diff --git a/cinder/tests/targets/test_lio_driver.py b/cinder/tests/targets/test_lio_driver.py
index 06547a9ed24..f2cb815963b 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/targets/test_lio_driver.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/targets/test_lio_driver.py
@@ -80,6 +80,14 @@ class TestLioAdmDriver(test_tgt.TestTgtAdmDriver):
                           self.fake_volumes_dir,
                           chap_auth)
 
+    def test_delete_target_not_found(self):
+        # NOTE(jdg): This test inherits from the
+        # tgt driver tests, this particular test
+        # is tgt driver specific and does not apply here.
+        # We implement it and pass because if we don't it
+        # calls the parent and fails due to missing mocks.
+        pass
+
     @mock.patch.object(lio.LioAdm, 'create_iscsi_target')
     def test_ensure_export(self, _mock_create):
 
diff --git a/cinder/tests/targets/test_tgt_driver.py b/cinder/tests/targets/test_tgt_driver.py
index efbf599d1ca..306c8b16586 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/targets/test_tgt_driver.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/targets/test_tgt_driver.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from oslo_concurrency import processutils as putils
 from oslo_utils import timeutils
 
 from cinder import context
+from cinder import exception
 from cinder import test
 from cinder import utils
 from cinder.volume import configuration as conf
@@ -237,6 +238,51 @@ class TestTgtAdmDriver(test.TestCase):
                 0,
                 self.fake_volumes_dir))
 
+    @mock.patch('os.path.isfile', return_value=True)
+    @mock.patch('os.path.exists', return_value=True)
+    @mock.patch.object(utils, 'execute')
+    @mock.patch('os.unlink', return_value=None)
+    def test_delete_target_not_found(self,
+                                     mock_unlink,
+                                     mock_exec,
+                                     mock_pathexists,
+                                     mock_isfile):
+        def _fake_execute(*args, **kwargs):
+            raise putils.ProcessExecutionError(
+                exit_code=1,
+                stdout='',
+                stderr='can\'t find the target',
+                cmd='tgt-admin --force --delete')
+
+        def _fake_execute_wrong_message(*args, **kwargs):
+            raise putils.ProcessExecutionError(
+                exit_code=1,
+                stdout='',
+                stderr='this isnt the error your looking for',
+                cmd='tgt-admin --force --delete')
+
+        mock_exec.side_effect = _fake_execute
+
+        test_vol_id = '83c2e877-feed-46be-8435-77884fe55b45'
+        test_vol_name = 'volume-83c2e877-feed-46be-8435-77884fe55b45'
+
+        with mock.patch.object(self.target, '_get_target', return_value=False):
+            self.assertEqual(
+                None,
+                self.target.remove_iscsi_target(
+                    1,
+                    0,
+                    test_vol_id,
+                    test_vol_name))
+
+            mock_exec.side_effect = _fake_execute_wrong_message
+            self.assertRaises(exception.ISCSITargetRemoveFailed,
+                              self.target.remove_iscsi_target,
+                              1,
+                              0,
+                              test_vol_id,
+                              test_vol_name)
+
     def test_create_export(self):
 
         def _fake_execute(*args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/cinder/volume/targets/tgt.py b/cinder/volume/targets/tgt.py
index 9f8878a03e8..3b0c00903a8 100644
--- a/cinder/volume/targets/tgt.py
+++ b/cinder/volume/targets/tgt.py
@@ -389,10 +389,14 @@ class TgtAdm(iscsi.ISCSITarget):
                           iqn,
                           run_as_root=True)
         except putils.ProcessExecutionError as e:
-            LOG.error(_LE("Failed to remove iscsi target for volume "
-                          "id:%(vol_id)s: %(e)s")
-                      % {'vol_id': vol_id, 'e': e})
-            raise exception.ISCSITargetRemoveFailed(volume_id=vol_id)
+            if "can't find the target" in e.stderr:
+                LOG.warning(_LW("Failed target removal because target "
+                                "couldn't be found for iqn: %s."), iqn)
+            else:
+                LOG.error(_LE("Failed to remove iscsi target for volume "
+                              "id:%(vol_id)s: %(e)s"),
+                          {'vol_id': vol_id, 'e': e})
+                raise exception.ISCSITargetRemoveFailed(volume_id=vol_id)
         # NOTE(jdg): There's a bug in some versions of tgt that
         # will sometimes fail silently when using the force flag
         #    https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/tgt/+bug/1305343