diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/clientImpl/NamespaceOperationsImpl.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/clientImpl/NamespaceOperationsImpl.java
index 451496ed9c5..2d831f244f0 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/clientImpl/NamespaceOperationsImpl.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/core/clientImpl/NamespaceOperationsImpl.java
@@ -136,6 +136,11 @@ public void create(String namespace)
     }
   }
 
+  // This constant is used to pass information between server and client. When changing this
+  // consider the implication of the client and server processes running slightly different versions
+  // of software. This could cause the server processes to have different values for this constant.
+  public static final String TABLES_EXISTS_IN_NAMESPACE_INDICATOR = "TABLES_PRESENT_IN_NAMESPACE";
+
   @Override
   public void delete(String namespace) throws AccumuloException, AccumuloSecurityException,
       NamespaceNotFoundException, NamespaceNotEmptyException {
@@ -158,6 +163,12 @@ public void delete(String namespace) throws AccumuloException, AccumuloSecurityE
 
     try {
       doNamespaceFateOperation(FateOperation.NAMESPACE_DELETE, args, opts, namespace);
+    } catch (AccumuloException ae) {
+      if (ae.getMessage().contains(TABLES_EXISTS_IN_NAMESPACE_INDICATOR)) {
+        throw new NamespaceNotEmptyException(namespaceId.canonical(), namespace, null, ae);
+      } else {
+        throw ae;
+      }
     } catch (NamespaceExistsException e) {
       // should not happen
       throw new AssertionError(e);
diff --git a/server/manager/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/manager/tableOps/namespace/delete/DeleteNamespace.java b/server/manager/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/manager/tableOps/namespace/delete/DeleteNamespace.java
index df935593f56..9723099dc17 100644
--- a/server/manager/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/manager/tableOps/namespace/delete/DeleteNamespace.java
+++ b/server/manager/src/main/java/org/apache/accumulo/manager/tableOps/namespace/delete/DeleteNamespace.java
@@ -18,8 +18,16 @@
  */
 package org.apache.accumulo.manager.tableOps.namespace.delete;
 
+import java.util.List;
+
+import org.apache.accumulo.core.client.NamespaceNotFoundException;
+import org.apache.accumulo.core.clientImpl.AcceptableThriftTableOperationException;
+import org.apache.accumulo.core.clientImpl.NamespaceOperationsImpl;
+import org.apache.accumulo.core.clientImpl.Namespaces;
 import org.apache.accumulo.core.clientImpl.thrift.TableOperation;
+import org.apache.accumulo.core.clientImpl.thrift.TableOperationExceptionType;
 import org.apache.accumulo.core.data.NamespaceId;
+import org.apache.accumulo.core.data.TableId;
 import org.apache.accumulo.core.fate.Repo;
 import org.apache.accumulo.manager.Manager;
 import org.apache.accumulo.manager.tableOps.ManagerRepo;
@@ -41,7 +49,26 @@ public long isReady(long id, Manager environment) throws Exception {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public Repo<Manager> call(long tid, Manager environment) {
+  public Repo<Manager> call(long tid, Manager environment)
+      throws AcceptableThriftTableOperationException {
+    try {
+      // Namespaces.getTableIds(..) uses the following cache, clear the cache to force
+      // Namespaces.getTableIds(..) to read from zookeeper.
+      environment.getContext().clearTableListCache();
+      // Since we have a write lock on the namespace id and all fate table operations get a read
+      // lock on the namespace id there is no need to worry about a fate operation concurrently
+      // changing table ids in this namespace.
+      List<TableId> tableIdsInNamespace =
+          Namespaces.getTableIds(environment.getContext(), namespaceId);
+      if (!tableIdsInNamespace.isEmpty()) {
+        throw new AcceptableThriftTableOperationException(null, null, TableOperation.DELETE,
+            TableOperationExceptionType.OTHER,
+            NamespaceOperationsImpl.TABLES_EXISTS_IN_NAMESPACE_INDICATOR);
+      }
+    } catch (NamespaceNotFoundException e) {
+      // not expected to happen since we have a write lock on the namespace
+      throw new IllegalStateException(e);
+    }
     environment.getEventCoordinator().event("deleting namespace %s ", namespaceId);
     return new NamespaceCleanUp(namespaceId);
   }
@@ -50,5 +77,4 @@ public Repo<Manager> call(long tid, Manager environment) {
   public void undo(long id, Manager environment) {
     Utils.unreserveNamespace(environment, namespaceId, id, true);
   }
-
 }