diff --git a/api/jobs_test.go b/api/jobs_test.go
index d696f2c6e678..a2659a667732 100644
--- a/api/jobs_test.go
+++ b/api/jobs_test.go
@@ -266,8 +266,9 @@ func TestJobs_Deregister(t *testing.T) {
 	assertWriteMeta(t, wm)
 
 	// Attempting delete on non-existing job returns an error
-	if _, _, err = jobs.Deregister("nope", nil); err == nil {
-		t.Fatalf("expected error deregistering job")
+	if _, _, err = jobs.Deregister("nope", nil); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error deregistering job: %v", err)
+
 	}
 
 	// Deleting an existing job works
diff --git a/nomad/job_endpoint.go b/nomad/job_endpoint.go
index eb6205e06e02..87df42a4bdb8 100644
--- a/nomad/job_endpoint.go
+++ b/nomad/job_endpoint.go
@@ -179,9 +179,6 @@ func (j *Job) Deregister(args *structs.JobDeregisterRequest, reply *structs.JobD
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if job == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("job not found")
-	}
 
 	// Commit this update via Raft
 	_, index, err := j.srv.raftApply(structs.JobDeregisterRequestType, args)
@@ -194,7 +191,7 @@ func (j *Job) Deregister(args *structs.JobDeregisterRequest, reply *structs.JobD
 	reply.JobModifyIndex = index
 
 	// If the job is periodic, we don't create an eval.
-	if job.IsPeriodic() {
+	if job != nil && job.IsPeriodic() {
 		return nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/nomad/job_endpoint_test.go b/nomad/job_endpoint_test.go
index 7c313e8d01a9..16131414cba5 100644
--- a/nomad/job_endpoint_test.go
+++ b/nomad/job_endpoint_test.go
@@ -463,6 +463,61 @@ func TestJobEndpoint_Deregister(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestJobEndpoint_Deregister_NonExistent(t *testing.T) {
+	s1 := testServer(t, func(c *Config) {
+		c.NumSchedulers = 0 // Prevent automatic dequeue
+	})
+	defer s1.Shutdown()
+	codec := rpcClient(t, s1)
+	testutil.WaitForLeader(t, s1.RPC)
+
+	// Deregister
+	jobID := "foo"
+	dereg := &structs.JobDeregisterRequest{
+		JobID:        jobID,
+		WriteRequest: structs.WriteRequest{Region: "global"},
+	}
+	var resp2 structs.JobDeregisterResponse
+	if err := msgpackrpc.CallWithCodec(codec, "Job.Deregister", dereg, &resp2); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+	if resp2.JobModifyIndex == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("bad index: %d", resp2.Index)
+	}
+
+	// Lookup the evaluation
+	state := s1.fsm.State()
+	eval, err := state.EvalByID(resp2.EvalID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
+	}
+	if eval == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected eval")
+	}
+	if eval.CreateIndex != resp2.EvalCreateIndex {
+		t.Fatalf("index mis-match")
+	}
+
+	if eval.Priority != structs.JobDefaultPriority {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", eval)
+	}
+	if eval.Type != structs.JobTypeService {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", eval)
+	}
+	if eval.TriggeredBy != structs.EvalTriggerJobDeregister {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", eval)
+	}
+	if eval.JobID != jobID {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", eval)
+	}
+	if eval.JobModifyIndex != resp2.JobModifyIndex {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", eval)
+	}
+	if eval.Status != structs.EvalStatusPending {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: %#v", eval)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestJobEndpoint_Deregister_Periodic(t *testing.T) {
 	s1 := testServer(t, func(c *Config) {
 		c.NumSchedulers = 0 // Prevent automatic dequeue