diff --git a/cmd/erasure-server-pool-consistency_test.go b/cmd/erasure-server-pool-consistency_test.go
index 29dea2dde..8b21dbc9e 100644
--- a/cmd/erasure-server-pool-consistency_test.go
+++ b/cmd/erasure-server-pool-consistency_test.go
@@ -1442,3 +1442,46 @@ func TestPoolsDeleteObjectsKeepsLatestWithoutDeleteQuorum(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// A delete marker hides the object in every pool. When the versions of an
+// object are in two pools and the set of one of them cannot take a write, the
+// marker goes to the other pool instead of failing the delete. The versions
+// stay below the marker.
+func TestPoolsDeleteMarkerSkipsSetWithoutQuorum(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		name     string
+		degraded int // pool whose set loses drives
+		offline  int
+	}{
+		{"older version readable", 0, 8},
+		{"older version unreadable", 0, 9},
+		{"latest version readable", 1, 8},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			z, bucket := consistencyPools(t)
+			const object = "marker-quorum"
+			v1 := putConsistencyObject(t, z, bucket, object, 0, "v1", ObjectOptions{Versioned: true, MaxParity: true, MTime: time.Now().Add(-time.Hour)})
+			v2 := putConsistencyObject(t, z, bucket, object, 1, "v2", ObjectOptions{Versioned: true, MaxParity: true})
+			set := z.serverPools[tc.degraded].getHashedSet(object)
+			getDisks := set.getDisks
+			disks := append([]StorageAPI(nil), getDisks()...)
+			for i := range tc.offline {
+				disks[i] = nil
+			}
+			set.getDisks = func() []StorageAPI { return disks }
+			defer func() { set.getDisks = getDisks }()
+			if _, err := z.DeleteObject(t.Context(), bucket, object, ObjectOptions{Versioned: true}); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("delete with the set of pool %d without quorum: %v", tc.degraded, err)
+			}
+			set.getDisks = getDisks
+			if _, err := z.GetObjectInfo(t.Context(), bucket, object, ObjectOptions{}); !isErrObjectNotFound(err) && !isErrMethodNotAllowed(err) {
+				t.Errorf("object still readable after the delete: %v", err)
+			}
+			for pool, v := range []ObjectInfo{v1, v2} {
+				if _, err := z.serverPools[pool].GetObjectInfo(t.Context(), bucket, object, ObjectOptions{VersionID: v.VersionID}); err != nil {
+					t.Errorf("pool %d lost version %s: %v", pool, v.VersionID, err)
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/erasure-server-pool.go b/cmd/erasure-server-pool.go
index f4f580785..42211d96a 100644
--- a/cmd/erasure-server-pool.go
+++ b/cmd/erasure-server-pool.go
@@ -1367,6 +1367,21 @@ func (z *erasureServerPools) DeleteObject(ctx context.Context, bucket string, ob
 		return objInfo, err
 	}
 
+	// A delete marker hides the object in every pool. When more than one pool
+	// holds the object, put the marker into the first one with a readable
+	// version whose set can take the write, so that a set without quorum does
+	// not fail the delete while another pool could take the marker.
+	if opts.VersionID == "" && len(noReadQuorumPools) > 1 {
+		for idx, pool := range z.serverPools {
+			if !poolReadable(noReadQuorumPools, idx) || deleteQuorumMissing(pool, object) {
+				continue
+			}
+			objInfo, err = pool.DeleteObject(ctx, bucket, object, opts)
+			objInfo.Name = decodeDirObject(object)
+			return objInfo, err
+		}
+	}
+
 	for _, pool := range z.serverPools {
 		objInfo, err := pool.DeleteObject(ctx, bucket, object, opts)
 		if err != nil && !isErrObjectNotFound(err) && !isErrVersionNotFound(err) {
@@ -1421,6 +1436,16 @@ func deleteQuorumMissing(pool *erasureSets, object string) bool {
 	return countOnlineDisks(disks) < len(disks)/2+1
 }
 
+// poolReadable reports whether pools lists pool idx with a readable version.
+func poolReadable(pools []poolErrs, idx int) bool {
+	for _, pe := range pools {
+		if pe.Index == idx {
+			return pe.Err == nil
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // copyWithoutDeleteQuorum reports whether a pool whose set cannot take a
 // delete holds a copy of object, or of its versionID when set. Only such sets
 // are read.