diff --git a/extensions/panache/hibernate-orm-panache/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/hibernate/orm/panache/runtime/JpaOperations.java b/extensions/panache/hibernate-orm-panache/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/hibernate/orm/panache/runtime/JpaOperations.java
index 9bf6d3bbb52cbb..2f6a13392739af 100644
--- a/extensions/panache/hibernate-orm-panache/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/hibernate/orm/panache/runtime/JpaOperations.java
+++ b/extensions/panache/hibernate-orm-panache/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/hibernate/orm/panache/runtime/JpaOperations.java
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@
 import javax.transaction.SystemException;
 import javax.transaction.TransactionManager;
 
+import org.hibernate.Session;
+import org.hibernate.SessionFactory;
+import org.hibernate.metadata.ClassMetadata;
+import org.hibernate.metamodel.spi.MetamodelImplementor;
+
 import io.quarkus.arc.Arc;
 import io.quarkus.hibernate.orm.panache.PanacheQuery;
 import io.quarkus.panache.common.Parameters;
@@ -394,13 +399,15 @@ public static long deleteAll(Class<?> entityClass) {
     }
 
     public static boolean deleteById(Class<?> entityClass, Object id) {
-        // TODO can be improved using a DELETE JPQL query
-        Object entity = findById(entityClass, id);
-        if (entity == null) {
-            return false;
-        }
-        getEntityManager().remove(entity);
-        return true;
+        EntityManager entityManager = getEntityManager();
+        Session session = entityManager.unwrap(Session.class);
+        SessionFactory sessionFactory = session.getSessionFactory();
+        ClassMetadata metadata = ((MetamodelImplementor) sessionFactory.getMetamodel()).entityPersister(entityClass)
+                .getClassMetadata();
+        String idField = metadata.getIdentifierPropertyName();
+
+        long updated = delete(entityClass, idField, id);
+        return updated == 1;
     }
 
     public static long delete(Class<?> entityClass, String query, Object... params) {
diff --git a/integration-tests/hibernate-orm-panache/src/main/java/io/quarkus/it/panache/TestEndpoint.java b/integration-tests/hibernate-orm-panache/src/main/java/io/quarkus/it/panache/TestEndpoint.java
index b23e9878c243bb..68a4e7a58119e0 100644
--- a/integration-tests/hibernate-orm-panache/src/main/java/io/quarkus/it/panache/TestEndpoint.java
+++ b/integration-tests/hibernate-orm-panache/src/main/java/io/quarkus/it/panache/TestEndpoint.java
@@ -214,6 +214,13 @@ public String testModel() {
 
         testUpdate();
 
+        //delete by id
+        Person toRemove = new Person();
+        toRemove.name = "testDeleteById";
+        toRemove.uniqueName = "testDeleteByIdUnique";
+        toRemove.persist();
+        Assertions.assertTrue(Person.deleteById(toRemove.id));
+
         // persistAndFlush
         Person person1 = new Person();
         person1.name = "testFLush1";
@@ -229,13 +236,6 @@ public String testModel() {
             //this is expected
         }
 
-        //delete by id
-        Person toRemove = new Person();
-        toRemove.name = "testDeleteById";
-        toRemove.uniqueName = "testDeleteById";
-        toRemove.persist();
-        Assertions.assertTrue(Person.deleteById(toRemove.id));
-
         return "OK";
     }
 
@@ -652,6 +652,13 @@ public String testModelDao() {
 
         testUpdateDAO();
 
+        //delete by id
+        Person toRemove = new Person();
+        toRemove.name = "testDeleteById";
+        toRemove.uniqueName = "testDeleteByIdUnique";
+        personDao.persist(toRemove);
+        Assertions.assertTrue(personDao.deleteById(toRemove.id));
+
         //flush
         Person person1 = new Person();
         person1.name = "testFlush1";
@@ -667,13 +674,6 @@ public String testModelDao() {
             //this is expected
         }
 
-        //delete by id
-        Person toRemove = new Person();
-        toRemove.name = "testDeleteById";
-        toRemove.uniqueName = "testDeleteById";
-        personDao.persist(toRemove);
-        Assertions.assertTrue(personDao.deleteById(toRemove.id));
-
         return "OK";
     }