diff --git a/cmd/bucket-replication.go b/cmd/bucket-replication.go
index 8b1f6042b..40972f469 100644
--- a/cmd/bucket-replication.go
+++ b/cmd/bucket-replication.go
@@ -192,6 +192,10 @@ func checkReplicateDelete(ctx context.Context, bucket string, dobj ObjectToDelet
 		}
 		return oi.DeleteMarker, false, sync
 	}
+	if oi.ReplicationStatus == replication.Replica {
+		// avoid replicating a replica in bi-directional replication
+		return oi.DeleteMarker, false, sync
+	}
 	tgt := globalBucketTargetSys.GetRemoteTargetClient(ctx, rcfg.RoleArn)
 	// the target online status should not be used here while deciding
 	// whether to replicate deletes as the target could be temporarily down
@@ -241,6 +245,7 @@ func replicateDelete(ctx context.Context, dobj DeletedObjectVersionInfo, objectA
 		})
 		return
 	}
+
 	tgt := globalBucketTargetSys.GetRemoteTargetClient(ctx, rcfg.RoleArn)
 	if tgt == nil {
 		logger.LogIf(ctx, fmt.Errorf("failed to get target for bucket:%s arn:%s", bucket, rcfg.RoleArn))
@@ -276,7 +281,7 @@ func replicateDelete(ctx context.Context, dobj DeletedObjectVersionInfo, objectA
 		} else {
 			versionPurgeStatus = Failed
 		}
-		logger.LogIf(ctx, fmt.Errorf("Unable to replicate delete marker to %s/%s(%s): %w", rcfg.GetDestination().Bucket, dobj.ObjectName, versionID, err))
+		logger.LogIf(ctx, fmt.Errorf("Unable to replicate delete marker to %s/%s(%s): %s", rcfg.GetDestination().Bucket, dobj.ObjectName, versionID, err))
 	} else {
 		if dobj.VersionID == "" {
 			replicationStatus = string(replication.Completed)
@@ -293,14 +298,13 @@ func replicateDelete(ctx context.Context, dobj DeletedObjectVersionInfo, objectA
 	// Update metadata on the delete marker or purge permanent delete if replication success.
 	dobjInfo, err := objectAPI.DeleteObject(ctx, bucket, dobj.ObjectName, ObjectOptions{
 		VersionID:                     versionID,
-		DeleteMarker:                  dobj.DeleteMarker,
 		DeleteMarkerReplicationStatus: replicationStatus,
 		VersionPurgeStatus:            versionPurgeStatus,
 		Versioned:                     globalBucketVersioningSys.Enabled(bucket),
 		VersionSuspended:              globalBucketVersioningSys.Suspended(bucket),
 	})
-	if err != nil {
-		logger.LogIf(ctx, fmt.Errorf("Unable to update replication metadata for %s/%s(%s): %w", bucket, dobj.ObjectName, versionID, err))
+	if err != nil && !isErrVersionNotFound(err) { // VersionNotFound would be reported by pool that object version is missing on.
+		logger.LogIf(ctx, fmt.Errorf("Unable to update replication metadata for %s/%s(%s): %s", bucket, dobj.ObjectName, versionID, err))
 		sendEvent(eventArgs{
 			BucketName: bucket,
 			Object: ObjectInfo{
@@ -648,12 +652,12 @@ func replicateObject(ctx context.Context, objInfo ObjectInfo, objectAPI ObjectLa
 		c := &miniogo.Core{Client: tgt.Client}
 		if _, err = c.CopyObject(ctx, dest.Bucket, object, dest.Bucket, object, getCopyObjMetadata(objInfo, dest), dstOpts); err != nil {
 			replicationStatus = replication.Failed
-			logger.LogIf(ctx, fmt.Errorf("Unable to replicate metadata for object %s/%s(%s): %w", bucket, objInfo.Name, objInfo.VersionID, err))
+			logger.LogIf(ctx, fmt.Errorf("Unable to replicate metadata for object %s/%s(%s): %s", bucket, objInfo.Name, objInfo.VersionID, err))
 		}
 	} else {
 		target, err := globalBucketMetadataSys.GetBucketTarget(bucket, cfg.RoleArn)
 		if err != nil {
-			logger.LogIf(ctx, fmt.Errorf("failed to get target for replication bucket:%s cfg:%s err:%w", bucket, cfg.RoleArn, err))
+			logger.LogIf(ctx, fmt.Errorf("failed to get target for replication bucket:%s cfg:%s err:%s", bucket, cfg.RoleArn, err))
 			sendEvent(eventArgs{
 				EventName:  event.ObjectReplicationNotTracked,
 				BucketName: bucket,
diff --git a/cmd/erasure-object.go b/cmd/erasure-object.go
index 866389265..1a15459fe 100644
--- a/cmd/erasure-object.go
+++ b/cmd/erasure-object.go
@@ -1034,11 +1034,10 @@ func (er erasureObjects) DeleteObject(ctx context.Context, bucket, object string
 	if goi.VersionID != "" {
 		markDelete = true
 	}
+
 	// Default deleteMarker to true if object is under versioning
-	deleteMarker := true
-	if gerr == nil {
-		deleteMarker = goi.VersionID != ""
-	}
+	deleteMarker := opts.Versioned
+
 	if opts.VersionID != "" {
 		// case where replica version needs to be deleted on target cluster
 		if versionFound && opts.DeleteMarkerReplicationStatus == replication.Replica.String() {
@@ -1047,7 +1046,7 @@ func (er erasureObjects) DeleteObject(ctx context.Context, bucket, object string
 		if opts.VersionPurgeStatus.Empty() && opts.DeleteMarkerReplicationStatus == "" {
 			markDelete = false
 		}
-		if opts.DeleteMarker && opts.VersionPurgeStatus == Complete {
+		if opts.VersionPurgeStatus == Complete {
 			markDelete = false
 		}
 		// determine if the version represents an object delete