diff --git a/src/lib/ae_api/api_delete_object.ts b/src/lib/ae_api/api_delete_object.ts
index 7d37ba98..4a6ef9e8 100644
--- a/src/lib/ae_api/api_delete_object.ts
+++ b/src/lib/ae_api/api_delete_object.ts
@@ -97,9 +97,15 @@ export const delete_object = async function delete_object({
     }
 
     for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= retry_count; attempt++) {
+        // Keep timeout handle at attempt scope so catch can always clear it.
+        let timeoutId: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null;
         try {
             const controller = new AbortController();
-            const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => {
+            // AbortError alone is ambiguous. Track helper-timeout aborts so
+            // caller/navigation aborts can still fail fast with no retry.
+            let did_timeout_abort = false;
+            timeoutId = setTimeout(() => {
+                did_timeout_abort = true;
                 console.error(
                     `API DELETE request timed out after ${timeout}ms.`
                 );
@@ -120,12 +126,48 @@ export const delete_object = async function delete_object({
                 url.toString(),
                 fetchOptions
             ).catch(function (error: any) {
+                if (
+                    error?.name === 'AbortError' ||
+                    error?.name === 'TypeError' ||
+                    error?.message?.includes('aborted')
+                ) {
+                    if (log_lvl > 1) {
+                        console.log(
+                            'API DELETE: Request aborted or browser-terminated.',
+                            error
+                        );
+                    }
+                    return error;
+                }
+
                 console.log(
                     'API DELETE Object *fetch* request was aborted or failed in an unexpected way.',
                     error
                 );
+                return error;
             });
-            clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+            if (timeoutId) clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+
+            // Error object was returned from fetch catch block; decide retry class.
+            if (
+                response instanceof Error ||
+                (response &&
+                    (response.name === 'AbortError' ||
+                        response.name === 'TypeError'))
+            ) {
+                if (response.name === 'AbortError') {
+                    if (did_timeout_abort) {
+                        throw new Error(
+                            `Timeout abort (attempt ${attempt}/${retry_count}) after ${timeout}ms`
+                        );
+                    }
+                    return false;
+                }
+
+                throw new Error(
+                    `Network error (attempt ${attempt}): ${response.message}`
+                );
+            }
 
             if (!response) {
                 throw new Error(
@@ -151,7 +193,13 @@ export const delete_object = async function delete_object({
                     errorBody
                 );
 
-                if (response.status >= 400 && response.status < 404) {
+                // Fail fast on client/auth/validation failures.
+                if (
+                    response.status === 400 ||
+                    response.status === 401 ||
+                    response.status === 403 ||
+                    response.status === 422
+                ) {
                     return false;
                 }
 
@@ -174,6 +222,8 @@ export const delete_object = async function delete_object({
                   ? json.data
                   : json;
         } catch (error) {
+            // Ensure per-attempt timeout is always cleared on failure.
+            if (timeoutId) clearTimeout(timeoutId);
             console.error(`API DELETE error on attempt ${attempt}:`, error);
 
             if (attempt === retry_count) {
@@ -181,9 +231,12 @@ export const delete_object = async function delete_object({
                 return false;
             }
 
-            if (log_lvl) {
-                console.log(`Retrying... (${attempt}/${retry_count})`);
-            }
+            // Backoff before retrying. Caps at 8s to match GET/POST/PATCH policy.
+            const delay_ms = Math.min(2000 * attempt, 8000);
+            console.log(
+                `API DELETE: Retrying in ${delay_ms}ms... (attempt ${attempt}/${retry_count})`
+            );
+            await new Promise<void>((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, delay_ms));
         }
     }
 };