/handler.go
+++ b/go/internal/handler/handler.go
@@ -342,18 +342,17 @@ func (h *Handler) DeleteAvatar(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	err := h.humanSvc.DeleteAvatar(r.Context(), humanId)
+	human, err := h.humanSvc.GetByID(r.Context(), humanId)
 	if err != nil {
-		flog.Error("failed to delete avatar from human", "error", err)
+		flog.Error("failed to get human by id", "error", err, "humanId", humanId)
 		http.Error(w, "internal server error", http.StatusInternalServerError)
 		return
 	}
 
-	// best-effort, gracefully continue
-	human, err := h.humanSvc.GetByID(r.Context(), humanId)
+	err := h.humanSvc.DeleteAvatar(r.Context(), humanId)
 	if err != nil {
-		flog.Error("failed to get human by id", "error", err, "humanId", humanId)
-		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
+		flog.Error("failed to delete avatar from human", "error", err)
+		http.Error(w, "internal server error", http.StatusInternalServerError)
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -401,6 +400,13 @@ func (h *Handler) UpdateAvatar(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	if err != nil {
 		flog.Error("failed to update human avatar", "error", err, "humanId", humanId)
 		http.Error(w, "internal server error", http.StatusInternalServerError)
+
+		// best effort
+		err = h.depotSvc.Delete(r.Context(), object.ID)
+		if err != nil {
+			flog.Error("best-effort delete of object failed", "error", err)
+		}
+
 		return
 	}