diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/dao/jena/ObjectPropertyDaoJena.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/dao/jena/ObjectPropertyDaoJena.java
index ecdc2bfbc..7d0e42509 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/dao/jena/ObjectPropertyDaoJena.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/dao/jena/ObjectPropertyDaoJena.java
@@ -71,8 +71,7 @@ public class ObjectPropertyDaoJena extends PropertyDaoJena implements ObjectProp
     }
     
     public void deleteObjectProperty(String propertyURI) {
-        ObjectProperty op = new ObjectProperty();
-        op.setURI(propertyURI);
+        ObjectProperty op = getObjectPropertyByURI(propertyURI);
         deleteObjectProperty(op);
     }