diff --git a/lib/api/multiObjectDelete.js b/lib/api/multiObjectDelete.js
index f6dce72236..c224cb7612 100644
--- a/lib/api/multiObjectDelete.js
+++ b/lib/api/multiObjectDelete.js
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ const { preprocessingVersioningDelete }
 const createAndStoreObject = require('./apiUtils/object/createAndStoreObject');
 const { metadataGetObject } = require('../metadata/metadataUtils');
 const { config } = require('../Config');
-const { hasGovernanceBypassHeader, checkUserGovernanceBypass, ObjectLockInfo }
-    = require('./apiUtils/object/objectLockHelpers');
+const { isObjectLocked } = require('./apiUtils/object/objectLockHelpers');
 const requestUtils = policies.requestUtils;
 
 const versionIdUtils = versioning.VersionID;
@@ -230,6 +229,10 @@ function getObjMetadataAndDelete(authInfo, canonicalID, request,
                         successfullyDeleted.push({ entry });
                         return callback(skipError);
                     }
+                    if (versionId && isObjectLocked(bucket, objMD, request.headers)) {
+                        log.debug('trying to delete locked object');
+                        return callback(objectLockedError);
+                    }
                     if (versionId && objMD.location &&
                         Array.isArray(objMD.location) && objMD.location[0]) {
                         // we need this information for data deletes to AWS
@@ -238,47 +241,6 @@ function getObjMetadataAndDelete(authInfo, canonicalID, request,
                     }
                     return callback(null, objMD, versionId);
                 }),
-            (objMD, versionId, callback) => {
-                // AWS only returns an object lock error if a version id
-                // is specified, else continue to create a delete marker
-                if (!versionId || !bucket.isObjectLockEnabled()) {
-                    return callback(null, null, objMD, versionId);
-                }
-                const hasGovernanceBypass = hasGovernanceBypassHeader(request.headers);
-                if (hasGovernanceBypass && authInfo.isRequesterAnIAMUser()) {
-                    return checkUserGovernanceBypass(request, authInfo, bucket, entry.key, log, error => {
-                        if (error && error.is.AccessDenied) {
-                            log.debug('user does not have BypassGovernanceRetention and object is locked', { error });
-                            return callback(objectLockedError);
-                        }
-                        if (error) {
-                            return callback(error);
-                        }
-                        return callback(null, hasGovernanceBypass, objMD, versionId);
-                    });
-                }
-                return callback(null, hasGovernanceBypass, objMD, versionId);
-            },
-            (hasGovernanceBypass, objMD, versionId, callback) => {
-                // AWS only returns an object lock error if a version id
-                // is specified, else continue to create a delete marker
-                if (!versionId || !bucket.isObjectLockEnabled()) {
-                    return callback(null, objMD, versionId);
-                }
-                const objLockInfo = new ObjectLockInfo({
-                    mode: objMD.retentionMode,
-                    date: objMD.retentionDate,
-                    legalHold: objMD.legalHold || false,
-                });
-
-                // If the object can not be deleted raise an error
-                if (!objLockInfo.canModifyObject(hasGovernanceBypass)) {
-                    log.debug('trying to delete locked object');
-                    return callback(objectLockedError);
-                }
-
-                return callback(null, objMD, versionId);
-            },
             (objMD, versionId, callback) =>
                 preprocessingVersioningDelete(bucketName, bucket, objMD,
                 versionId, log, (err, options) => callback(err, options,