diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index d2bb644..7722524 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ struct UrlQuery {
     url: String,
 
     #[serde(default)]
-    backgrounded: bool,
+    backgrounded: Serde<bool>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, serde::Deserialize)]
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ async fn download<S: Store + 'static>(
 
     let stream = download_stream(&url_query.url, &state).await?;
 
-    if url_query.backgrounded {
+    if *url_query.backgrounded {
         do_download_backgrounded(stream, state, upload_query).await
     } else {
         do_download_inline(stream, &state, &upload_query).await
diff --git a/src/queue/cleanup.rs b/src/queue/cleanup.rs
index 659fbb2..b63fb6f 100644
--- a/src/queue/cleanup.rs
+++ b/src/queue/cleanup.rs
@@ -147,6 +147,15 @@ async fn hash(repo: &ArcRepo, hash: Hash) -> JobResult {
 pub(crate) async fn alias(repo: &ArcRepo, alias: Alias, token: DeleteToken) -> JobResult {
     let saved_delete_token = repo.delete_token(&alias).await.retry()?;
 
+    if saved_delete_token.is_none() {
+        let hash = repo.hash(&alias).await.retry()?;
+
+        // already deleted
+        if hash.is_none() {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+    }
+
     if !saved_delete_token.is_some_and(|t| t.ct_eq(&token)) {
         return Err(UploadError::InvalidToken).abort();
     }