diff --git a/src/request.ts b/src/request.ts
index cc35599..1380886 100644
--- a/src/request.ts
+++ b/src/request.ts
@@ -118,17 +118,20 @@ export class Request {
     response: Response,
     requestOptions: RequestInit
   ) {
-    let wasDelete =
-      requestOptions.method === "DELETE" &&
-      [204, 200].indexOf(response.status) > -1
-    if (wasDelete) return
-
-    let json
-    try {
-      json = await response.clone().json()
-    } catch (e) {
-      if (response.status === 202) return
-      throw new ResponseError(response, "invalid json", e)
+    const possiblyEmptyResponseStatuses = [202, 204]
+    const possiblyEmpty =
+      possiblyEmptyResponseStatuses.indexOf(response.status) > -1
+
+    let json = null
+
+    if (204 !== response.status) {
+      try {
+        json = await response.clone().json()
+      } catch (e) {
+        if (!possiblyEmpty) {
+          throw new ResponseError(response, "invalid json", e)
+        }
+      }
     }
 
     try {
@@ -144,13 +147,21 @@ export class Request {
 
     if (response.status >= 500) {
       throw new ResponseError(response, "Server Error")
-      // Allow 422 since we specially handle validation errors
-    } else if (response.status !== 422 && json.data === undefined) {
-      if (response.status === 404) {
-        throw new ResponseError(response, "record not found")
-      } else {
-        // Bad JSON, for instance an errors payload
-        throw new ResponseError(response, "invalid json")
+    }
+
+    // Allow 422 since we specially handle validation errors
+    if (response.status !== 422) {
+      if (
+        (json === null ||
+          (json.data === undefined && json.meta === undefined)) &&
+        !possiblyEmpty
+      ) {
+        if (response.status === 404) {
+          throw new ResponseError(response, "record not found")
+        } else {
+          // Bad JSON, for instance an errors payload
+          throw new ResponseError(response, "invalid json")
+        }
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/test/integration/fetch-middleware.test.ts b/test/integration/fetch-middleware.test.ts
index fa0fbda..7ee2859 100644
--- a/test/integration/fetch-middleware.test.ts
+++ b/test/integration/fetch-middleware.test.ts
@@ -76,6 +76,15 @@ const mock500 = () => {
   })
 }
 
+const mock204 = () => {
+  fetchMock.restore()
+
+  fetchMock.mock({
+    matcher: "*",
+    response: { status: 204 }
+  })
+}
+
 const mockSuccess = () => {
   fetchMock.restore()
 
@@ -477,4 +486,50 @@ describe("fetch middleware", () => {
       })
     })
   })
+
+  describe("destroys", () => {
+    describe("on successful response", () => {
+      it("correctly resolves the promise", async () => {
+        const author = new Author()
+        await author.save()
+
+        const success = await author.destroy()
+        expect(success).to.eq(true)
+      })
+
+      it("runs beforeEach hooks", async () => {
+        const author = new Author()
+        await author.save()
+        before = {}
+        expect(before.url).to.eq(undefined)
+
+        const success = await author.destroy()
+        expect(success).to.eq(true)
+        expect(before.url).to.eq("http://example.com/api/v1/authors")
+        expect(before.options).to.deep.eq({
+          credentials: "same-origin",
+          headers: {
+            Accept: "application/vnd.api+json",
+            "CUSTOM-HEADER": "whatever",
+            "Content-Type": "application/vnd.api+json"
+          },
+          method: "DELETE"
+        })
+      })
+
+      it("runs afterEach hooks", async () => {
+        const author = new Author()
+        await author.save()
+        after = {}
+        expect(after.response).to.eq(undefined)
+
+        mock204()
+        const success = await author.destroy()
+        expect(success).to.eq(true)
+
+        expect(after.response).to.not.be.undefined
+        expect(after.response.status).to.eq(204)
+      })
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/test/integration/persistence.test.ts b/test/integration/persistence.test.ts
index 8257f94..1078fce 100644
--- a/test/integration/persistence.test.ts
+++ b/test/integration/persistence.test.ts
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ describe("Model persistence", () => {
 
         fetchMock.mock({
           matcher: "http://example.com/api/v1/people/1",
-          response: new Response({ status: 204 } as any)
+          response: { status: 204 }
         })
       })