diff --git a/pkg/operator/ceph/object/bucket/provisioner.go b/pkg/operator/ceph/object/bucket/provisioner.go
index aa902fde6..17d8efca5 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/ceph/object/bucket/provisioner.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/ceph/object/bucket/provisioner.go
@@ -94,11 +94,13 @@ func (p Provisioner) Provision(options *apibkt.BucketOptions) (*bktv1alpha1.Obje
 	if err != nil {
 		err = errors.Wrapf(err, "error creating bucket %q", p.bucketName)
 		logger.Errorf(err.Error())
+		p.deleteOBCResource("")
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	_, errCode, err := cephObject.SetQuotaUserBucketMax(p.objectContext, p.cephUserName, maxBuckets)
 	if errCode > 0 {
+		p.deleteOBCResource(p.bucketName)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	logger.Infof("set user %q bucket max to %d", p.cephUserName, maxBuckets)
@@ -131,21 +133,25 @@ func (p Provisioner) Grant(options *apibkt.BucketOptions) (*bktv1alpha1.ObjectBu
 	// need to quota into -1 for restricting creation of new buckets in rgw
 	_, _, err = cephObject.SetQuotaUserBucketMax(p.objectContext, p.cephUserName, -1)
 	if err != nil {
+		p.deleteOBCResource("")
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	// get the bucket's owner via the bucket metadata
 	stats, _, err := cephObject.GetBucket(p.objectContext, p.bucketName)
 	if err != nil {
+		p.deleteOBCResource("")
 		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "could not get bucket stats (bucket: %s)", p.bucketName)
 	}
 	objectUser, _, err := cephObject.GetUser(p.objectContext, stats.Owner)
 	if err != nil {
+		p.deleteOBCResource("")
 		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "could not get user (user: %s)", stats.Owner)
 	}
 
 	s3svc, err := NewS3Agent(*objectUser.AccessKey, *objectUser.SecretKey, p.getObjectStoreEndpoint())
 	if err != nil {
+		p.deleteOBCResource("")
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -154,6 +160,7 @@ func (p Provisioner) Grant(options *apibkt.BucketOptions) (*bktv1alpha1.ObjectBu
 	if err != nil {
 		if aerr, ok := err.(awserr.Error); ok {
 			if aerr.Code() != "NoSuchBucketPolicy" {
+				p.deleteOBCResource("")
 				return nil, err
 			}
 		}
@@ -175,6 +182,7 @@ func (p Provisioner) Grant(options *apibkt.BucketOptions) (*bktv1alpha1.ObjectBu
 
 	logger.Infof("PutBucketPolicy output: %v", out)
 	if err != nil {
+		p.deleteOBCResource("")
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	// returned ob with connection info
@@ -197,11 +205,7 @@ func (p Provisioner) Delete(ob *bktv1alpha1.ObjectBucket) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	err = p.deleteCephUser(p.cephUserName)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	err = p.deleteBucket(p.bucketName)
+	err = p.deleteOBCResource(p.bucketName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -288,16 +292,8 @@ func (p Provisioner) Revoke(ob *bktv1alpha1.ObjectBucket) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	_, _, err = cephObject.UnlinkUser(p.objectContext, p.cephUserName, p.bucketName)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	// finally, delete unlinked user
-	err = p.deleteCephUser(p.cephUserName)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+	// finally, delete the user
+	p.deleteOBCResource("")
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/operator/ceph/object/bucket/rgw-handlers.go b/pkg/operator/ceph/object/bucket/rgw-handlers.go
index 63a756359..edda8bd17 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/ceph/object/bucket/rgw-handlers.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/ceph/object/bucket/rgw-handlers.go
@@ -7,26 +7,6 @@ import (
 	cephObject "github.com/rook/rook/pkg/operator/ceph/object"
 )
 
-// The bucket (and objects) could be deleted via an s3 iterator, but since radosgw
-// supports the `buket rm` command, this is the approch we'll use.
-func (p *Provisioner) deleteBucket(bktName string) error {
-
-	// delete bucket with purge option to remove all objects
-	errCode, err := cephObject.DeleteBucket(p.objectContext, p.bucketName, true)
-	if errCode == cephObject.RGWErrorNone {
-		logger.Infof("Bucket %s successfully deleted", bktName)
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	// opinion: "not found" is not an error
-	if errCode == cephObject.RGWErrorNotFound {
-		logger.Infof("Bucket %s does not exist", bktName)
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to delete bucket %q: errCode: %d", bktName, errCode)
-}
-
 func (p *Provisioner) bucketExists(name string) (bool, error) {
 	_, errCode, err := cephObject.GetBucket(p.objectContext, name)
 	if errCode != 0 {
@@ -83,26 +63,6 @@ func (p *Provisioner) createCephUser(username string) (accKey string, secKey str
 	return *u.AccessKey, *u.SecretKey, nil
 }
 
-// Delete the Ceph user associated to the passed-in bucket.
-func (p *Provisioner) deleteCephUser(username string) error {
-
-	logger.Infof("deleting Ceph user %s for bucket %q", username, p.bucketName)
-	_, errCode, err := cephObject.DeleteUser(p.objectContext, username)
-
-	if errCode == cephObject.RGWErrorNone {
-		logger.Infof("User %s successfully deleted", username)
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	// opinion: "not found" is not an error
-	if errCode == cephObject.RGWErrorNotFound {
-		logger.Infof("User %s does not exist", username)
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to delete user %q: errCode: %d", username, errCode)
-}
-
 // returns "" if unable to generate a unique name.
 func (p *Provisioner) genUserName() (genName string, err error) {
 	const (
@@ -122,3 +82,38 @@ func (p *Provisioner) genUserName() (genName string, err error) {
 	}
 	return genName, nil
 }
+
+// Delete the user and bucket created by OBC with help of radosgw-admin commands
+// If delete user failed, error is no longer returned since its permission is
+// already revoked and hence user is no longer able to access the bucket
+// Empty string is passed for bucketName only if user needs to be removed, ex Revoke()
+func (p *Provisioner) deleteOBCResource(bucketName string) error {
+
+	logger.Infof("deleting Ceph user %s and bucket %q", p.cephUserName, bucketName)
+	if len(p.cephUserName) > 0 {
+		_, errCode, _ := cephObject.DeleteUser(p.objectContext, p.cephUserName)
+
+		if errCode == cephObject.RGWErrorNone {
+			logger.Infof("user %q successfully deleted", p.cephUserName)
+		} else if errCode == cephObject.RGWErrorNotFound {
+			// opinion: "not found" is not an error
+			logger.Infof("user %q does not exist", p.cephUserName)
+		} else {
+			logger.Warningf("failed to delete user %q: errCode: %d", p.cephUserName, errCode)
+		}
+	}
+	if len(bucketName) > 0 {
+		// delete bucket with purge option to remove all objects
+		errCode, err := cephObject.DeleteBucket(p.objectContext, bucketName, true)
+
+		if errCode == cephObject.RGWErrorNone {
+			logger.Infof("bucket %q successfully deleted", p.bucketName)
+		} else if errCode == cephObject.RGWErrorNotFound {
+			// opinion: "not found" is not an error
+			logger.Infof("bucket %q does not exist", p.bucketName)
+		} else {
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "failed to delete bucket %q: errCode: %d", bucketName, errCode)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}