diff --git a/gdk/win32/gdkselection-win32.c b/gdk/win32/gdkselection-win32.c
index ce42d0d12d..a9c8d77209 100644
--- a/gdk/win32/gdkselection-win32.c
+++ b/gdk/win32/gdkselection-win32.c
@@ -2168,6 +2168,15 @@ convert_dnd_selection_to_target (GdkAtom    target,
   fmt.lindex = -1;
   fmt.tymed = TYMED_HGLOBAL;
 
+  /* We rely on GTK+ applications to synthesize the DELETE request
+   * for themselves, since they do know whether a DnD operation was a
+   * move and whether was successful. Therefore, we do not need to
+   * actually send anything here. Just report back without storing
+   * any data.
+   */
+  if (target == _gdk_win32_selection_atom (GDK_WIN32_ATOM_INDEX_DELETE))
+    return result;
+
   for (format = 0, with_transmute = 0; format == 0 && with_transmute < 2; with_transmute++)
     {
       for (i = 0;
diff --git a/gtk/gtkselection.c b/gtk/gtkselection.c
index 73875a60a3..0c1f98d756 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkselection.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkselection.c
@@ -1124,6 +1124,15 @@ gtk_selection_convert (GtkWidget *widget,
   display = gtk_widget_get_display (widget);
   owner_window = gdk_selection_owner_get_for_display (display, selection);
   
+#ifdef GDK_WINDOWING_WIN32
+  /* Special handling for DELETE requests,
+   * make sure this goes down into GDK layer.
+   */
+  if (GDK_IS_WIN32_DISPLAY (display) &&
+      target == gdk_atom_intern_static_string ("DELETE"))
+    owner_window = NULL;
+#endif
+
   if (owner_window != NULL)
     {
       GtkWidget *owner_widget;