diff --git a/src/collections/deserialize/index.ts b/src/collections/deserialize/index.ts
index 5ad7489e..97723179 100644
--- a/src/collections/deserialize/index.ts
+++ b/src/collections/deserialize/index.ts
@@ -533,7 +533,10 @@ export class Deserialize {
       objects: verbose
         ? reply.objects.map((obj) => {
             return {
-              id: stringify(obj.uuid),
+              // stringify() throws on anything but a 16-byte uuid; the server
+              // can omit the uuid on a BatchDeleteObject, so guard it here
+              // instead of letting an opaque TypeError escape.
+              id: obj.uuid.length === 16 ? stringify(obj.uuid) : undefined,
               successful: obj.successful,
               error: obj.error,
             };
diff --git a/src/collections/deserialize/unit.test.ts b/src/collections/deserialize/unit.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..19581ff8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/collections/deserialize/unit.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import { v4 } from 'uuid';
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { BatchDeleteReply } from '../../proto/v1/batch_delete.js';
+import { Deserialize } from './index.js';
+
+describe('Unit testing of Deserialize.deleteMany', () => {
+  const baseReply = (uuid: Uint8Array): BatchDeleteReply => ({
+    took: 0,
+    failed: 0,
+    matches: 1,
+    successful: 1,
+    objects: [{ uuid, successful: true, error: '' }],
+  });
+
+  it('should stringify a well-formed 16-byte uuid', () => {
+    const id = v4();
+    const uuid = Uint8Array.from(Buffer.from(id.replace(/-/g, ''), 'hex'));
+
+    const result = Deserialize.deleteMany(baseReply(uuid), true);
+
+    expect(result.objects![0].id).toBe(id);
+  });
+
+  it('should return an undefined id instead of throwing when the server omits the uuid', () => {
+    const result = Deserialize.deleteMany(baseReply(new Uint8Array(0)), true);
+
+    expect(result.objects![0].id).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(result.objects![0].successful).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/collections/types/data.ts b/src/collections/types/data.ts
index 0a4d33be..763ab3a7 100644
--- a/src/collections/types/data.ts
+++ b/src/collections/types/data.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ export type DataObject<T> = {
 };
 
 export type DeleteManyObject = {
-  id: string;
+  /** Undefined when the server returned no uuid for this object. */
+  id?: string;
   successful: boolean;
   error?: string;
 };
diff --git a/test/collections/journey.test.ts b/test/collections/journey.test.ts
index 11d01222..094bdd83 100644
--- a/test/collections/journey.test.ts
+++ b/test/collections/journey.test.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ describe('Journey testing of the client using a WCD cluster', () => {
     dateOfBirth: Date;
   };
 
-  afterAll(() => client.collections.delete(collectionName));
+  afterAll(() => client?.collections.delete(collectionName));
 
   beforeAll(async () => {
     client = await weaviate.connectToWeaviateCloud(