diff --git a/cmd/harbor/root/registry/delete.go b/cmd/harbor/root/registry/delete.go
index 597846e5d..243988067 100644
--- a/cmd/harbor/root/registry/delete.go
+++ b/cmd/harbor/root/registry/delete.go
@@ -33,7 +33,12 @@ func DeleteRegistryCommand() *cobra.Command {
 			errChan := make(chan error, len(args))
 			if len(args) > 0 {
 				for _, arg := range args {
-					registryID, _ := api.GetRegistryIdByName(arg)
+					registryID, err := api.GetRegistryIdByName(arg)
+					if err != nil {
+						errChan <- fmt.Errorf("failed to get registry id for %q: %w", arg, err)
+						continue
+					}
+
 					wg.Add(1)
 					go func(registryID int64) {
 						defer wg.Done()
diff --git a/cmd/harbor/root/registry/delete_test.go b/cmd/harbor/root/registry/delete_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bb2920a76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/harbor/root/registry/delete_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+// Copyright Project Harbor Authors
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+package registry
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestDeleteRegistryCommand(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := DeleteRegistryCommand()
+
+	assert.Equal(t, "delete", cmd.Use)
+	assert.Equal(t, "delete registry by name or id", cmd.Short)
+	assert.Equal(t, "harbor registry delete [registryname]", cmd.Example)
+	assert.NotNil(t, cmd.RunE)
+	assert.NotNil(t, cmd.Args)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/api/registry_handler.go b/pkg/api/registry_handler.go
index 61658fdbe..9b725c615 100644
--- a/pkg/api/registry_handler.go
+++ b/pkg/api/registry_handler.go
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ func GetRegistryProviders() ([]string, error) {
 }
 
 func GetRegistryIdByName(registryName string) (int64, error) {
-	var opts ListFlags
+	opts := ListFlags{Name: registryName}
 
 	r, err := ListRegistries(opts)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -188,5 +188,5 @@ func GetRegistryIdByName(registryName string) (int64, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return 0, err
+	return 0, fmt.Errorf("registry '%s' not found", registryName)
 }