diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/automation.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/automation.ts
index 2e7914f60b..35799e5dee 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/automation.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/automation.ts
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ export async function destroy(ctx: UserCtx<void, DeleteAutomationResponse>) {
   if (
     automation.definition.trigger.stepId === AutomationTriggerStepId.ROW_ACTION
   ) {
-    ctx.throw("Row actions cannot be deleted", 403)
+    ctx.throw("Row actions cannot be deleted", 400)
   }
 
   ctx.body = await sdk.automations.remove(automationId, ctx.params.rev)
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/automation.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/automation.spec.ts
index a82bc68465..8fccb32299 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/automation.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/routes/tests/automation.spec.ts
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ describe("/automations", () => {
         .delete(`/api/automations/${automation._id}/${automation._rev}`)
         .set(config.defaultHeaders())
         .expect("Content-Type", /json/)
-        .expect(403, { message: "Row actions cannot be deleted", status: 403 })
+        .expect(400, { message: "Row actions cannot be deleted", status: 400 })
 
       expect(events.automation.deleted).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     })