diff --git a/moto/s3/models.py b/moto/s3/models.py
index c6baa3f79..ec1ac46dd 100644
--- a/moto/s3/models.py
+++ b/moto/s3/models.py
@@ -477,7 +477,12 @@ class S3Backend(BaseBackend):
     def delete_key(self, bucket_name, key_name):
         key_name = clean_key_name(key_name)
         bucket = self.get_bucket(bucket_name)
-        return bucket.keys.pop(key_name)
+
+        try:
+            bucket.keys.pop(key_name)
+            return True
+        except KeyError:
+            return False
 
     def copy_key(self, src_bucket_name, src_key_name, dest_bucket_name,
                  dest_key_name, storage=None, acl=None, src_version_id=None):
diff --git a/moto/s3/responses.py b/moto/s3/responses.py
index 700561035..5c9711e34 100644
--- a/moto/s3/responses.py
+++ b/moto/s3/responses.py
@@ -305,11 +305,11 @@ class ResponseObject(_TemplateEnvironmentMixin):
         error_names = []
 
         for k in keys:
-            try:
-                key_name = k.firstChild.nodeValue
-                self.backend.delete_key(bucket_name, key_name)
+            key_name = k.firstChild.nodeValue
+            success = self.backend.delete_key(bucket_name, key_name)
+            if success:
                 deleted_names.append(key_name)
-            except KeyError:
+            else:
                 error_names.append(key_name)
 
         return 200, headers, template.render(deleted=deleted_names, delete_errors=error_names)
@@ -520,12 +520,9 @@ class ResponseObject(_TemplateEnvironmentMixin):
             upload_id = query['uploadId'][0]
             self.backend.cancel_multipart(bucket_name, upload_id)
             return 204, headers, ""
-        try:
-            removed_key = self.backend.delete_key(bucket_name, key_name)
-        except KeyError:
-            return 404, headers, ""
+        self.backend.delete_key(bucket_name, key_name)
         template = self.response_template(S3_DELETE_OBJECT_SUCCESS)
-        return 204, headers, template.render(bucket=removed_key)
+        return 204, headers, template.render()
 
     def _complete_multipart_body(self, body):
         ps = minidom.parseString(body).getElementsByTagName('Part')
diff --git a/tests/test_s3/test_s3.py b/tests/test_s3/test_s3.py
index 25668400c..eb68c9ed4 100644
--- a/tests/test_s3/test_s3.py
+++ b/tests/test_s3/test_s3.py
@@ -501,7 +501,8 @@ def test_delete_missing_key():
     conn = boto.connect_s3('the_key', 'the_secret')
     bucket = conn.create_bucket('foobar')
 
-    bucket.delete_key.when.called_with('foobar').should.throw(S3ResponseError)
+    deleted_key = bucket.delete_key("foobar")
+    deleted_key.key.should.equal("foobar")
 
 
 @mock_s3