diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/server/routes/api/index_patterns/register_delete.js b/src/plugins/kibana/server/routes/api/index_patterns/register_delete.js
index cf7b04026bee..38c737bb13ea 100644
--- a/src/plugins/kibana/server/routes/api/index_patterns/register_delete.js
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana/server/routes/api/index_patterns/register_delete.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 const _ = require('lodash');
 const handleESError = require('../../../lib/handle_es_error');
 const getIndexPattern = require('./get_index_pattern');
+const Boom = require('boom');
 
 module.exports = function registerDelete(server) {
   server.route({
@@ -21,9 +22,14 @@ module.exports = function registerDelete(server) {
       if (shouldIncludeTemplate) {
         result = getIndexPattern(patternId, boundCallWithRequest)
         .then((patternResource) => {
+          const templateId = _.get(patternResource, 'data.relationships.template.data.id');
+          if (!templateId) {
+            throw Boom.badRequest('The specified index pattern has no related template to delete');
+          }
+
           return boundCallWithRequest(
             'indices.deleteTemplate',
-            {name: _.get(patternResource, 'data.relationships.template.data.id')}
+            {name: templateId}
           )
           .catch((error) => {
             if (!error.status || error.status !== 404) {
diff --git a/test/unit/api/index_patterns/_del.js b/test/unit/api/index_patterns/_del.js
index 2b3f532e6efa..92ed195945ab 100644
--- a/test/unit/api/index_patterns/_del.js
+++ b/test/unit/api/index_patterns/_del.js
@@ -19,7 +19,15 @@ define(function (require) {
       });
 
       bdd.afterEach(function () {
-        return request.del('/kibana/index_patterns/logstash-*?include=template');
+        return request.del('/kibana/index_patterns/logstash-*')
+        .then(function () {
+          return scenarioManager.client.indices.deleteTemplate({name: 'kibana-logstash-*'})
+          .catch(function (err) {
+            if (err.status !== 404) {
+              throw err;
+            }
+          });
+        });
       });
 
       bdd.it('should return 200 for successful deletion of pattern and template', function () {
@@ -36,6 +44,37 @@ define(function (require) {
           });
       });
 
+      bdd.it('should not delete the template if the include parameter is not sent', function () {
+        return request.del('/kibana/index_patterns/logstash-*')
+          .expect(200)
+          .then(function () {
+            return request.get('/kibana/index_patterns/logstash-*').expect(404);
+          })
+          .then(function () {
+            return scenarioManager.client.indices.getTemplate({name: 'kibana-logstash-*'})
+            .then(function (res) {
+              expect(res['kibana-logstash-*']).to.be.ok();
+            });
+          });
+      });
+
+      bdd.it('should return a 400 if template deletion is requsted for a pattern with no related template', function () {
+        var templatelessPattern = createTestData().indexPatternWithTemplate;
+        delete templatelessPattern.included;
+        delete templatelessPattern.data.relationships;
+
+        return request.del('/kibana/index_patterns/logstash-*?include=template')
+        .then(function () {
+          return request.post('/kibana/index_patterns')
+            .send(templatelessPattern)
+            .expect(201);
+        })
+        .then(function () {
+          return request.del('/kibana/index_patterns/logstash-*?include=template')
+          .expect(400);
+        });
+      });
+
       bdd.it('should return 404 for a non-existent id', function () {
         return request.del('/kibana/index_patterns/doesnotexist?include=template')
           .expect(404);