diff --git a/src/Database/Model.php b/src/Database/Model.php
index db68736c7..8ebfc2c5b 100644
--- a/src/Database/Model.php
+++ b/src/Database/Model.php
@@ -1009,10 +1009,6 @@ protected function performDeleteOnRelations()
              * Hard 'delete' definition
              */
             foreach ($relations as $name => $options) {
-                if (!$relation = $this->{$name}) {
-                    continue;
-                }
-
                 if (in_array($type, ['belongsToMany', 'morphToMany', 'morphedByMany'])) {
                     // we want to remove the pivot record, not the actual relation record
                     if (Arr::get($options, 'detach', true)) {
@@ -1026,6 +1022,11 @@ protected function performDeleteOnRelations()
                         continue;
                     }
 
+                    // Attempt to load the related record(s)
+                    if (!$relation = $this->{$name}) {
+                        continue;
+                    }
+
                     if ($relation instanceof EloquentModel) {
                         $relation->forceDelete();
                     } elseif ($relation instanceof CollectionBase) {
diff --git a/src/Database/Traits/SoftDelete.php b/src/Database/Traits/SoftDelete.php
index fc913b8e8..82953eb2b 100644
--- a/src/Database/Traits/SoftDelete.php
+++ b/src/Database/Traits/SoftDelete.php
@@ -115,10 +115,11 @@ protected function performSoftDeleteOnRelations()
         $definitions = $this->getRelationDefinitions();
         foreach ($definitions as $type => $relations) {
             foreach ($relations as $name => $options) {
-                if (!$relation = $this->{$name}) {
+                if (!array_get($options, 'softDelete', false)) {
                     continue;
                 }
-                if (!array_get($options, 'softDelete', false)) {
+                // Attempt to load the related record(s)
+                if (!$relation = $this->{$name}) {
                     continue;
                 }
                 if (in_array($type, ['belongsToMany', 'morphToMany', 'morphedByMany'])) {