diff --git a/packages/openneuro-app/src/scripts/datalad/mutations/delete.jsx b/packages/openneuro-app/src/scripts/datalad/mutations/delete.jsx
index 3e04ace74..fb616b3c2 100644
--- a/packages/openneuro-app/src/scripts/datalad/mutations/delete.jsx
+++ b/packages/openneuro-app/src/scripts/datalad/mutations/delete.jsx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ const DeleteDataset = ({ datasetId, metadata }) => {
                 },
               })
               window.location.replace(
-                `${window.location.origin}/dashboard/datasets`,
+                `${window.location.origin}/search`,
               )
             })}
           >
diff --git a/packages/openneuro-app/src/scripts/dataset/mutations/delete.jsx b/packages/openneuro-app/src/scripts/dataset/mutations/delete.jsx
index dcd93335b..bda5066e3 100644
--- a/packages/openneuro-app/src/scripts/dataset/mutations/delete.jsx
+++ b/packages/openneuro-app/src/scripts/dataset/mutations/delete.jsx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ const DeleteDataset = ({ datasetId, metadata }) => {
                 },
               })
               window.location.replace(
-                `${window.location.origin}/dashboard/datasets`,
+                `${window.location.origin}/search`,
               )
             })}
           >
diff --git a/services/datalad/datalad_service/handlers/dataset.py b/services/datalad/datalad_service/handlers/dataset.py
index 247b9a4fd..4202938fd 100644
--- a/services/datalad/datalad_service/handlers/dataset.py
+++ b/services/datalad/datalad_service/handlers/dataset.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import asyncio
-import os
 
+import aiofiles.os
 import falcon
 import pygit2
 
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ def __init__(self, store):
 
     async def on_get(self, req, resp, dataset):
         ds_path = self.store.get_dataset_path(dataset)
-        if (os.path.isdir(ds_path)):
+        if await aiofiles.os.path.isdir(ds_path):
             dataset_description = {
                 'accession_number': dataset,
             }
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ async def on_get(self, req, resp, dataset):
 
     async def on_post(self, req, resp, dataset):
         ds_path = self.store.get_dataset_path(dataset)
-        if (os.path.isdir(ds_path)):
+        if await aiofiles.os.path.isdir(ds_path):
             resp.media = {'error': 'dataset already exists'}
             resp.status = falcon.HTTP_CONFLICT
         else:
@@ -48,15 +48,12 @@ async def on_post(self, req, resp, dataset):
 
     async def on_delete(self, req, resp, dataset):
         dataset_path = self.store.get_dataset_path(dataset)
-        async def async_delete():
-            await delete_siblings(dataset)
-            await delete_dataset(dataset_path)
 
-        try:
-            # Don't block before responding
-            asyncio.run_task(async_delete())
+        if await aiofiles.os.path.exists(dataset_path):
+            await asyncio.gather(delete_siblings(dataset), delete_dataset(dataset_path))
+
             resp.media = {}
             resp.status = falcon.HTTP_OK
-        except:
-            resp.media = {'error': 'dataset not found'}
+        else:
+            resp.media = {'error': 'dataset does not exist'}
             resp.status = falcon.HTTP_NOT_FOUND
diff --git a/services/datalad/datalad_service/tasks/publish.py b/services/datalad/datalad_service/tasks/publish.py
index 61ae8f43e..2af4fc943 100644
--- a/services/datalad/datalad_service/tasks/publish.py
+++ b/services/datalad/datalad_service/tasks/publish.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import logging
 import os.path
 import re
+from concurrent.futures import ProcessPoolExecutor
 
 import pygit2
 import boto3
@@ -24,6 +25,9 @@
 logger = logging.getLogger('datalad_service.' + __name__)
 
 
+delete_executor = ProcessPoolExecutor(4)
+
+
 def github_sibling(dataset_path, dataset_id):
     """
     Find a GitHub remote or create a new repo and configure the remote.
@@ -110,7 +114,13 @@ def check_remote_has_version(dataset_path, remote, tag):
     return remote_id_A == remote_id_B and tree_id_A == tree_id_B
 
 
-async def delete_s3_sibling(dataset_id):
+def delete_s3_sibling(dataset_id):
+    """Run S3 sibling deletion in another process to avoid blocking any callers"""
+    delete_executor.submit(delete_s3_sibling_executor, dataset_id)
+
+
+def delete_s3_sibling_executor(dataset_id):
+    """Delete all versions of a dataset from S3."""
     try:
         client = boto3.client(
             's3',
@@ -124,8 +134,6 @@ async def delete_s3_sibling(dataset_id):
             versions.extend(response.get('DeleteMarkers', []))
             object_delete_list.extend(
                 [{'VersionId': version['VersionId'], 'Key': version['Key']} for version in versions])
-            # Yield after each request
-            await asyncio.sleep(0)
         for i in range(0, len(object_delete_list), 1000):
             client.delete_objects(
                 Bucket=get_s3_bucket(),
@@ -134,8 +142,6 @@ async def delete_s3_sibling(dataset_id):
                     'Quiet': True
                 }
             )
-            # Yield after each request
-            await asyncio.sleep(0)
     except Exception as e:
         raise Exception(
             f'Attempt to delete dataset {dataset_id} from {get_s3_remote()} has failed. ({e})')
@@ -156,15 +162,8 @@ async def delete_github_sibling(dataset_id):
 
 
 async def delete_siblings(dataset_id):
-    try:
-        await delete_s3_sibling(dataset_id)
-    except:
-        pass
-    await asyncio.sleep(0)
-    try:
-        await delete_github_sibling(dataset_id)
-    except:
-        pass
+    delete_s3_sibling(dataset_id)
+    await delete_github_sibling(dataset_id)
 
 
 def monitor_remote_configs(dataset_path):