diff --git a/weed/util/http/http_global_client_util.go b/weed/util/http/http_global_client_util.go
index 1a78bd412..a4f3941b6 100644
--- a/weed/util/http/http_global_client_util.go
+++ b/weed/util/http/http_global_client_util.go
@@ -144,10 +144,10 @@ func maybeAddAuth(req *http.Request, jwt string) {
 
 func Delete(url string, jwt string) error {
 	req, err := http.NewRequest(http.MethodDelete, url, nil)
-	maybeAddAuth(req, jwt)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	maybeAddAuth(req, jwt)
 	resp, e := GetGlobalHttpClient().Do(req)
 	if e != nil {
 		return e
@@ -172,10 +172,10 @@ func Delete(url string, jwt string) error {
 
 func DeleteProxied(url string, jwt string) (body []byte, httpStatus int, err error) {
 	req, err := http.NewRequest(http.MethodDelete, url, nil)
-	maybeAddAuth(req, jwt)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
+	maybeAddAuth(req, jwt)
 	resp, err := GetGlobalHttpClient().Do(req)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
diff --git a/weed/util/http/http_global_client_util_test.go b/weed/util/http/http_global_client_util_test.go
index cc17301e3..487d23768 100644
--- a/weed/util/http/http_global_client_util_test.go
+++ b/weed/util/http/http_global_client_util_test.go
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ func TestAppendQueryParameter(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
-
 func TestReadUrlAsStreamReturnsGzipReaderError(t *testing.T) {
 	InitGlobalHttpClient()
 
@@ -91,3 +90,27 @@ func TestReadUrlAsStreamReturnsGzipReaderError(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("ReadUrlAsStream returned nil error for invalid gzip response")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestDeleteReturnsInvalidRequestErrorBeforeAddingAuth(t *testing.T) {
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Delete panicked before returning the request error: %v", r)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	if err := Delete("http://[::1", "jwt"); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected invalid request error")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDeleteProxiedReturnsInvalidRequestErrorBeforeAddingAuth(t *testing.T) {
+	defer func() {
+		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("DeleteProxied panicked before returning the request error: %v", r)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	if _, _, err := DeleteProxied("http://[::1", "jwt"); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected invalid request error")
+	}
+}