diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/DelegatingGraphDatabase.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/DelegatingGraphDatabase.java
index 8403c1344..6a02823f0 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/DelegatingGraphDatabase.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/DelegatingGraphDatabase.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package org.springframework.data.neo4j.support;
 import org.neo4j.graphdb.*;
 import org.neo4j.graphdb.index.Index;
 import org.neo4j.graphdb.index.IndexManager;
+import org.neo4j.graphdb.index.RelationshipIndex;
 import org.neo4j.graphdb.index.UniqueFactory;
 import org.neo4j.graphdb.traversal.TraversalDescription;
 import org.neo4j.index.lucene.ValueContext;
@@ -104,14 +105,16 @@ public class DelegatingGraphDatabase implements GraphDatabase {
     private void removeFromIndexes(Node node) {
         final IndexManager indexManager = delegate.index();
         for (String indexName : indexManager.nodeIndexNames()) {
-            indexManager.forNodes(indexName).remove(node);
+            Index<Node> nodeIndex = indexManager.forNodes(indexName);
+            if (nodeIndex.isWriteable()) nodeIndex.remove(node);
         }
     }
 
     private void removeFromIndexes(Relationship relationship) {
         final IndexManager indexManager = delegate.index();
         for (String indexName : indexManager.relationshipIndexNames()) {
-            indexManager.forRelationships(indexName).remove(relationship);
+            RelationshipIndex relationshipIndex = indexManager.forRelationships(indexName);
+            if (relationshipIndex.isWriteable()) relationshipIndex.remove(relationship);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/node/Neo4jHelper.java b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/node/Neo4jHelper.java
index f572b5156..985c91216 100644
--- a/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/node/Neo4jHelper.java
+++ b/spring-data-neo4j/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/neo4j/support/node/Neo4jHelper.java
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@
 package org.springframework.data.neo4j.support.node;
 
 import org.neo4j.graphdb.*;
+import org.neo4j.graphdb.index.Index;
 import org.neo4j.graphdb.index.IndexManager;
+import org.neo4j.graphdb.index.RelationshipIndex;
 import org.neo4j.tooling.GlobalGraphOperations;
 import org.springframework.data.neo4j.support.Neo4jTemplate;
 
@@ -62,8 +64,8 @@ public abstract class Neo4jHelper {
     public static void cleanDb( GraphDatabaseService graphDatabaseService, boolean includeReferenceNode ) {
         Transaction tx = graphDatabaseService.beginTx();
         try {
-            removeNodes(graphDatabaseService, includeReferenceNode);
             clearIndex(graphDatabaseService);
+            removeNodes(graphDatabaseService, includeReferenceNode);
             tx.success();
         } catch(Throwable t) {
             tx.failure();
@@ -99,10 +101,12 @@ public abstract class Neo4jHelper {
     private static void clearIndex(GraphDatabaseService gds) {
         IndexManager indexManager = gds.index();
         for (String ix : indexManager.nodeIndexNames()) {
-            indexManager.forNodes(ix).delete();
+            Index<Node> nodeIndex = indexManager.forNodes(ix);
+            if (nodeIndex.isWriteable()) nodeIndex.delete();
         }
         for (String ix : indexManager.relationshipIndexNames()) {
-            indexManager.forRelationships(ix).delete();
+            RelationshipIndex relationshipIndex = indexManager.forRelationships(ix);
+            if (relationshipIndex.isWriteable()) relationshipIndex.delete();
         }
     }
 }