diff --git a/cmd/bucket-replication.go b/cmd/bucket-replication.go
index 42ad6b670..17a8097dd 100644
--- a/cmd/bucket-replication.go
+++ b/cmd/bucket-replication.go
@@ -568,18 +568,26 @@ func replicateDeleteToTarget(ctx context.Context, dobj DeletedObjectReplicationI
 		return
 	}
 	// early return if already replicated delete marker for existing object replication/ healing delete markers
-	if dobj.DeleteMarkerVersionID != "" && (dobj.OpType == replication.ExistingObjectReplicationType || dobj.OpType == replication.HealReplicationType) {
-		if _, err := tgt.StatObject(ctx, tgt.Bucket, dobj.ObjectName, miniogo.StatObjectOptions{
+	if dobj.DeleteMarkerVersionID != "" {
+		toi, err := tgt.StatObject(ctx, tgt.Bucket, dobj.ObjectName, miniogo.StatObjectOptions{
 			VersionID: versionID,
 			Internal: miniogo.AdvancedGetOptions{
 				ReplicationProxyRequest: "false",
+				ReplicationDeleteMarker: true,
 			},
-		}); isErrMethodNotAllowed(ErrorRespToObjectError(err, dobj.Bucket, dobj.ObjectName)) {
+		})
+		if isErrMethodNotAllowed(ErrorRespToObjectError(err, dobj.Bucket, dobj.ObjectName)) {
 			if dobj.VersionID == "" {
 				rinfo.ReplicationStatus = replication.Completed
 				return
 			}
 		}
+		// mark delete marker replication as failed if target cluster not ready to receive
+		// this request yet (object version not replicated yet)
+		if err != nil && !toi.ReplicationReady {
+			rinfo.ReplicationStatus = replication.Failed
+			return
+		}
 	}
 
 	rmErr := tgt.RemoveObject(ctx, tgt.Bucket, dobj.ObjectName, miniogo.RemoveObjectOptions{
@@ -1897,7 +1905,9 @@ func getProxyTargets(ctx context.Context, bucket, object string, opts ObjectOpti
 	if opts.VersionSuspended {
 		return &madmin.BucketTargets{}
 	}
-
+	if !opts.ProxyRequest {
+		return &madmin.BucketTargets{}
+	}
 	cfg, err := getReplicationConfig(ctx, bucket)
 	if err != nil || cfg == nil {
 		return &madmin.BucketTargets{}
diff --git a/cmd/object-handlers.go b/cmd/object-handlers.go
index 92dd3373a..5957e3c9d 100644
--- a/cmd/object-handlers.go
+++ b/cmd/object-handlers.go
@@ -740,6 +740,15 @@ func (api objectAPIHandlers) headObjectHandler(ctx context.Context, objectAPI Ob
 			}
 			QueueReplicationHeal(ctx, bucket, objInfo)
 		}
+		// do an additional verification whether object exists when opts.DeleteMarker is set by source
+		// cluster as part of delete marker replication
+		if opts.DeleteMarker && opts.ProxyHeaderSet {
+			opts.VersionID = ""
+			goi, gerr := getObjectInfo(ctx, bucket, object, opts)
+			if gerr == nil || goi.VersionID != "" { // object layer returned more info because object is deleted
+				w.Header().Set(xhttp.MinIOTargetReplicationReady, "true")
+			}
+		}
 		writeErrorResponseHeadersOnly(w, toAPIError(ctx, err))
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index d0a48d3fb..976113412 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/minio/highwayhash v1.0.2
 	github.com/minio/kes v0.21.0
 	github.com/minio/madmin-go v1.6.2
-	github.com/minio/minio-go/v7 v7.0.40-0.20220928095841-8848d8affe8a
+	github.com/minio/minio-go/v7 v7.0.41-0.20221013203648-8257e7003b5e
 	github.com/minio/pkg v1.5.2
 	github.com/minio/selfupdate v0.5.0
 	github.com/minio/sha256-simd v1.0.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index a76a54e1a..eae6dee86 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -661,6 +661,8 @@ github.com/minio/md5-simd v1.1.2/go.mod h1:MzdKDxYpY2BT9XQFocsiZf/NKVtR7nkE4RoEp
 github.com/minio/minio-go/v7 v7.0.23/go.mod h1:ei5JjmxwHaMrgsMrn4U/+Nmg+d8MKS1U2DAn1ou4+Do=
 github.com/minio/minio-go/v7 v7.0.40-0.20220928095841-8848d8affe8a h1:COFh7S3tOKmJNYtKKFAuHQFH7MAaXxg4aAluXC9KQgc=
 github.com/minio/minio-go/v7 v7.0.40-0.20220928095841-8848d8affe8a/go.mod h1:nCrRzjoSUQh8hgKKtu3Y708OLvRLtuASMg2/nvmbarw=
+github.com/minio/minio-go/v7 v7.0.41-0.20221013203648-8257e7003b5e h1:Sq8FAHvwrz9x+Nwb1dt9f/BSmje07a6Q5LXdmprff/A=
+github.com/minio/minio-go/v7 v7.0.41-0.20221013203648-8257e7003b5e/go.mod h1:nCrRzjoSUQh8hgKKtu3Y708OLvRLtuASMg2/nvmbarw=
 github.com/minio/pkg v1.1.20/go.mod h1:Xo7LQshlxGa9shKwJ7NzQbgW4s8T/Wc1cOStR/eUiMY=
 github.com/minio/pkg v1.5.2 h1:vyEZ3TroiRGS/qb1XgP9RpK2zhjSWpBPjhNEbIo0pY8=
 github.com/minio/pkg v1.5.2/go.mod h1:koF2J2Ep/zpd//k+3UYdh6ySZKjqzy9C6RCZRX7uRY8=
diff --git a/internal/http/headers.go b/internal/http/headers.go
index a293fb1d0..5ce24d198 100644
--- a/internal/http/headers.go
+++ b/internal/http/headers.go
@@ -187,7 +187,8 @@ const (
 	MinIOSourceReplicationRequest = "X-Minio-Source-Replication-Request"
 	// Header indicates replication reset status.
 	MinIOReplicationResetStatus = "X-Minio-Replication-Reset-Status"
-
+	// Header indicating target cluster can receive delete marker replication requests because object has been replicated
+	MinIOTargetReplicationReady = "X-Minio-Replication-Ready"
 	// Header indiicates last tag update time on source
 	MinIOSourceTaggingTimestamp = "X-Minio-Source-Replication-Tagging-Timestamp"
 	// Header indiicates last rtention update time on source