diff --git a/app/Actions/Categories/DestroyCategoryAction.php b/app/Actions/Categories/DestroyCategoryAction.php
index 82be14afcc..65cdec2b83 100644
--- a/app/Actions/Categories/DestroyCategoryAction.php
+++ b/app/Actions/Categories/DestroyCategoryAction.php
@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@
 
 namespace App\Actions\Categories;
 
+use App\Exceptions\ModelIsNotDeletable;
 use App\Helpers\Helper;
 use App\Models\Category;
 
 class DestroyCategoryAction
 {
-    static function run(Category $category)
+    static function run(Category $category): bool
     {
         // why do we need to do this?
         // hm,
@@ -20,11 +21,13 @@ class DestroyCategoryAction
             'models as models_count'
         ]);
 
+        // this should give better errors, do we throw down in the model for this one, or move that logic up here?
+        // one of those fat-model vs action things...
         if (!$category->isDeletable()) {
-            return response()->json(
-                Helper::formatStandardApiResponse('error', null, trans('admin/categories/message.assoc_items', ['asset_type' => $category->category_type]))
-            );
+            throw new ModelIsNotDeletable($category);
         }
         $category->delete();
+
+        return true;
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/Exceptions/ModelIsNotDeletable.php b/app/Exceptions/ModelIsNotDeletable.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..31da7914ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Exceptions/ModelIsNotDeletable.php
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Exceptions;
+
+use Exception;
+
+class ModelIsNotDeletable extends Exception
+{
+    //
+}
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Api/CategoriesController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Api/CategoriesController.php
index 98c4f061a4..45cad70cbc 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Api/CategoriesController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Api/CategoriesController.php
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 namespace App\Http\Controllers\Api;
 
+use App\Actions\Categories\DestroyCategoryAction;
+use App\Exceptions\ModelIsNotDeletable;
 use App\Helpers\Helper;
 use App\Http\Controllers\Controller;
 use App\Http\Transformers\CategoriesTransformer;
@@ -209,10 +211,16 @@ class CategoriesController extends Controller
      * @param  int  $id
      * @return \Illuminate\Http\Response
      */
-    public function destroy($id) : JsonResponse
+    public function destroy(Category $category): JsonResponse
     {
         $this->authorize('delete', Category::class);
-
+        try {
+            DestroyCategoryAction::run(category: $category);
+        } catch (ModelIsNotDeletable $e) {
+            return response()->json(
+                Helper::formatStandardApiResponse('error', null, trans('admin/categories/message.assoc_items', ['asset_type' => $category->category_type]))
+            );
+        }
 
         return response()->json(Helper::formatStandardApiResponse('success', null, trans('admin/categories/message.delete.success')));
     }