diff --git a/internal/services/v1/relationships.go b/internal/services/v1/relationships.go
index cce700a173..b76e5efd6d 100644
--- a/internal/services/v1/relationships.go
+++ b/internal/services/v1/relationships.go
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/authzed/spicedb/pkg/datastore/pagination"
 	"github.com/authzed/spicedb/pkg/genutil/mapz"
 	"github.com/authzed/spicedb/pkg/middleware/consistency"
-	core "github.com/authzed/spicedb/pkg/proto/core/v1"
 	dispatchv1 "github.com/authzed/spicedb/pkg/proto/dispatch/v1"
 	"github.com/authzed/spicedb/pkg/tuple"
 	"github.com/authzed/spicedb/pkg/zedtoken"
@@ -351,12 +350,19 @@ func (ps *permissionServer) DeleteRelationships(ctx context.Context, req *v1.Del
 			return err
 		}
 
-		var deleteMutations []*core.RelationTupleUpdate
+		usagemetrics.SetInContext(ctx, &dispatchv1.ResponseMeta{
+			// One request per precondition and one request for the actual delete.
+			DispatchCount: uint32(len(req.OptionalPreconditions)) + 1,
+		})
 
-		if req.OptionalLimit > 0 {
-			limit := uint64(req.OptionalLimit)
-			deleteMutations = make([]*core.RelationTupleUpdate, 0, limit)
+		if err := checkPreconditions(ctx, rwt, req.OptionalPreconditions); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
+		// If a limit was specified but partial deletion is not allowed, we need to check if the
+		// number of relationships to be deleted exceeds the limit.
+		if req.OptionalLimit > 0 && !req.OptionalAllowPartialDeletions {
+			limit := uint64(req.OptionalLimit)
 			limitPlusOne := limit + 1
 			filter := datastore.RelationshipsFilterFromPublicFilter(req.RelationshipFilter)
 
@@ -366,38 +372,37 @@ func (ps *permissionServer) DeleteRelationships(ctx context.Context, req *v1.Del
 			}
 			defer iter.Close()
 
+			counter := 0
 			for tpl := iter.Next(); tpl != nil; tpl = iter.Next() {
 				if iter.Err() != nil {
 					return ps.rewriteError(ctx, err)
 				}
 
-				if len(deleteMutations) == int(limit) {
-					deletionProgress = v1.DeleteRelationshipsResponse_DELETION_PROGRESS_PARTIAL
-					if !req.OptionalAllowPartialDeletions {
-						return ps.rewriteError(ctx, NewCouldNotTransactionallyDeleteErr(req.RelationshipFilter, req.OptionalLimit))
-					}
-
-					break
+				if counter == int(limit) {
+					return ps.rewriteError(ctx, NewCouldNotTransactionallyDeleteErr(req.RelationshipFilter, req.OptionalLimit))
 				}
 
-				deleteMutations = append(deleteMutations, tuple.Delete(tpl))
+				counter++
 			}
 			iter.Close()
 		}
 
-		usagemetrics.SetInContext(ctx, &dispatchv1.ResponseMeta{
-			// One request per precondition and one request for the actual delete.
-			DispatchCount: uint32(len(req.OptionalPreconditions)) + 1,
-		})
+		// Delete with the specified limit.
+		if req.OptionalLimit > 0 {
+			deleteLimit := uint64(req.OptionalLimit)
+			reachedLimit, err := rwt.DeleteRelationships(ctx, req.RelationshipFilter, options.WithDeleteLimit(&deleteLimit))
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 
-		if err := checkPreconditions(ctx, rwt, req.OptionalPreconditions); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+			if reachedLimit {
+				deletionProgress = v1.DeleteRelationshipsResponse_DELETION_PROGRESS_PARTIAL
+			}
 
-		if len(deleteMutations) > 0 {
-			return rwt.WriteRelationships(ctx, deleteMutations)
+			return nil
 		}
 
+		// Otherwise, kick off an unlimited deletion.
 		_, err := rwt.DeleteRelationships(ctx, req.RelationshipFilter)
 		return err
 	})
diff --git a/internal/services/v1/relationships_test.go b/internal/services/v1/relationships_test.go
index 2683fdfbf4..e3993dc9e0 100644
--- a/internal/services/v1/relationships_test.go
+++ b/internal/services/v1/relationships_test.go
@@ -1122,10 +1122,7 @@ func TestDeleteRelationshipsBeyondLimitPartial(t *testing.T) {
 				})
 				require.NoError(err)
 
-				headRev, err = ds.HeadRevision(context.Background())
-				require.NoError(err)
-
-				afterDelete := readOfType(require, "document", client, zedtoken.MustNewFromRevision(headRev))
+				afterDelete := readOfType(require, "document", client, resp.DeletedAt)
 				require.LessOrEqual(len(beforeDelete)-len(afterDelete), batchSize)
 
 				if i == 0 {