diff --git a/services/filestore/app/js/GcsPersistor.js b/services/filestore/app/js/GcsPersistor.js
index bc46153983..ddaf37d42d 100644
--- a/services/filestore/app/js/GcsPersistor.js
+++ b/services/filestore/app/js/GcsPersistor.js
@@ -179,9 +179,6 @@ async function deleteFile(bucketName, key) {
   try {
     const file = storage.bucket(bucketName).file(key)
 
-    if (settings.filestore.gcs.unlockBeforeDelete) {
-      await file.setMetadata({ eventBasedHold: false })
-    }
     if (settings.filestore.gcs.deletedBucketSuffix) {
       await file.copy(
         storage
@@ -189,6 +186,9 @@ async function deleteFile(bucketName, key) {
           .file(`${key}-${new Date()}`)
       )
     }
+    if (settings.filestore.gcs.unlockBeforeDelete) {
+      await file.setMetadata({ eventBasedHold: false })
+    }
     await file.delete()
   } catch (err) {
     const error = PersistorHelper.wrapError(