diff --git a/backend/src/controllers/participant.controller.ts b/backend/src/controllers/participant.controller.ts
index 118fbc9..12523d0 100644
--- a/backend/src/controllers/participant.controller.ts
+++ b/backend/src/controllers/participant.controller.ts
@@ -73,9 +73,17 @@ export const refreshParticipantToken = async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
 
 export const deleteParticipant = async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
 	const logger = container.get(LoggerService);
+	const roomService = container.get(RoomService);
 	const participantService = container.get(ParticipantService);
 	const { roomId, participantName } = req.params;
 
+	// Check if the room exists
+	try {
+		await roomService.getMeetRoom(roomId);
+	} catch (error) {
+		return handleError(res, error, `getting room '${roomId}'`);
+	}
+
 	try {
 		logger.verbose(`Deleting participant '${participantName}' from room '${roomId}'`);
 		await participantService.deleteParticipant(participantName, roomId);
diff --git a/backend/src/services/livekit.service.ts b/backend/src/services/livekit.service.ts
index 9dda4e6..1b78cd1 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/livekit.service.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/livekit.service.ts
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ export class LiveKitService {
 			return await this.roomClient.getParticipant(roomName, participantName);
 		} catch (error) {
 			this.logger.warn(`Participant ${participantName} not found in room ${roomName}: ${error}`);
-			throw internalError(`getting participant '${participantName}' in room '${roomName}'`);
+			throw errorParticipantNotFound(participantName, roomName);
 		}
 	}