diff --git a/github/resource_github_repository_file.go b/github/resource_github_repository_file.go
index c84a8a195..ede8dada0 100644
--- a/github/resource_github_repository_file.go
+++ b/github/resource_github_repository_file.go
@@ -460,16 +460,14 @@ func resourceGithubRepositoryFileDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}
 
 	var branch string
 
-	message := fmt.Sprintf("Delete %s", file)
-
-	if commitMessage, hasCommitMessage := d.GetOk("commit_message"); hasCommitMessage {
-		message = commitMessage.(string)
+	opts, err := resourceGithubRepositoryFileOptions(d)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
-	sha := d.Get("sha").(string)
-	opts := &github.RepositoryContentFileOptions{
-		Message: &message,
-		SHA:     &sha,
+	if *opts.Message == fmt.Sprintf("Add %s", file) {
+		m := fmt.Sprintf("Delete %s", file)
+		opts.Message = &m
 	}
 
 	if b, ok := d.GetOk("branch"); ok {
@@ -503,9 +501,9 @@ func resourceGithubRepositoryFileDelete(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}
 		opts.Branch = &branch
 	}
 
-	_, _, err := client.Repositories.DeleteFile(ctx, owner, repo, file, opts)
+	_, _, err = client.Repositories.DeleteFile(ctx, owner, repo, file, opts)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil
+		return err
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/github/resource_github_repository_file_test.go b/github/resource_github_repository_file_test.go
index 0a2da9aa5..c11ddd277 100644
--- a/github/resource_github_repository_file_test.go
+++ b/github/resource_github_repository_file_test.go
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@ import (
 
 func TestAccGithubRepositoryFile(t *testing.T) {
 
-	randomID := acctest.RandStringFromCharSet(5, acctest.CharSetAlphaNum)
-
 	t.Run("creates and manages files", func(t *testing.T) {
 
 		config := fmt.Sprintf(`
@@ -33,7 +31,7 @@ func TestAccGithubRepositoryFile(t *testing.T) {
 				commit_author  = "Terraform User"
 				commit_email   = "terraform@example.com"
 			}
-		`, randomID)
+		`, acctest.RandStringFromCharSet(5, acctest.CharSetAlphaNum))
 		check := resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 			resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
 				"github_repository_file.test", "content",
@@ -111,7 +109,7 @@ func TestAccGithubRepositoryFile(t *testing.T) {
 				commit_email        = "terraform@example.com"
 			}
 
-		`, randomID)
+		`, acctest.RandStringFromCharSet(5, acctest.CharSetAlphaNum))
 
 		check := resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 			resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
@@ -202,7 +200,7 @@ func TestAccGithubRepositoryFile(t *testing.T) {
 				commit_author  = "Terraform User"
 				commit_email   = "terraform@example.com"
 			}
-		`, randomID)
+		`, acctest.RandStringFromCharSet(5, acctest.CharSetAlphaNum))
 
 		check := resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 			resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(
@@ -280,7 +278,7 @@ func TestAccGithubRepositoryFile(t *testing.T) {
 				commit_email      = "terraform@example.com"
 				autocreate_branch = false
 			}
-		`, randomID)
+		`, acctest.RandStringFromCharSet(5, acctest.CharSetAlphaNum))
 
 		check := resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
 			resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(