diff --git a/api/queries_issue.go b/api/queries_issue.go
index f83292394..262334251 100644
--- a/api/queries_issue.go
+++ b/api/queries_issue.go
@@ -342,27 +342,6 @@ func IssueByNumber(client *Client, repo ghrepo.Interface, number int) (*Issue, e
 	return &resp.Repository.Issue, nil
 }
 
-func IssueDelete(client *Client, repo ghrepo.Interface, issue Issue) error {
-	var mutation struct {
-		DeleteIssue struct {
-			Repository struct {
-				ID githubv4.ID
-			}
-		} `graphql:"deleteIssue(input: $input)"`
-	}
-
-	variables := map[string]interface{}{
-		"input": githubv4.DeleteIssueInput{
-			IssueID: issue.ID,
-		},
-	}
-
-	gql := graphQLClient(client.http, repo.RepoHost())
-	err := gql.MutateNamed(context.Background(), "IssueDelete", &mutation, variables)
-
-	return err
-}
-
 func IssueUpdate(client *Client, repo ghrepo.Interface, params githubv4.UpdateIssueInput) error {
 	var mutation struct {
 		UpdateIssue struct {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/issue/delete/delete.go b/pkg/cmd/issue/delete/delete.go
index fa0332d5f..efabbbf5b 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/issue/delete/delete.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/issue/delete/delete.go
@@ -1,18 +1,21 @@
 package delete
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"strconv"
 
 	"github.com/AlecAivazis/survey/v2"
-	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/api"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/internal/config"
+	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/internal/ghinstance"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/internal/ghrepo"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmd/issue/shared"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/cmdutil"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/iostreams"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/v2/pkg/prompt"
+	graphql "github.com/cli/shurcooL-graphql"
+	"github.com/shurcooL/githubv4"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
@@ -61,12 +64,14 @@ func deleteRun(opts *DeleteOptions) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	apiClient := api.NewClientFromHTTP(httpClient)
 
-	issue, baseRepo, err := shared.IssueFromArg(apiClient, opts.BaseRepo, opts.SelectorArg)
+	issue, baseRepo, err := shared.IssueFromArgWithFields(httpClient, opts.BaseRepo, opts.SelectorArg, []string{"id", "number", "title"})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if issue.IsPullRequest() {
+		return fmt.Errorf("issue #%d is a pull request and cannot be deleted", issue.Number)
+	}
 
 	// When executed in an interactive shell, require confirmation. Otherwise skip confirmation.
 	if opts.IO.CanPrompt() {
@@ -87,12 +92,32 @@ func deleteRun(opts *DeleteOptions) error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	err = api.IssueDelete(apiClient, baseRepo, *issue)
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := apiDelete(httpClient, baseRepo, issue.ID); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	fmt.Fprintf(opts.IO.ErrOut, "%s Deleted issue #%d (%s).\n", cs.Red("✔"), issue.Number, issue.Title)
+	if opts.IO.IsStdoutTTY() {
+		fmt.Fprintf(opts.IO.ErrOut, "%s Deleted issue #%d (%s).\n", cs.Red("✔"), issue.Number, issue.Title)
+	}
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func apiDelete(httpClient *http.Client, repo ghrepo.Interface, issueID string) error {
+	var mutation struct {
+		DeleteIssue struct {
+			Repository struct {
+				ID githubv4.ID
+			}
+		} `graphql:"deleteIssue(input: $input)"`
+	}
+
+	variables := map[string]interface{}{
+		"input": githubv4.DeleteIssueInput{
+			IssueID: issueID,
+		},
+	}
+
+	gql := graphql.NewClient(ghinstance.GraphQLEndpoint(repo.RepoHost()), httpClient)
+	return gql.MutateNamed(context.Background(), "IssueDelete", &mutation, variables)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/issue/delete/delete_test.go b/pkg/cmd/issue/delete/delete_test.go
index 5c91b39c7..aa6173dc6 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/issue/delete/delete_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/issue/delete/delete_test.go
@@ -145,9 +145,24 @@ func TestIssueDelete_issuesDisabled(t *testing.T) {
 	httpRegistry.Register(
 		httpmock.GraphQL(`query IssueByNumber\b`),
 		httpmock.StringResponse(`
-			{ "data": { "repository": {
-				"hasIssuesEnabled": false
-			} } }`),
+		{
+			"data": {
+				"repository": {
+					"hasIssuesEnabled": false,
+					"issue": null
+				}
+			},
+			"errors": [
+				{
+					"type": "NOT_FOUND",
+					"path": [
+						"repository",
+						"issue"
+					],
+					"message": "Could not resolve to an issue or pull request with the number of 13."
+				}
+			]
+		}`),
 	)
 
 	_, err := runCommand(httpRegistry, true, "13")