diff --git a/scripts/linterrcodes.lua b/scripts/linterrcodes.lua
index 8e1eb33c0b..e7b8f33b7c 100644
--- a/scripts/linterrcodes.lua
+++ b/scripts/linterrcodes.lua
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ local dup_allowed = {
   E312 = 2,
   E317 = 4,
   E319 = 2,
+  E367 = 3,
   E423 = 3,
   E474 = 60,
   E475 = 6,
diff --git a/src/nvim/api/autocmd.c b/src/nvim/api/autocmd.c
index f046ce72bd..f3b5aa780a 100644
--- a/src/nvim/api/autocmd.c
+++ b/src/nvim/api/autocmd.c
@@ -663,8 +663,7 @@ void nvim_del_augroup_by_id(Integer id, Error *err)
   FUNC_API_SINCE(9)
 {
   TRY_WRAP(err, {
-    char *name = id == 0 ? NULL : augroup_name((int)id);
-    augroup_del(name, false);
+    augroup_del_by_id((int)id);
   });
 }
 
@@ -678,7 +677,7 @@ void nvim_del_augroup_by_name(String name, Error *err)
   FUNC_API_SINCE(9)
 {
   TRY_WRAP(err, {
-    augroup_del(name.data, false);
+    augroup_del(name.data, -1, false);
   });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/nvim/autocmd.c b/src/nvim/autocmd.c
index 65d1543f96..191dd3aa90 100644
--- a/src/nvim/autocmd.c
+++ b/src/nvim/autocmd.c
@@ -421,6 +421,17 @@ int augroup_add(const char *name)
   return next_id;
 }
 
+void augroup_del_by_id(int id)
+{
+  char *name = id <= 0 ? NULL : augroup_name(id);
+  if (name == NULL) {
+    semsg(_("E367: No such group id: %d"), id);
+  } else {
+    // NB: this can still error, but the error might be "semantic" like "-- Deleted --"
+    augroup_del(name, id, false);
+  }
+}
+
 /// Delete the augroup that matches name.
 /// @param stupid_legacy_mode bool: This parameter determines whether to run the augroup
 ///     deletion in the same fashion as `:augroup! {name}` where if there are any remaining
@@ -432,11 +443,18 @@ int augroup_add(const char *name)
 ///     I did not consider this good behavior, so now when NOT in stupid_legacy_mode, we actually
 ///     delete these groups and their commands, like you would expect (and don't leave hanging
 ///     `--- DELETED ---` groups around)
-void augroup_del(char *name, bool stupid_legacy_mode)
+/// @param id_for_error  only to provide context for an error message:
+///                       if >= 0, we tried to look up the group by id
+///                       if < 0, only use `name` for error
+void augroup_del(char *name, int id_for_error, bool stupid_legacy_mode)
 {
   int group = augroup_find(name);
   if (group == AUGROUP_ERROR) {  // the group doesn't exist
-    semsg(_("E367: No such group: \"%s\""), name);
+    if (id_for_error > 0) {
+      semsg(_("E367: No such group id: %d \"%s\""), id_for_error, name);
+    } else {
+      semsg(_("E367: No such group: \"%s\""), name);
+    }
     return;
   } else if (group == current_augroup) {
     emsg(_("E936: Cannot delete the current group"));
@@ -548,7 +566,7 @@ void do_augroup(char *arg, bool del_group)
     if (*arg == NUL) {
       emsg(_(e_argreq));
     } else {
-      augroup_del(arg, true);
+      augroup_del(arg, -1, true);
     }
   } else if (STRICMP(arg, "end") == 0) {  // ":aug end": back to group 0
     current_augroup = AUGROUP_DEFAULT;
diff --git a/test/functional/api/autocmd_spec.lua b/test/functional/api/autocmd_spec.lua
index 7cc84a1023..a4588dd314 100644
--- a/test/functional/api/autocmd_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/api/autocmd_spec.lua
@@ -1671,13 +1671,13 @@ describe('autocmd api', function()
       eq('Vim:E367: No such group: "noexist"', pcall_err(api.nvim_del_augroup_by_name, 'noexist'))
 
       eq(false, exec_lua [[return pcall(vim.api.nvim_del_augroup_by_id, -12342)]])
-      eq('Vim:E367: No such group: "--Deleted--"', pcall_err(api.nvim_del_augroup_by_id, -12312))
+      eq('Vim:E367: No such group id: -12312', pcall_err(api.nvim_del_augroup_by_id, -12312))
 
       eq(false, exec_lua [[return pcall(vim.api.nvim_del_augroup_by_id, 0)]])
-      eq('Vim:E367: No such group: "[NULL]"', pcall_err(api.nvim_del_augroup_by_id, 0))
+      eq('Vim:E367: No such group id: 0', pcall_err(api.nvim_del_augroup_by_id, 0))
 
       eq(false, exec_lua [[return pcall(vim.api.nvim_del_augroup_by_id, 12342)]])
-      eq('Vim:E367: No such group: "[NULL]"', pcall_err(api.nvim_del_augroup_by_id, 12312))
+      eq('Vim:E367: No such group id: 12312', pcall_err(api.nvim_del_augroup_by_id, 12312))
     end)
 
     it('groups work with once', function()
@@ -1828,6 +1828,13 @@ describe('autocmd api', function()
       -- so now this works as expected
       eq(false, pcall(api.nvim_get_autocmds, { group = 'TEMP_ABCD' }))
       eq(0, #api.nvim_get_autocmds { event = 'BufReadPost' })
+
+      -- deleting an already deleted group gives NICE error message:
+      -- exact value of augroup_id here depends on defaults.lua and bullshit, splice it in!
+      eq(
+        'Vim:E367: No such group id: ' .. augroup_id .. ' "--Deleted--"',
+        pcall_err(api.nvim_del_augroup_by_id, augroup_id)
+      )
     end)
 
     it('api: should clear and not return any autocmds for delete groups by name', function()