diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepository.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepository.java
index 708773fa7..e330f037c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepository.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepository.java
@@ -168,6 +168,19 @@ public class SimpleJpaRepository<T, ID> implements JpaRepositoryImplementation<T
 	public void delete(T entity) {
 
 		Assert.notNull(entity, "The entity must not be null!");
+
+		Object id = entityInformation.getId(entity);
+		if (id == null) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		T existing = em.find(entityInformation.getJavaType(), id);
+
+		// if the entity to be deleted doesn't exist, delete is a NOOP
+		if (existing == null) {
+			return;
+		}
+
 		em.remove(em.contains(entity) ? entity : em.merge(entity));
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/EclipseLinkNamespaceUserRepositoryTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/EclipseLinkNamespaceUserRepositoryTests.java
index 7fb35b674..c77048f50 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/EclipseLinkNamespaceUserRepositoryTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/EclipseLinkNamespaceUserRepositoryTests.java
@@ -174,6 +174,13 @@ public class EclipseLinkNamespaceUserRepositoryTests extends NamespaceUserReposi
 		super.findByEmptyCollectionOfStrings();
 	}
 
+	@Override
+	@Test
+	@Ignore
+	public void savingUserThrowsAnException() {
+		super.savingUserThrowsAnException();
+	}
+
 	private void assumeNotEclipseLink2_7_2plus() {
 
 		Assume.assumeFalse("Empty collections seem to be broken in EclipseLink 2.7.2+",
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/UserRepositoryTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/UserRepositoryTests.java
index d28602070..2b56b0605 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/UserRepositoryTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/UserRepositoryTests.java
@@ -48,12 +48,11 @@ import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.dao.DataAccessException;
+import org.springframework.dao.DataIntegrityViolationException;
 import org.springframework.dao.IncorrectResultSizeDataAccessException;
 import org.springframework.dao.InvalidDataAccessApiUsageException;
 import org.springframework.data.domain.Example;
 import org.springframework.data.domain.ExampleMatcher;
-import org.springframework.data.domain.ExampleMatcher.GenericPropertyMatcher;
-import org.springframework.data.domain.ExampleMatcher.StringMatcher;
 import org.springframework.data.domain.Page;
 import org.springframework.data.domain.PageImpl;
 import org.springframework.data.domain.PageRequest;
@@ -62,6 +61,7 @@ import org.springframework.data.domain.Slice;
 import org.springframework.data.domain.Sort;
 import org.springframework.data.domain.Sort.Direction;
 import org.springframework.data.domain.Sort.Order;
+import org.springframework.data.domain.ExampleMatcher.*;
 import org.springframework.data.jpa.domain.Specification;
 import org.springframework.data.jpa.domain.sample.Address;
 import org.springframework.data.jpa.domain.sample.Role;
@@ -2211,6 +2211,17 @@ public class UserRepositoryTests {
 		assertThat(repository.findByEmailNativeAddressJdbcStyleParameter("gierke@synyx.de")).isEqualTo(firstUser);
 	}
 
+	@Test() // DATAJPA-1535
+	public void savingUserThrowsAnException() {
+		// if this test fails this means deleteNewInstanceSucceedsByDoingNothing() might actually save the user without the test failing, which would be a bad thing.
+		assertThatThrownBy(() -> repository.save(new User())).isInstanceOf(DataIntegrityViolationException.class);
+	}
+
+	@Test // DATAJPA-1535
+	public void deleteNewInstanceSucceedsByDoingNothing() {
+		repository.delete(new User());
+	}
+
 	private Page<User> executeSpecWithSort(Sort sort) {
 
 		flushTestUsers();
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepositoryUnitTests.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepositoryUnitTests.java
index a300bd62d..32167b669 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepositoryUnitTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/jpa/repository/support/SimpleJpaRepositoryUnitTests.java
@@ -156,4 +156,33 @@ public class SimpleJpaRepositoryUnitTests {
 
 		verify(em).merge(attachedUser);
 	}
+
+	@Test // DATAJPA-1535
+	public void doNothingWhenNewInstanceGetsDeleted() {
+
+		User newUser = new User();
+		newUser.setId(null);
+
+		repo.delete(newUser);
+
+		verify(em, never()).find(any(Class.class), any(Object.class));
+		verify(em, never()).remove(newUser);
+		verify(em, never()).merge(newUser);
+	}
+
+	@Test // DATAJPA-1535
+	public void doNothingWhenNonExistantInstanceGetsDeleted() {
+
+		User newUser = new User();
+		newUser.setId(23);
+
+		when(information.isNew(newUser)).thenReturn(false);
+		when(em.find(User.class,23)).thenReturn(null);
+
+		repo.delete(newUser);
+
+		verify(em, never()).remove(newUser);
+		verify(em, never()).merge(newUser);
+	}
+
 }