diff --git a/src/backends/webdav/WebDAVSource.cpp b/src/backends/webdav/WebDAVSource.cpp
index 301ad88a..b1d6debd 100644
--- a/src/backends/webdav/WebDAVSource.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/webdav/WebDAVSource.cpp
@@ -1501,8 +1501,19 @@ void WebDAVSource::removeItem(const string &uid)
         // TODO: match exactly the expected revision, aka ETag,
         // or implement locking.
         // req.addHeader("If-Match", etag);
-        if (req->run()) {
-            break;
+        try {
+            if (req->run()) {
+                break;
+            }
+        } catch (const TransportStatusException &ex) {
+            if (ex.syncMLStatus() == 412) {
+                // Radicale reports 412 'Precondition Failed'. Hmm, okay.
+                // Let's map it to the expected 404.
+                SE_THROW_EXCEPTION_STATUS(TransportStatusException,
+	                                  "object not found (was 412 'Precondition Failed')",
+	                                  SyncMLStatus(404));
+            }
+            throw;
         }
     }
     SE_LOG_DEBUG(NULL, NULL, "remove item status: %s",