diff --git a/web/src/lib/api/repoSettings.test.ts b/web/src/lib/api/repoSettings.test.ts
index 22667f50c..cbad26c9b 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/api/repoSettings.test.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/api/repoSettings.test.ts
@@ -19,13 +19,19 @@ vi.mock("./write", () => ({ createRecord, putRecord, deleteRecord }));
 vi.mock("./awaitRecord", () => ({ awaitIndexedRecord, awaitDeletedRecord }));
 
 const call = vi.fn(async (_schema: unknown, _options: unknown) => ({ ok: true, data: undefined }));
+const post = vi.fn(
+	async (_name: unknown, _options: { as: null; input: Record<string, unknown> }) => ({
+		ok: true,
+		data: undefined
+	})
+);
 vi.mock("./client", async (importOriginal) => ({
 	...(await importOriginal<typeof import("./client")>()),
 	createBobbinClient: () => ({ xrpc: { call } }) as unknown as BobbinContext
 }));
 vi.mock("./_request", async (importOriginal) => ({
 	...(await importOriginal<typeof import("./_request")>()),
-	serviceClient: () => ({ xrpc: { call } }) as unknown as BobbinContext
+	serviceClient: () => ({ xrpc: { call, post } }) as unknown as BobbinContext
 }));
 
 const api = await import("./repoSettings");
@@ -97,18 +103,18 @@ describe("deleteRepo", () => {
 	const location = {
 		uri: view.uri,
 		knot: "knot.test",
+		name: "core",
 		ownerDid: "did:plc:owner",
 		repoDid: "did:plc:repo",
 		cid: view.cid
 	};
-
 	it("drops the record before the knot repository", async () => {
 		const order: string[] = [];
 		deleteRecord.mockImplementationOnce(async () => {
 			order.push("record");
 			return undefined;
 		});
-		call.mockImplementationOnce(async () => {
+		post.mockImplementationOnce(async () => {
 			order.push("knot");
 			return { ok: true, data: undefined };
 		});
@@ -117,7 +123,9 @@ describe("deleteRepo", () => {
 
 		expect(order).toEqual(["record", "knot"]);
 		expect(deleteRecord).toHaveBeenCalledWith(agent, "sh.tangled.repo", "core", "bafyold");
-		expect(call.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[1]).toEqual({
+		expect(post.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[0]).toBe("sh.tangled.repo.delete");
+		expect(post.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[1]).toEqual({
+			as: null,
 			input: {
 				repo: "did:plc:repo",
 				did: "did:plc:owner",
@@ -128,11 +136,21 @@ describe("deleteRepo", () => {
 		expect(awaitDeletedRecord).toHaveBeenCalled();
 	});
 
+	it("names a repository whose record predates repo DIDs", async () => {
+		await api.deleteRepo(agent, bobbin, { ...location, repoDid: undefined });
+
+		expect(post.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[1]?.input).toEqual({
+			did: "did:plc:owner",
+			name: "core",
+			rkey: "core"
+		});
+	});
+
 	it("reports a knot that refuses after the record is gone", async () => {
-		call.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("repo already exists: core"));
+		post.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("repo already exists: core"));
 
 		await expect(api.deleteRepo(agent, bobbin, location)).rejects.toThrow(
-			/did not delete the repository/
+			/did not delete core/
 		);
 		expect(awaitDeletedRecord).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 	});
@@ -142,14 +160,4 @@ describe("deleteRepo", () => {
 
 		await expect(api.deleteRepo(agent, bobbin, location)).rejects.toThrow(/appview/);
 	});
-
-	it("refuses a repository that has no DID on its knot", async () => {
-		await expect(
-			api.deleteRepo(agent, bobbin, {
-				uri: view.uri,
-				knot: "knot.test",
-				ownerDid: "did:plc:owner"
-			})
-		).rejects.toThrow(/repo DIDs/);
-	});
 });
diff --git a/web/src/lib/api/repoSettings.ts b/web/src/lib/api/repoSettings.ts
index 712a26027..1bb6dbb50 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/api/repoSettings.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/api/repoSettings.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ import { awaitDeletedRecord, awaitIndexedRecord } from "$lib/api/awaitRecord";
 import { serviceClient } from "$lib/api/_request";
 import { createBobbinClient } from "$lib/api/client";
 import { mainSchema as addCollaboratorSchema } from "$lib/api/lexicons/types/sh/tangled/repo/addCollaborator";
-import { mainSchema as deleteRepoSchema } from "$lib/api/lexicons/types/sh/tangled/repo/delete";
+import {
+	mainSchema as deleteRepoSchema,
+	type $input as DeleteRepoInput
+} from "$lib/api/lexicons/types/sh/tangled/repo/delete";
 import { mainSchema as removeCollaboratorSchema } from "$lib/api/lexicons/types/sh/tangled/repo/removeCollaborator";
 import { mainSchema as setDefaultBranchSchema } from "$lib/api/lexicons/types/sh/tangled/repo/setDefaultBranch";
 import type { RecordView, RepoRecord } from "$lib/api/records";
@@ -93,6 +96,7 @@ export const removeCollaborator = async (
 export interface RepoLocation {
 	uri: string;
 	knot: string;
+	name: string;
 	ownerDid: string;
 	repoDid?: string;
 	cid?: Cid;
@@ -103,26 +107,24 @@ export const deleteRepo = async (
 	bobbinUrl: string,
 	repo: RepoLocation
 ): Promise<void> => {
-	if (!repo.repoDid) {
-		throw new Error("This repository predates repo DIDs and cannot be deleted here.");
-	}
 	const rkey = rkeyFromUri(repo.uri);
 	await deleteRecord(agent, REPO_COLLECTION, rkey, repo.cid);
 	try {
 		await ok(
-			serviceClient(agent, repo.knot).xrpc.call(deleteRepoSchema, {
+			serviceClient(agent, repo.knot).xrpc.post(deleteRepoSchema.nsid, {
+				as: null,
 				input: {
-					repo: didOf(repo.repoDid),
 					did: didOf(repo.ownerDid),
-					name: rkey,
-					rkey: recordKeyOf(rkey)
-				}
+					name: repo.name,
+					rkey: recordKeyOf(rkey),
+					...(repo.repoDid ? { repo: didOf(repo.repoDid) } : {})
+				} as DeleteRepoInput
 			})
 		);
 	} catch (cause) {
 		const detail = cause instanceof Error ? cause.message : String(cause);
 		throw new Error(
-			`The record is gone, but ${repo.knot} did not delete the repository: ${detail}`,
+			`The record is gone, but ${repo.knot} did not delete ${repo.name}: ${detail}`,
 			{ cause }
 		);
 	}