diff --git a/couchdbkit/client.py b/couchdbkit/client.py
index cb6b261..be10b9b 100644
--- a/couchdbkit/client.py
+++ b/couchdbkit/client.py
@@ -563,7 +563,17 @@ def save_doc(self, doc, encode_attachments=True, force_update=False,
             couch_doc = Document(self.cloudant_database, docid)
             couch_doc.update(doc1)
             try:
-                couch_doc.save()
+                # Copied from Document.save to ensure that a deleted doc cannot be saved.
+                headers = {}
+                headers.setdefault('Content-Type', 'application/json')
+                put_resp = couch_doc.r_session.put(
+                    couch_doc.document_url,
+                    data=couch_doc.json(),
+                    headers=headers
+                )
+                put_resp.raise_for_status()
+                data = put_resp.json()
+                super(Document, couch_doc).__setitem__('_rev', data['rev'])
             except HTTPError as e:
                 if e.response.status_code != 409:
                     raise
@@ -716,7 +726,10 @@ def delete_doc(self, doc, **params):
             couch_doc['_rev'] = doc1['_rev']
         elif isinstance(doc1, six.string_types): # we get a docid
             couch_doc = Document(self.cloudant_database, doc1)
-            couch_doc['_rev'] = self.get_rev(doc1)
+            try:
+                couch_doc['_rev'] = self.get_rev(doc1)
+            except ResourceNotFound:
+                raise ResourceConflict
 
         # manual request because cloudant library doesn't return result
         res = self._request_session.delete(
diff --git a/couchdbkit/version.py b/couchdbkit/version.py
index 56e9570..4175157 100644
--- a/couchdbkit/version.py
+++ b/couchdbkit/version.py
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@
 
 from __future__ import absolute_import
 from six.moves import map
-version_info = (0, 9, 0, 3, 6)
+version_info = (0, 9, 0, 3, 7)
 __version__ =  ".".join(map(str, version_info))