diff --git a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/action_plan.py b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/action_plan.py
index 79dd5d81a..46e79f443 100644
--- a/watcher/api/controllers/v1/action_plan.py
+++ b/watcher/api/controllers/v1/action_plan.py
@@ -460,6 +460,15 @@ class ActionPlansController(rest.RestController):
         policy.enforce(context, 'action_plan:delete', action_plan,
                        action='action_plan:delete')
 
+        allowed_states = (ap_objects.State.SUCCEEDED,
+                          ap_objects.State.RECOMMENDED,
+                          ap_objects.State.FAILED,
+                          ap_objects.State.SUPERSEDED,
+                          ap_objects.State.CANCELLED)
+        if action_plan.state not in allowed_states:
+            raise exception.DeleteError(
+                state=action_plan.state)
+
         action_plan.soft_delete()
 
     @wsme.validate(types.uuid, [ActionPlanPatchType])
diff --git a/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_actions.py b/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_actions.py
index 282bdd70d..b2246f6b4 100644
--- a/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_actions.py
+++ b/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_actions.py
@@ -296,6 +296,8 @@ class TestListAction(api_base.FunctionalTest):
                 uuid=utils.generate_uuid())
             ap2_action_list.append(action)
 
+        action_plan1.state = objects.action_plan.State.CANCELLED
+        action_plan1.save()
         self.delete('/action_plans/%s' % action_plan1.uuid)
 
         response = self.get_json('/actions')
diff --git a/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_actions_plans.py b/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_actions_plans.py
index 950ece523..a001a99d9 100644
--- a/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_actions_plans.py
+++ b/watcher/tests/api/v1/test_actions_plans.py
@@ -309,6 +309,13 @@ class TestDelete(api_base.FunctionalTest):
         action_plan.destroy()
 
     def test_delete_action_plan_without_action(self):
+        response = self.delete('/action_plans/%s' % self.action_plan.uuid,
+                               expect_errors=True)
+        self.assertEqual(400, response.status_int)
+        self.assertEqual('application/json', response.content_type)
+        self.assertTrue(response.json['error_message'])
+        self.action_plan.state = objects.action_plan.State.SUCCEEDED
+        self.action_plan.save()
         self.delete('/action_plans/%s' % self.action_plan.uuid)
         response = self.get_json('/action_plans/%s' % self.action_plan.uuid,
                                  expect_errors=True)
@@ -320,6 +327,8 @@ class TestDelete(api_base.FunctionalTest):
         action = obj_utils.create_test_action(
             self.context, id=1)
 
+        self.action_plan.state = objects.action_plan.State.SUCCEEDED
+        self.action_plan.save()
         self.delete('/action_plans/%s' % self.action_plan.uuid)
         ap_response = self.get_json('/action_plans/%s' % self.action_plan.uuid,
                                     expect_errors=True)