diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/DatabaseImpl.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/DatabaseImpl.ts
index 7340d10270..711ff8b127 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/DatabaseImpl.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/db/couch/DatabaseImpl.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
   isDocument,
   RowResponse,
   RowValue,
+  SQLiteDefinition,
   SqlQueryBinding,
 } from "@budibase/types"
 import { getCouchInfo } from "./connections"
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ import { newid } from "../../docIds/newid"
 import { SQLITE_DESIGN_DOC_ID } from "../../constants"
 import { DDInstrumentedDatabase } from "../instrumentation"
 import { checkSlashesInUrl } from "../../helpers"
+import env from "../../environment"
 
 const DATABASE_NOT_FOUND = "Database does not exist."
 
@@ -349,6 +351,17 @@ export class DatabaseImpl implements Database {
 
   async destroy() {
     try {
+      if (env.SQS_SEARCH_ENABLE) {
+        // delete the design document, then run the cleanup operation
+        try {
+          const definition = await this.get<SQLiteDefinition>(
+            SQLITE_DESIGN_DOC_ID
+          )
+          await this.remove(SQLITE_DESIGN_DOC_ID, definition._rev)
+        } finally {
+          await this.sqlCleanup()
+        }
+      }
       return await this.nano().db.destroy(this.name)
     } catch (err: any) {
       // didn't exist, don't worry
diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/environment.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/environment.ts
index 9ade81b9d7..20ff16739f 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/environment.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/environment.ts
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ const environment = {
   API_ENCRYPTION_KEY: getAPIEncryptionKey(),
   COUCH_DB_URL: process.env.COUCH_DB_URL || "http://localhost:4005",
   COUCH_DB_SQL_URL: process.env.COUCH_DB_SQL_URL || "http://localhost:4006",
+  SQS_SEARCH_ENABLE: process.env.SQS_SEARCH_ENABLE,
   COUCH_DB_USERNAME: process.env.COUCH_DB_USER,
   COUCH_DB_PASSWORD: process.env.COUCH_DB_PASSWORD,
   GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID: process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID,
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.ts
index 33a7b28d1e..e73058239b 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.ts
@@ -589,9 +589,6 @@ async function destroyApp(ctx: UserCtx) {
 }
 
 async function preDestroyApp(ctx: UserCtx) {
-  if (env.SQS_SEARCH_ENABLE) {
-    await sdk.tables.sqs.cleanupApp(ctx.params.appId)
-  }
   const { rows } = await getUniqueRows([ctx.params.appId])
   ctx.rowCount = rows.length
 }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/tables/internal/sqs.ts b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/tables/internal/sqs.ts
index 5554d322b4..6e326f896f 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/tables/internal/sqs.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/tables/internal/sqs.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,4 @@
-import {
-  context,
-  SQLITE_DESIGN_DOC_ID,
-  db as dbCore,
-} from "@budibase/backend-core"
+import { context, SQLITE_DESIGN_DOC_ID } from "@budibase/backend-core"
 import {
   FieldType,
   RelationshipFieldMetadata,
@@ -160,18 +156,3 @@ export async function removeTable(table: Table) {
     }
   }
 }
-
-export async function cleanupApp(appId: string) {
-  const db = dbCore.getDB(appId)
-  if (!(await db.exists())) {
-    throw new Error("Cleanup must be preformed before app deletion.")
-  }
-  try {
-    const definition = await db.get<SQLiteDefinition>(SQLITE_DESIGN_DOC_ID)
-    // delete the design document
-    await db.remove(SQLITE_DESIGN_DOC_ID, definition._rev)
-    await db.sqlCleanup()
-  } catch (err: any) {
-    throw new Error(`Unable to cleanup SQS files - ${err.message}`)
-  }
-}