diff --git a/apps/server/src/api-data/db/db.controller.ts b/apps/server/src/api-data/db/db.controller.ts
index a9eec754c..0ab6035b8 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/api-data/db/db.controller.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/api-data/db/db.controller.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import { resolveDbDirectory } from '../../setup/index.js';
 
 import * as projectService from '../../services/project-service/ProjectService.js';
 import { doesProjectExist, upload, validateProjectFiles } from '../../services/project-service/projectServiceUtils.js';
-import { appStateProvider } from '../../services/app-state-service/AppStateService.js';
 import { oscIntegration } from '../../services/integration-service/OscIntegration.js';
 import { httpIntegration } from '../../services/integration-service/HttpIntegration.js';
 import { DataProvider } from '../../classes/data-provider/DataProvider.js';
@@ -241,28 +240,22 @@ export async function renameProjectFile(req: Request, res: Response<MessageRespo
  *                         or a 500 status with an error message in case of an exception.
  */
 export async function deleteProjectFile(req: Request, res: Response<MessageResponse | ErrorResponse>) {
+  const { filename } = req.params;
   try {
-    const { filename } = req.params;
-
-    const lastLoadedProject = await appStateProvider.getLastLoadedProject();
-
-    if (lastLoadedProject === filename) {
-      return res.status(403).send({ message: 'Cannot delete currently loaded project' });
-    }
-
-    const errors = validateProjectFiles({ filename });
-
-    if (errors.length) {
-      return res.status(409).send({ message: errors.join(', ') });
-    }
-
     await projectService.deleteProjectFile(filename);
 
-    res.status(204).send({
+    res.status(200).send({
       message: `Deleted project ${filename}`,
     });
   } catch (error) {
     const message = getErrorMessage(error);
+    if (message === 'Cannot delete currently loaded project') {
+      return res.status(403).send({ message });
+    }
+    if (message === 'Project file not found') {
+      return res.status(404).send({ message });
+    }
+
     res.status(500).send({ message });
   }
 }
diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/app-state-service/AppStateService.ts b/apps/server/src/services/app-state-service/AppStateService.ts
index 0b66f76a5..9bc5fcebc 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/app-state-service/AppStateService.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/app-state-service/AppStateService.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ class AppState {
     return this.config.data;
   }
 
+  async isLastLoadedProject(projectName: string): Promise<boolean> {
+    const lastLoaded = await this.getLastLoadedProject();
+    return lastLoaded === projectName;
+  }
+
   async getLastLoadedProject(): Promise<string> {
     const data = await this.get();
     return data.lastLoadedProject;
diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/project-service/ProjectService.ts b/apps/server/src/services/project-service/ProjectService.ts
index e98544aa9..e5cb0439b 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/project-service/ProjectService.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/project-service/ProjectService.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import { ensureDirectory, removeFileExtension } from '../../utils/fileManagement
 import { dbModel } from '../../models/dataModel.js';
 import { deleteFile } from '../../utils/parserUtils.js';
 import { switchDb } from '../../setup/loadDb.js';
-import { getPathToProject, getProjectFiles } from './projectServiceUtils.js';
+import { doesProjectExist, getPathToProject, getProjectFiles } from './projectServiceUtils.js';
 import { parseJson } from '../../utils/parser.js';
 import { generateUniqueFileName } from '../../utils/generateUniqueFilename.js';
 
@@ -122,6 +122,15 @@ export async function createProject(filename: string, projectData: ProjectData)
  * Deletes a project file
  */
 export async function deleteProjectFile(filename: string) {
+  const isLastLoadedProject = await appStateProvider.isLastLoadedProject(filename);
+  if (isLastLoadedProject) {
+    throw new Error('Cannot delete currently loaded project');
+  }
+
+  if (!doesProjectExist(filename)) {
+    throw new Error('Project file not found');
+  }
+
   const projectFilePath = getPathToProject(filename);
   await deleteFile(projectFilePath);
 }
diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/project-service/__tests__/ProjectService.test.ts b/apps/server/src/services/project-service/__tests__/ProjectService.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e15f1e968
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/project-service/__tests__/ProjectService.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import { deleteProjectFile } from '../ProjectService.js';
+import { appStateProvider } from '../../app-state-service/AppStateService.js';
+import { doesProjectExist, getPathToProject } from '../projectServiceUtils.js';
+import { Mock } from 'vitest';
+import { deleteFile } from '../../../utils/parserUtils.js';
+
+vi.mock('./appStateProvider');
+vi.mock('./fileSystem');
+vi.mock('../../app-state-service/AppStateService.js', () => ({
+  appStateProvider: {
+    isLastLoadedProject: vi.fn(),
+  },
+}));
+vi.mock('../projectServiceUtils.js', () => ({
+  doesProjectExist: vi.fn(),
+  getPathToProject: vi.fn(),
+}));
+vi.mock('../../../utils/parserUtils.js', () => ({
+  deleteFile: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+describe('deleteProjectFile', () => {
+  it('throws an error if trying to delete the currently loaded project', async () => {
+    (appStateProvider.isLastLoadedProject as Mock).mockResolvedValue(true);
+    await expect(deleteProjectFile('loadedProject')).rejects.toThrow('Cannot delete currently loaded project');
+  });
+
+  it('throws an error if the project file does not exist', async () => {
+    (appStateProvider.isLastLoadedProject as Mock).mockResolvedValue(false);
+    (doesProjectExist as Mock).mockReturnValue(false);
+    await expect(deleteProjectFile('nonexistentProject')).rejects.toThrow('Project file not found');
+  });
+
+  it('deletes the project file successfully', async () => {
+    (appStateProvider.isLastLoadedProject as Mock).mockResolvedValue(false);
+    (doesProjectExist as Mock).mockReturnValue(true);
+    (getPathToProject as Mock).mockReturnValue('/path/to/project');
+    (deleteFile as Mock).mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+
+    await deleteProjectFile('existingProject');
+
+    expect(getPathToProject).toHaveBeenCalledWith('existingProject');
+    expect(deleteFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/path/to/project');
+  });
+});