diff --git a/engine/storage/snapshot/src/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/snapshot/SnapshotObject.java b/engine/storage/snapshot/src/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/snapshot/SnapshotObject.java
index 2fc576b8b8f..c8a0bc8a794 100644
--- a/engine/storage/snapshot/src/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/snapshot/SnapshotObject.java
+++ b/engine/storage/snapshot/src/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/snapshot/SnapshotObject.java
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ public class SnapshotObject implements SnapshotInfo {
                 .create(SnapshotDataStoreVO.class);
         sc.addAnd(sc.getEntity().getDataStoreId(), Op.EQ, this.store.getId());
         sc.addAnd(sc.getEntity().getRole(), Op.EQ, this.store.getRole());
+        sc.addAnd(sc.getEntity().getState(), Op.NIN, State.Destroying, State.Destroyed, State.Error);
         sc.addAnd(sc.getEntity().getParentSnapshotId(), Op.EQ, this.getId());
         SnapshotDataStoreVO vo = sc.find();
         if (vo == null) {
diff --git a/engine/storage/snapshot/src/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/snapshot/XenserverSnapshotStrategy.java b/engine/storage/snapshot/src/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/snapshot/XenserverSnapshotStrategy.java
index ebbce5b16a4..c470bfe0593 100644
--- a/engine/storage/snapshot/src/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/snapshot/XenserverSnapshotStrategy.java
+++ b/engine/storage/snapshot/src/org/apache/cloudstack/storage/snapshot/XenserverSnapshotStrategy.java
@@ -140,7 +140,20 @@ public class XenserverSnapshotStrategy extends SnapshotStrategyBase {
             }
             s_logger.debug("Snapshot: " + snapshot.getId() + " doesn't have children, so it's ok to delete it and its parents");
             SnapshotInfo parent = snapshot.getParent();
-            result = this.snapshotSvr.deleteSnapshot(snapshot);
+            boolean deleted = false;
+            if (parent != null) {
+                if (parent.getPath() != null && parent.getPath().equalsIgnoreCase(snapshot.getPath())) {
+                    //NOTE: if both snapshots share the same path, it's for xenserver's empty delta snapshot. We can't delete the snapshot on the backend, as parent snapshot still reference to it
+                    //Instead, mark it as destroyed in the db.
+                    s_logger.debug("for empty delta snapshot, only mark it as destroyed in db");
+                    snapshot.processEvent(Event.DestroyRequested);
+                    snapshot.processEvent(Event.OperationSuccessed);
+                    deleted = true;
+                }
+            }
+            if (!deleted) {
+                result = this.snapshotSvr.deleteSnapshot(snapshot);
+            }
             snapshot = parent;
         }
         return result;