diff --git a/python/ray/serve/_private/replica.py b/python/ray/serve/_private/replica.py
index 61d486c82cf2..607322c5b9ac 100644
--- a/python/ray/serve/_private/replica.py
+++ b/python/ray/serve/_private/replica.py
@@ -727,7 +727,19 @@ async def perform_graceful_shutdown(self):
         # can skip the wait period.
         if self._user_callable_initialized:
             await self._drain_ongoing_requests()
+
+        try:
             await self._user_callable_wrapper.call_destructor()
+        except:  # noqa: E722
+            # We catch a blanket exception since the constructor may still be
+            # running, so instance variables used by the destructor may not exist.
+            if self._user_callable_initialized:
+                logger.exception(
+                    "__del__ ran before replica finished initializing, and "
+                    "raised an exception."
+                )
+            else:
+                logger.exception("__del__ raised an exception.")
 
         await self._metrics_manager.shutdown()
 
@@ -1159,10 +1171,15 @@ async def call_user_method(
     async def call_destructor(self):
         """Explicitly call the `__del__` method of the user callable.
 
-        Calling this multiple times has no effect; only the first call will actually
-        call the destructor.
+        Calling this multiple times has no effect; only the first call will
+        actually call the destructor.
         """
-        self._raise_if_not_initialized("call_destructor")
+        if self._callable is None:
+            logger.info(
+                "This replica has not yet started running user code. "
+                "Skipping __del__."
+            )
+            return
 
         # Only run the destructor once. This is safe because there is no `await` between
         # checking the flag here and flipping it to `True` below.
diff --git a/python/ray/serve/tests/test_api.py b/python/ray/serve/tests/test_api.py
index c246dcfd8436..9fb36047bf7b 100644
--- a/python/ray/serve/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/python/ray/serve/tests/test_api.py
@@ -412,6 +412,52 @@ def g():
     assert requests.get("http://127.0.0.1:8000/app_g").text == "got g"
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_delete_while_initializing(serve_instance):
+    """Test that __del__ runs when a replica terminates while initializing."""
+
+    @ray.remote
+    class Counter:
+        def __init__(self):
+            self.count = 0
+
+        def incr(self):
+            self.count += 1
+
+        def get_count(self) -> int:
+            return self.count
+
+    signal = SignalActor.remote()
+    counter = Counter.remote()
+
+    @serve.deployment(graceful_shutdown_timeout_s=0.01)
+    class HangingStart:
+        async def __init__(
+            self, signal: ray.actor.ActorHandle, counter: ray.actor.ActorHandle
+        ):
+            self.signal = signal
+            self.counter = counter
+            await signal.send.remote()
+            print("HangingStart set the EventHolder.")
+            await asyncio.sleep(10000)
+
+        async def __del__(self):
+            print("Running __del__")
+            await self.counter.incr.remote()
+
+    serve._run(HangingStart.bind(signal, counter), _blocking=False)
+
+    print("Waiting for the deployment to start initialization.")
+    await signal.wait.remote()
+
+    print("Calling serve.delete().")
+    serve.delete(name=SERVE_DEFAULT_APP_NAME)
+
+    # Ensure that __del__ ran once, even though the deployment terminated
+    # during initialization.
+    assert (await counter.get_count.remote()) == 1
+
+
 def test_deployment_name_with_app_name(serve_instance):
     """Test replica name with app name as prefix"""
 
diff --git a/python/ray/serve/tests/unit/test_user_callable_wrapper.py b/python/ray/serve/tests/unit/test_user_callable_wrapper.py
index a9c49a3d1c0b..fb83acf59b81 100644
--- a/python/ray/serve/tests/unit/test_user_callable_wrapper.py
+++ b/python/ray/serve/tests/unit/test_user_callable_wrapper.py
@@ -146,9 +146,6 @@ async def test_calling_methods_before_initialize():
     with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
         await user_callable_wrapper.call_reconfigure(None)
 
-    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError):
-        await user_callable_wrapper.call_destructor()
-
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_basic_class_callable():